Audio Podcast April 20, 2010

Custom Murals of Nursery Rhymes

Every project I do tugs at my heart, some more than others. The Cheyenne Mountain Library in Colorado Springs inquired about two mural installations above the book shelves in the Childrens section of their library. They didn’t have a budget for two murals but they were willing to research some of the items they were interested in having in their mural so we came to an agreement. The first thing we discussed was copy write infringement. A quest began to find books with illustrations that were no longer under copy write that would be easily recognizable by children. There were several nursery rhymes that fell into this category. Below are a few photos of the nursery rhymes chosen for the project.  Each mural measures approximately two foot tall and eight foot long. Children and adults alike find that these murals stir up pleasant memories. Hope you will enjoy them.

Hey Diddle Diddle the Cat and the Fiddle

Humpty Dumpty

Jack and the Beanstalk

A portion of a poem by Ivy Eastwick was chosen as text for the two murals.  There wasn’t room for the entire poem so the first and last sentences were chosen.

“Look in a Book”

Look in a book and you will see words and magic and mystery.

Look in a book and you will find sense and nonsense of every kind.

Look in a book and you will know all the things that can help you grow.

Do you have a favorite nursery rhyme that evokes special memories of your childhood? I would enjoy hearing about it.

Little Red Riding Hood

Mary had a Little Lamb

The Little People

Custom Mural in the Spa at the Broadmoor Resort

blog-podcast-april-15-2010

For those of you unfamiliar with the Broadmoor Resort it opened in 1918 and to this day is rated a five-star/five diamond resort, very prestigious, one of three hotels in Colorado with this rating. I can’t say enough about this outstanding first-class resort. They offer year-round outdoor activities including fly-fishing, horseback riding, rock climbing, ballooning and more can be arranged through their guest services staff, in addition to fun filled Colorado sightseeing tours. And for entertainment within the hotel they have a live band that plays nearly any kind of music you care to request. The band plays at the Broadmoor Tavern located in Broadmoor Main and has a dance floor for those who want to kick up their heels.

The original artwork which was finished before the hotel opened still can be seen in Broadmoor Main. Another reason this resort is so special is the care taken to preserve their artwork. When asked to create murals for the hotel I wanted to create continuity between the old and the new structures. This floral design is one of over twenty areas I have painted on walls, floors and ceilings at the Broadmoor since 1994.

http://artisticvoyage.com/resort-mural-work.html#images/murals/resorts/nw_broad6a.lg.jpg

This ceiling is on the forth level of the Golf Club House. Painting ceilings are torturous on the body but what a feeling of accomplishment once finished. The inspiration for this design came from the gorgeous drapery fabric hanging at the windows of the Quiet Room where one would go to relax after their soothing massage. Believe me, the Broadmoor massage therapists are very good. This particular room overlooks one of three golf courses with a view of the majestic Rocky Mountains in the background.

One of the fun things about painting is that you can have any flower in any color whether or not nature provides it that way. In addition to any flower painted in any color I often paint what some have referred to as “Mickey flowers” which simply means I kind of make them up as I go. They just seem to slip off of my paint brush and adhere themselves to the surface. Not sure who actually paints them but I’m honored when they decide to work through me.

Roses, Lilacs and "Mickey Flowers"

This may have sounded like an advertisement for the Broadmoor Resort and that’s OK. You truly can have an amazing adventure while spending time their. Don’t forget to check out their extraordinary gift shops. You can find my artwork and cards in five of them as well as on my website. When visiting Colorado I do hope you will stop by the Broadmoor, you won’t be disappointed.

Testimonials:

As the Broadmoor has gone through many updates, renovations and additions over the past decade, Mickey Baxter’s artistic talents have allowed us to apply the kind of thoughtful art detail that existed throughout the original 1918 resort, as part of our newly added facilities. Her work has been superlative and enjoyed, commented on and photographed by so many of our guests. Additionally, she is a joy to work with.

Steve Bartolin,
President and CEO
Broadmoor Hotel
Colorado Springs, CO

I have been associated with Mickey Baxter for the past five years here at the Broadmoor. She has completed art projects for us that include the west tower, west lobby, main hotel guest floors, entry portico ceiling, the hotel bar, pool cabana restaurant and many others. Her creativity, technical expertise and ability to meet fast-paced schedules have made her a valuable asset to all of the projects she has been involved in. Our guests continuously compliment the artwork and our ability to enhance the Broadmoor’s existing collection, while maintaining the high standards set by the original artisans. I have found that Mickey has the ability to match her work to the vernacular of the particular project, from the original 1918 structures to our newly constructed facilities. I highly recommend Mickey as a qualified candidate for any project for which she is being considered.

Terry McHale
Director of Facilities Management
Colorado Springs, CO

Hand painted walls are a treasure and Trompe l’oeil which in french means “to fool the eye” is quite often a nice alternative to framed art when accessorizing a small room. In this case to accessorize a small guest bath with an item that looks three dimensional without that item jutting into the confines of a small area.

This  wall pocket was painted across from the commode in a small guest bath. You could see it’s reflection in the mirror as you entered the room. A faux finish, another french word meaning “fake”, was applied in advance to bring out the texture of the wall. The texture attributed to the three dimensional affect of the hand painted metallic bronze wall pocket itself but the texture didn’t help much when painting the detail of the white petunias cascading from the wall pocket.

Seldom do I have the pleasure of painting on smooth walls, when I do, I treasure each simple brush stroke. It truly is a treat not to contend with the texture when painting intricate detail. The wall pocket itself measured eighteen inches across and the delicate white petunias were slightly larger than life.

Your questions or comments on painting techniques, products or decorating ideas are welcome. Feel free to leave a comment.

A Window Treatment that Reflects and Celebrates Your Surroundings

Why not bring the outside in? The patio and deck were surrounded by scrub oak, pine trees, flowers and tall grasses. The strong, simple  idea of painting scrub oak and ponderosa pine boughs with large pine cones served as my primary inspiration. So down came the heavy drapes and in came more sunshine with expanded views. It always is a nice compliment to have a guest walk to the windows and touch the painting and say, “It looks so real.”

Hand painted window treatment - close-up

Pine boughs, scrub oak and twigs window treatment

Since moving to the foothills of Colorado Springs the mountains have been a quiet but forceful muse. The contrast of majestic Pikes Peak and the eastern plains have a muted palette which intensifies color whenever color is present. In the plains the simple barrenness can throw simple forms and shapes into high relief.

It was autumn when my husband and I moved into our home on Talon Ridge over looking a peaceful valley where the outcroppings create an interesting juxtaposition to the contemporary homes nestled below them. At dawn, especially in the winter after a snowfall, you see the twinkle of the city lights on the horizon and radiating from the windows of  the homes below. Not unlike a Thomas Kincade painting. You feel like you are a part of something peaceful even though our homes are nestled in the natural habitat of the deer, mountain lion, bear, coyote, etc.

This won’t be my home much longer. Living here has been the best of times and the worst of times. It has certainly been the most beautiful home I’ve lived in and I have lovely neighbors. The worst of times being loosing my husband to cancer. Now it is time to put more energy into the world that advances my dreams, that empowers my life mission and fuels my life purpose.

In order to do all the things I still want to accomplish I need to downsize, simplify my life. I want more time to visit family and friends which will take some traveling to accomplish. And then there are the classes I would like to take, I am open to new people and places that will become a part of my new beginnings – after all, it is spring, a time of new beginnings. A time of new creative ideas for my painting. Happy Spring everyone.