School Murals are a Gogh!

These past few years, I have been painting a lot of fun murals in the various buildings of my local school system.

I've painted everything from school logos in gymnasiums,

department labels above doorways,

the American flag above the stage,

and even a continental animal theme throughout the entire elementary school (see my website for that gallery of photos, www.youreart.com).

This summer, the middle school required some artistic attention. There was an open wall space on the second floor that the principal was looking to fill with a mural of some sort, but we didn't know what. We didn't want to fill it with our mascot or anything athletic and we badly needed a theme!
After being inspired by one of my favorite artists, I came up with a plan. I wanted to paint famous, highly recognizable works of art in the style of the original artist, but customize them to feature our school and community. I just finished the first of these works; The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. The original is shown above.

Here is my version. I tried to replicate Van Gogh's broad, thick brushstrokes and create patterns with color. I customized the painting by including our school name, a rendition of our school at the bottom, and even the little fountain that sits in the heart of our little downtown.

Hopefully, the mural will create discussions about Van Gogh and give a little visual zig to the hallway! More famous paintings are down the road, as I eventually give homage to Picasso and Seurat! Thanks for looking and I would love to hear your comments!