Painted Wall

Entrances and Dining Rooms

Brush painted flowers

Delicate blooms in an all white room.

The only other colour in the room was the dark lacquered floor, and the weeping blossom tree. It was painted around two walls, to break up the squareness of the walls.

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[Dragon left.jpg]

Out door dining with a sea view

This mural was designed to be a simple view of the sea.

It was a good site for such a view, as the rest of the house wall blocked all other competing views.

It was designed to reflect interests of each member of the family, hence the sail, the dragons, and the pilates figures in bas relief on the "floor".

The picture below was taken during the painting of the mural and shows a still life on the small table, as well as the real flower.

It was painted from flowers that had just been given to the owner, and that are now preserved in the mural.

Mallee Trompe L'oeil

The owners wanted a mural that brought out the delicate desert beauty of the Murray Mallee vegetation, and extended the line of the winter lagoon overlooked by their house. The mid ground view is of the ancient red cliffs of the Murray river, and shows the transition from desert, to river's edge vegetation. Semi-transparent glazes were used to create reflections and depth in the water. Each leaf of the foreground mallees was painted individually to enhance the feel of the trees. Sandstone blocks and a weathered timber beam were painted to frame the mural, to complement the modern lines of the room. Completed in six days.

Fern Garden

The resident's dining room of a nursing home looked out to a blank glary wall covering the airconditioning units. The mural had to reduce glare, but not be too "cold". Landscape evoking the Fleurieu Peninsula was included, as many residents had grown up in that area. A dark green pergola was painted to frame the views, picking up the accent colour of the enclosed courtyard. The mural was painted on the two visible sides of the airconditioning surrounds. "Just Joey" rose was the favourite flower of one of the residents, it was painted in as a memory aid. Mural design evolves with the work. The bridge was not part of the original plan, it became the right thing to link the foreground to the background. It was based on a bridge seen in Malaysia ten years earlier. Rosetta Head is a landmark for a beach popular with generations of South Australians.

Robe Trompe L'oeil Door
The client wanted a mural in her city apartment that reminded her of the feeling of walking over to a favourite beach at Robe, where she has holidayed for over thirty years. Elements of those holidays - local birds, the beach bag, bucket and shells were incorporated as reminders of what is special about those times. The doorway to her guest wing was chosen, as a bridge to visitors and her own visiting at Robe.

Reception Centre

The Entrance for a Wedding Reception Centre needed opening up, to create a site for photographs when the weather was not good for garden photographs. A new colour scheme was also developed for the centre.

Venice

The clients had built an enclosed courtyard for dining, and wanted a mural to create atmosphere and sense of openness. As the solid panels only just came above eye height, the composition was kept in a U-shape, with an empty central view of sea and sky, and all objects placed in the foreground and to the sides. The client had migrated to Adelaide from Venice, and this was reflected by painting in some Venetian villas (but definitely no gondolas!) on the left, and featuring a more Australian beach on the right. The seafood basket and fruit platter contain foods common to both Italy and Adelaide's mediterranean climate. The seafood also references a magnificent C18th painting of seafood held by the Art gallery of SA, much admired by both the client and ourselves. The decorative shell plaques on the left and right walls, were painted to stay in keeping with the sea theme and classical decorative motifs.

Harlequin

Clients wanted to create an interesting window, or other image for the front entrance. They wanted something adventurous, imaginative and linked to their love of theatre.

A Harlequin figure looks out of the window, with a galah perched on his arm. The harlequin and the court jester both used wit and satire to challenge authoritarian and blinkered thinking. Tinkerbell looks back through the house (for the lost boys?)- in a red outfit, echoing one framed in the house as a memento of previous performances. A distant Charlie Chaplin figure disappears out of the picture.

A spring has opened up inside the house, reflecting the Kaurna story of Tjilbruke, and the trail of springs in the Adelaide and Fleurieu peninsula before European arrival. Galahs and Cockatoos are Australian birds known for their raucous calls and behaviour.

The large Chaplin figure was an after thought - echoing other life size figures in the owners collection. A galah has perched on his shoulder to bring him into the picture.

