This is the sketch for the mural. The image was inspired by a wild, totally spontaneous, FUN- FILLED trip I made to Mexico to see the ancient Mayan cities of Palenque and Yaxchilan. I did a pencil sketch and scanned it into my computer. I redrew and added color to the pencil sketch using Macromedia Freehand software.


When I re-created the image in the computer I did the image to scale. 1" equals 1' of wall. I drew a 1" grid on top of the image in the computer, print it out and use it as a guide as I draw the image on the wall. Because this design is made up of big bold shapes I can mostly eyeball drawing the image on the wall. When I need help figuring out where something goes I refer to the grid on my sketch and measure to that spot on the wall.

Once I have the image drawn in I start painting in the big areas of color. One color at a time. I'll have to go back and put another coat on some of the colors that don't cover well. It looks like the red will take two coats.


This is where I ended up after about six hours of painting over the weekend.


I had lots of help from Paul Ray. We had a great time working together. It got kinda messy.


Paul Ray is working on his own mural now. Maybe we'll paint it in the tree house.


With all the background colors painted I started with the black details and outlines.


Yea! I'm done with the big wall in the den. The mural took two weekends and one day during the week. About eighteen hours of painting total. Now I'm going to use some of the graphical elements from this main wall like the flying watermelons and the striped background and continue the mural around the entire room.