Paradise Driver: AND THUS BEGINS

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

AND THUS BEGINS

A NEW WEEK, A NEW MONTH, A NEW QUARTER

A fresh canvas, upon which we will paint the future chapters of our life.

Some of us will do better than others.

Art of Illusion - Trompe l'oeil Murals
Commission an artist for a large-scale life-like mural to turn walls into a panoramic setting which will add almost infinite depth to rooms. Here's an example of one of the best in the business, the artist Eric Grohe. The scale, realism and attention to detail are incredible.

Before photo - typical concrete & stucco facade

Preparing the wall surface

Preparing the canvas - plastering the wall surface

The wall starts to take on a 3-dimensional appearance

Eric in his element, 30' off the ground. He does most of the artwork by himself & researches, paints and designs each project from scratch. His wife Kathy, also an artist, serves as project manager.

The German made (century old) Keim mineral paints are engineered for durability & longevity. Their liquid-mineral application bonds potassium silicate with the building's mineral substrate....they resist UV and moisture corrosion and remain color true for over 100 years.

After photos of the 50x58' mural - it's hard to tell you're looking at a 2-dimensional flat wall

Eric Grohe and his wife Kathy live in Marysville, WA . To view more of his work, I've posted some highlights below or you can visit his web site at http://www.ericgrohemurals.com .

For specific questions, you can contact Eric at info@ericgrohemurals.com .

Here are some more examples of Eric's projects....

Great American Crossroad - Bucyrus, Ohio

Before

During

After

Liberty Remembers

Before

After - hard to believe you're looking at a flat 2-dimensional wall

How to dress up a Shopping Mall - Niagara, NY

Before

After - wide view

After - close ups (I wonder how many birds fly into this wall on a daily basis??)

Indoor Murals - Miller Brewery

When working indoors, the environment is typically not as harsh and one could conceivably use large format digital reproductions to create a life-like mural. However, if the indoor location is exposed to humidity, UV or airborne vapors/chemicals, digital reproductions will begin to deteriorate rather quickly. The murals below are painted in oil on a aluminum backingand are overcoated to protect from the chemical and physical abuse of day to day activity.

Hallway before - Miller fermenting rooms

After photos - past meets present in the Miller Brewery fermenting rooms - hooks, clipboards and aprons were added to the surface of the murals to enhance the illusion. You're looking at flat walls!