Well I figured I'd give an updated report of that infernal landmark mural I've been working on for Trader Joe's, off and on for the last half a year or so! As noted in previous posts, it started out as a 30-some-odd foot long (by about 1.5 feet high) mural for the front of the store, consisting of landmarks from throughout the town. However, when the regional VP stopped in for a visit, they decided we needed to get something up on the back wall (another project that hadn't yet been completed). So the mural panels moved to the back wall above the refrigerator cases. Naturally, it looked incomplete considering it was never meant to go there in the first place. So, rather than put it back where it belongs and make something new for the back wall, they decided to have me add to it to make it look as if it had belonged there all along. And add to it. And add to it. Until it consisted of about 45 feet of mural and 5 or 6 victorian style illustrated characters doing Joe'sy things (which have nothing to do with anything, really).
That of course looked too piecemeal. ...So lets just add more characters! And new sectional signs! And of course, it still doesn't fill the space, so fast forward to the next regional visit (now months later) and they want less characters, but instead giant hibiscus flowers and reusable bags and the like to separate the mural panels which are now moved as far back as possible, flush with the wall. Which makes them look even smaller. Which means we need two more 12 foot panels.
So I've been working on those new panels, and frankly, in moving our art room to what used to be the produce room, I've lost track of where the giant hibiscus and bags are...
Here are some pics of the back wall as it is now, starting at the far left and panning to the right in each shot:
And here are some pics of the new sections in progress. Each 12 foot section drawn out on an 8 foot board next to a 4 foot board, cut out of masonite, primed and then painted:
I've now got one of the two 12 foot sections done and the other a bit more than half painted, so it shouldn't be too long now. Hopefully my next post on the matter will be the last!
