The Centennial Mural is Finished!

After several months of planning and several more months of actual painting, the Madeira Centennial Mural is finished! The mural was a project inspired by the small town charm of our city and the celebration of its 100th birthday.

A committee was formed and together we decided on over 20 Madeira landmarks, past and present, to document our history. We wanted to capture the memories of our town and inspire people to share their own when they see the mural.

The mural is located in the Madeira Municipal Building, in the lower level Community Room, a room open to the public for meetings, parties, and any other bookings. Here is the building in real life.
Here is the building in my mural! The Police Department is in there too!

I started the mural in June and just finished the other day (October). It is 6.5 feet tall and 22 feet long.

The mural includes historical residences,

local businesses (past and present),

schools (past and present),

parks, and


old churches.
And to make the mural come alive, I painted the people of our community! Little vignettes depict our residents walking, playing, conversing, and admiring the bell created in honor of our 75th birthday. It arrived on a train through the heart of downtown with great fanfare!

And the committee who commissioned the mural threw me an awesome reception to reveal the mural to our community residents.

We covered the mural, so arriving guests had to wait for the big moment. The mayor read me a Proclamation...


and we pulled a curtain down to show it off. The reaction was priceless.

It was such a lovely evening with great snacks, a string quintet, and my family and friends to show their support. I felt honored to be chosen to paint such an important mural for our "Friendly Town" and it is a Madeira memory I will always cherish!

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

Unique Jungle Nursery

Jungle themes are very popular for baby nurseries, but this one is really unique. I painted it for my sister-in-law who is due with her first little boy in November.

She wanted animal silhouettes against a very striking blue wall color. They turned out great!

Choosing highly recognizable positions of the animals really helped give a feel of simplicity and a look that the child will not outgrow.



I also painted this bin to go with the room & filled it with baby goodies. It makes a great accent piece!

So, think about this option when you are considering a jungle themed room! This style would look great in a sun room or basement as well.


Now, all we need is the baby!

Go Reds?!

Well, so much for sticking around in the post season. The Reds were awesome all season, but sort of uh, choked, in their shot to move on. I got caught up in the winning spur of the Reds and made a few items for all of you die-hard fans.
Here is a picture frame to display that great photo you took the last time you were in the stadium.
Or how about these little Reds ornaments? Very cute and a fun way to remember a winning season. I painted a 1" wooden bead with Mr. Redlegs' face on it and strung it up with sequins and very nice quality beads. They sell for $5.50. Yes, I painted those little faces over & over on a 1" round surface!
And here is a mural I did for a little guy who was born into a Reds fan family.

I have included his name on the scoreboard and birthday on the homerun wall. It makes a great accent wall.

And here's my favorite player- Joey Votto!

Go Reds...next year!