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Nikiraart.com

Mural in 3 days.

I had a task to complete mural in 3 days. Day 1.

In front will be furniture and on the sides bookcase and another hutch on the left.

Detail. The panoramic picture doesn't show the true color. Everyone is happy except me. I would still continue to work on it, but can't.

Little mural in green tones.

Did this mural in the kitchen in 2 days.

Few branches around the kitchen. Underneath would be low bench, covered by the fabric in deep avocado color. Cabinets in quiet ivory. Pleasant.

Quick sketch for a mural.

First thought for a mural in the dining room. Pencil and watercolor (Bijou) in Delta sketchbook by Stillman & Birn.

Really tiring June.

Finished mural, which I did in between other projects and rainy moods and being tired. Two layers of poly on the top.

This one on the other wall. Still lots to do, but frame on since yesterday.

Kitchen walls to match design on the cabinets. I mixed 3 glazes on the Bone White base and used woodgraining tool to play with the texture, experimenting technique. I have old woodgraining Italian tool from ages ago, blend a bit with linen technique. Pretty cool result, they wanted modern feeling.

I have no time for myself and feel sick of not drawing. But need to do what I do, because I am not free. Few strokes on drawing of old car, few sentences on Kindle of Ruth Rendell book and that's all.

Added second day to this painting.

After a long break I tried to go back to this landscape. Despite the crazy hot weather, no AC and one lady painting staircase with intoxicating oil poly in the same room, I was able to move it further.
My building has major problem with leak in AC system, so no AC at home either, which is also extremely uncomfortable. I guess it is aftermath of hurricane Sandy. We have heavy machinery digging holes around building (just hope that it won't make building collapse). :(

Old work and insomnia.

Battling with insomnia again and feeling under the weather.
This photo shows old work, landscape in the pool room, did touch ups on this some time ago.

Bottom part done on broken pieces of tiles, to make it more durable, where most touch ups occurred.
I really miss drawing and mainly seeing things in that artsy way, when everything magically turns into a painting. Now I am, sort of, afraid to loose control and gripping to constantly changing reality, bumping into new people and situations, demanding solutions, feeling more and more tired and detached.

Speed of life is crazy.

I am really afraid to forget how to draw in ink. So much going on, so many people to coordinate, talk to,  so many people want me to make them happy, and immediately. So many people make mistakes. I feel bad for them. I am, probably, one of them.

I put one more day, I ate their chollant, I came home around midnight, because till noon was battling with Ikea on the phone.
The guy asked me is I was born with a brush in my hand. I used both hands. Today gotta plan brook for staircase, for tomorrow, he wants more and more, curving on second floor.

Here would be mirror with intricate golden frame.
Yesterday bought tiny liquid tints, Mixol, for another client's work, love it, gotta get a set for myself. Premixed colors, awesome palette.

On the run and stressed.

One and a half days of drawing on the wall between trying to coordinate ongoing progress of my relocating to a new place and spastic attempts to keep some sort of normality. Awkward introduction to a new neighbors on the staircase, knowing that they will experience soon enough my noisy little dogs and my loud music.

Another view from my balcony, in the evening, looking on Sheepshead Bay. How to attempt to draw such a complex panorama?

Pool room.

In a process. Glad I am done in that freezing room on that shaky scaffolds.

Pretty narrow ledge, had to hold my palette behind my back, because was pressed against the wall.

Screen.

Screen made from 3 canvases, second day, drying in slightly folded position, gold rim will take light stencil on the top to imitate the frame. Have to admit, I had fun. Screen would be hanging on the wall, like painting.

First layer on landscape with trees, screen.

Started by layering big shapes and skeleton of trees. Has to be very soft and dreamy. Need to look into parrots and gazebo. Acrylic on canvas, freestanding, from 3 folding panels.

Couple of momentarily sketches in Gamma sketchbook by Stillman & Birn.

Sketches on Subway on the run. Coming home at 1.30 in the morning. Loosing cool. Burning eyes. Missing drawing. Missing living. Unfinished drawings. Sleepless nights.

Entrance room.Wrinkles with some sparkle.

Chinese motif.

Trees with cherry blossom, birds, flowers on yellow background. Dusty bluish ceiling in the middle.

Right side, bird looking at the curtain (will be). Fluffy flowers, chrysanthemums.

Left side with the gate and plates with birds.

Here is the panel, it would be sink on that table,  glass bowl or built-in.

Closer look. I spent 4 days there. I like the lady and her taste. I had fun, even it was non stop sweating from the floor to the ladder...

Few more details on that mural.

Did broken wall and few more cracks with greens.

For me it is just a big sketch, one time apply brushstroke and run through. Would it ever happen that I will be commissioned to do a mural up to my liking? Have enough to put enough energy to bring closer to completion or life will pass and I won't paint what is burning inside?  And it is OK if it will never happened. Artists are familiar with that feeling having so many ideas and images in your head which won't fit into one's lifetime.
My admired Hokusai learned all his life and was getting ready to create at the age 100.

Here is a quote:

“

From around the age of six, I had the habit of sketching from life. I became an artist, and from fifty on began producing works that won some reputation, but nothing I did before the age of seventy was worthy of attention. At seventy-three, I began to grasp the structures of birds and beasts, insects and fish, and of the way plants grow. If I go on trying, I will surely understand them still better by the time I am eighty-six, so that by ninety I will have penetrated to their essential nature. At one hundred, I may well have a positively divine understanding of them, while at one hundred and thirty, forty, or more I will have reached the stage where every dot and every stroke I paint will be alive. May Heaven, that grants long life, give me the chance to prove that this is no lie.[1]

”

Mural in a process.

Unfinished mural, one of the walls. Kept me from drawing in my sketchbooks and trying new inks my daughter bought for me from Goulet Pens.

Still lots to do, more cracks, more definition  in the landscape, more broken architectural elements.

Drawing on walls.

It is Supermarket scene and Fridge with dairy on the back. This awning made from wood and painted.

Here is sort of forest, for old people to take promenade, exercise. They old, on wheelchairs, it gives them illusion of being on a nature. Many told me very warm words. It made me happy.

A bit more to finish, add couple of light spots and few happier leaves. 4 days on trees so far. I love drawing trees.

Sky.

Sky on the ceiling.

:-)

Mural in the lobby, sort of ArtDeco style.

Didn't get a chance to take a pic of finished mural, so day before yesterday had to touch up faux marble on baseboard, so snapped couple of photos there.

Gold outlines doesn't show well. It was fun project.

All wraps around. Moulding is really pretty and different shades of blue on the ceiling steps works nicely too.

This is the entrance in the building. Made with stone texture imitation and a bit of painting. Also with gold outline.

Day is so short.

All I did was playing with 3 walls, here is one of it, Supermarket wall. Barely sketched it and had to jump to another one, Dairy wall. Landscape wall with the road also needs attention. So far was 2 days and a quarter. Base paint is so weird, sucks in every brushstroke. One more day left.