char downs

Murals are created on existing walls, by direct painting, on portable studio panels or hand-glazed on ceramic tiles for installation by a professional.

All murals entail bringing personal experiences for sharing with the client to place the best creation on the space to be covered. All client concerns about costs, safety, size, content, colors, best medium, work schedules and deadline considerations are discussed. My murals are designed to be environmentally sound and safe.

I discuss the clients’ ideas about the parameters of an area and the appropriate image(s) and medium that could work in the space. Technical and logistic details are discussed. Then an initial sketch is presented to the client for more input. The client is involved in each step of the process. Once the sketch is approved, a full color image is superimposed on a digital image of the site so the client can begin to actually see what the results will be.

After approval of the image, I make a scaled grid over the final image that is coded. If tiles are the chosen medium they are laid out to match that grid image. I use color under-glaze to paint the image on bisque tiles. I lay out all the tiles to paint multiples at the same time and allow the flow of the work to emerge as a painting would. When the under glaze process is complete a clear glaze is applied if needed and the tiles are fired.  The process is much more time and labor intensive if the design involves bas relief and the creation, shaping, glazing and firing of mural tiles from raw clay.

A home on the South Shore of Alameda Island on San Francisco Bay was remodeled by a family that loved everything Hawai’ian. So I designed a kitchen back splash tile mural celebrating the Big Island of Hawai’i Parker Ranch. Mauna Kea volcano along with rare and extinct birds, horses, and a sacred flowering plant completed the scene. Opposite kitchen walls and light switch surrounds were painted with banana leaves and trees. The shower space included a tiled bamboo forest with solid color accents to complement wall, floor and ceiling colors. This Island home was later sold to another family who had just moved from Hawai’i and also loved the Islands. These custom murals were strong incentives used in the resale of this home.

Another project involved a two story homes’ staircase in Paducah, Kentucky. The 22 stair risers leading up to the living area became a mural that at first glance appears to be abstract colors but when studied closely dragon faces appear. After creating any tile mural, I oversee every step, consulting with the installation professional by using my coded template sheet and an orientation code placed on the back of each tile.

On an 8 1/2 foot tall cement floodwall between Ingram Barges’ Corporate Headquarters and the Ohio River in Kentucky is the site of the longest river-scape mural in North America. I was responsible for painting the winter season of this 900-foot long wall that portrayed the Ohio River. The other three seasons were painted by 3 other artists. The client wanted us to paint the river as seen from the second story office balcony and to include historic boats and flags that showed their progress and position in the industry. The panels were continuous and connected so we used the changing seasons for smooth transitions connecting each artist very different styles. I utilized a projector to ensure exact detailed representations for all the required historic towboats.

In my career I have worked solo and with other artist groups on many projects. Through all those years my clients were completely satisfied with the results and each contract was finished before the arrival of the final deadline.