Back to my paintbrushes - temporarily!

I've always been involved in some sort of artistic pursuit.  For many years before I discovered polymer clay, I was a decorative painter.  I haven't done much with my painting in about three years other than a few custom orders but then my sister decided that we needed to paint a backdrop for her daughter's wedding reception.  Sure, I said.  We can do that.  What I didn't realize was that it needed to be huge!  12 feet wide by 9 feet high!  Why so large?  The reception venue overlooks a professional baseball field and that would have been the view behind the wedding cake.  Not exactly what we were looking for!

The theme of the wedding and reception was winter wonderland -- the wedding was on January 30 -- so the snowy forest path scene evolved.  My sister Sherry, mother of the bride, found a piece of projector screen fabric big enough to paint the scene on -- not as easy a task as you would think.  The canvas tarp she ordered first was too rough plus it had a seam down the middle, but the projector screen fabric was perfect!

We stapled the fabric to her garage wall and went to work.  We spent all of the day after Thanksgiving filling in first the background, then the trees, stone walls and cobblestones.  Then it was down to the details.  We were both very pleased with the backdrop as it hung on the garage wall but once it was hung in the reception venue along with some real trees with fake snow banked around the bases and the other decorative elements, the winter wonderland created was spectacular!

The wedding was beautiful, the reception lots of fun but I'm glad to put the paints away and get back to my clay!