Two Story Entrance Foyer

Entrance foyers create a strong first impression. The owner designed this foyer for a large scale all round mural. Her specification included a rock wall waterfall, tropical rainforest flora and birds. The mural had to work when viewed from both ground and first floor. As the upstairs walls were to be yellow, it was also retained as the background colour for the mural sky, rather than introducing a contrasting blue sky. All doors and architraves leading into the foyer were painted a cool white to add consistency, formality and contrast to the mural.

	Mallee Trompe L'oeil The owners wanted a mural that brought out the delicate desert beauty of the Murray Mallee vegetation, and extended the line of the winter lagoon overlooked by their house. The mid ground view is of the ancient red cliffs of the Murray river, and shows the transition from desert, to river's edge vegetation. Semi-transparent glazes were used to create reflections and depth in the water. Each leaf of the foreground mallees was painted individually to enhance the feel of the trees. Sandstone blocks and a weathered timber beam were painted to frame the mural, to complement the modern lines of the room. Completed in six days.
	Fern Garden The resident's dining room of a nursing home looked out to a blank glary wall covering the airconditioning units. The mural had to reduce glare, but not be too "cold". Landscape evoking the Fleurieu Peninsula was included, as many residents had grown up in that area. A dark green pergola was painted to frame the views, picking up the accent colour of the enclosed courtyard. The mural was painted on the two visible sides of the airconditioning surrounds. "Just Joey" rose was the favourite flower of one of the residents, it was painted in as a memory aid. Mural design evolves with the work. The bridge was not part of the original plan, it became the right thing to link the foreground to the background. It was based on a bridge seen in Malaysia ten years earlier. Rosetta Head is a landmark for a beach popular with generations of South Australians.
	Robe Trompe L'oeil Door The client wanted a mural in her city apartment that reminded her of the feeling of walking over to a favourite beach at Robe, where she has holidayed for over thirty years. Elements of those holidays - local birds, the beach bag, bucket and shells were incorporated as reminders of what is special about those times. The doorway to her guest wing was chosen, as a bridge to visitors and her own visiting at Robe.
	Reception Centre The Entrance for a Wedding Reception Centre needed opening up, to create a site for photographs when the weather was not good for garden photographs. A new colour scheme was also developed for the centre.
	Venice The clients had built an enclosed courtyard for dining, and wanted a mural to create atmosphere and sense of openness. As the solid panels only just came above eye height, the composition was kept in a U-shape, with an empty central view of sea and sky, and all objects placed in the foreground and to the sides. The client had migrated to Adelaide from Venice, and this was reflected by painting in some Venetian villas (but definitely no gondolas!) on the left, and featuring a more Australian beach on the right. The seafood basket and fruit platter contain foods common to both Italy and Adelaide's mediterranean climate. The seafood also references a magnificent C18th painting of seafood held by the Art gallery of SA, much admired by both the client and ourselves. The decorative shell plaques on the left and right walls, were painted to stay in keeping with the sea theme and classical decorative motifs.
	Harlequin Clients wanted to create an interesting window, or other image for the front entrance. They wanted something adventurous, imaginative and linked to their love of theatre.
	A Harlequin figure looks out of the window, with a galah perched on his arm. The harlequin and the court jester both used wit and satire to challenge authoritarian and blinkered thinking. Tinkerbell looks back through the house (for the lost boys?)- in a red outfit, echoing one framed in the house as a memento of previous performances. A distant Charlie Chaplin figure disappears out of the picture.
	A spring has opened up inside the house, reflecting the Kaurna story of Tjilbruke, and the trail of springs in the Adelaide and Fleurieu peninsula before European arrival. Galahs and Cockatoos are Australian birds known for their raucous calls and behaviour.
	The large Chaplin figure was an after thought - echoing other life size figures in the owners collection. A galah has perched on his shoulder to bring him into the picture.
	Two Story Entrance Foyer Entrance foyers create a strong first impression. The owner designed this foyer for a large scale all round mural. Her specification included a rock wall waterfall, tropical rainforest flora and birds. The mural had to work when viewed from both ground and first floor. As the upstairs walls were to be yellow, it was also retained as the background colour for the mural sky, rather than introducing a contrasting blue sky. All doors and architraves leading into the foyer were painted a cool white to add consistency, formality and contrast to the mural.