This project IS mine, but continues on the theme, because even though I’m painting it in my studio here in Pittsburgh its destination is back in San Diego and southern California.
 
This client and I met several years ago at one of the public art events I used to do in Little Italy San Diego, either the autumn chalk painting festival that goes with the annual Columbus Day weekend Festa or the annual spring ArtWalk– I don’t remember which, but what I like about this story is that she had kept my card for five plus years when she finally got in touch to have me paint for her.
 
She gave it to me last fall in San Diego when I went to look at her project, it had my old Sprint cel number I had forgotten about and my original web address, http://john-scenic.com. I still keep a page there, and sure enough she was able to find me. Score more points for online business presence.
 
So here’s what we’re doing, a fun bit of exterior trompe l’oeil to bring a “view” to a ground floor exercise room whose windows open to a light well.
 

Designed to view from the treadmill (above), this mural was originally going to be painted on the stucco wall outside the window on a return trip to San Diego. Because I’ve gotten so busy here in Pittsburgh not painting, that trip isn’t happening soon, so we’ve agreed that I will paint the image on canvas in the studio here and ship. My friend and colleague Eric Gilliat of Level One Art Installation will stretch and install on site.

 
Here’s a close-up of the black-and-white through-the-window mural design sketch.
 




and the head-on elevation sketch in 1.5″ scale.

 




Its a mountain landscape, with meadow and horses in the foreground, composed by specific request in an email dialogue illustrated with Google image searches. I use the black and white “cartoon” drawing like this for planning and layout purposes, and they receive approval from clients/designers before I move forward with color or samples.
 
So I’m painting this right now, taking pictures as I go to share with you here, but wanted to start from the beginning on this one. Watch for color renderings and more Pittsburgh-San Diego paint business irony this weekend.

Happy first post of the new year!

In addition to shoveling snow at two houses here in Pittsburgh, I’ve been working on web sites since the holidays, many different web sites. Some of them are even mine!

As I mentioned last fall, I’ve finally gotten all of my digital pictures on one drive, design/build/finishing portfolio pictures going back to San Francisco 1996 (these were actually print pictures I digitized in a big batch 5 or 6 years ago). Sorting through old pictures on the computer is interesting because they only show age through technical specifications, not fading, dust or deterioration of the paper.

Anyway its allowed me to find original full resolution files and complete folders of pictures on jobs long buried away on a CD, and show lots of detail in the galleries that was unavailable on any of my earlier portfolio websites. There are hundreds of pictures useful for both technical instruction and design idea generation when it comes to faux painting and other decorative painting treatments, so I’ve really just gotten started with 50 or so pictures about a handful of jobs posted so far.

The most developed example so far is a kids playroom designed with a circus theme I painted in an historic San Diego home in 2008. This project incorporated both faux finish and trompe l’oeil mural techniques, and so I listed different pictures with commentary in those two different galleries.

I also put some design work samples from this project on the custom art gallery page. These pictures help illustrate how a project like this comes to be something out of nothing before anyone tears into your house with buckets and brushes.

I’m on the road with Heather’s Subaru full of stuff, Raul and myself headed to Pittsburgh and our new set-up there. Heather and the kids flew ahead and signed the lease on our new place while spending a few days with the McGinleys, our cousins in Point Breeze. We’re very fortunate to be living within walking distance of supportive extended family!

Ironically, just as we were packing the last boxes and preparing for the moving truck last week, I landed a really cool trompe l’oeil mural project in San Diego, so I’ll be flying right back next week to paint the new project and also finish the Cafe Mundo mural I’ve written about here.

Because I’m in a hurry to get out of my motel here in Albuquerque and go have coffee with an old friend, no new mural pictures today, but I have a bunch to get of the camera, so check back soon.

If I missed you in the rush of leaving San Diego, hit me up (mobile phone and email remain the same) and we can get together later this month when I’m back.

• complete trompe l’oeil circus #mural gallery first up on my new #WordPress portfolio site http://bit.ly/1h165m #art #lt #SanDiego artist #
• fix that link to Heather's LifeChain video http://bit.ly/6rQGs !! #
• posted second LifeChain #jewelry video http://bit.ly/qiVMT to @sdmetalsmith new #wordpress blog! #

I’m finally getting to show what I had in mind by following my own advice to my students by taking advantage of the awesome content management possibilities of the WordPress open source blogging software.

If you’ve followed my work from my earlier sutes to here, you know I have a lot of content in the process pictures and before-and-after photos of my custom mural and faux finish projects here in San Diego. For some projects I even have video, which will also be featured on here at some point.

Today, I just want to show off the slideshow/photo gallery I just (easily) made for a trompe l’oeil mural painting project I did last year for a children’s room with a circus theme. There’s 40 some pictures included, covering design drawings, samples, installation and process photos as well as multiple details of the trompe l’oeil circus tent wall treatment and the fabulous circus wagon cabinet I created with San Diego master woodworker Del Cover.

Check it out!