muraling for a good cause

so a while ago i was asked to paint some tiles for a garden project for rancho domicitas, an awesome local non-profit that provides housing for abused or abandoned children. i was more than happy to be a part of this "serenity garden" that would be a special place for the children. the tiles were sold at their fundraiser so people were able to write special notes as a special message or memorial. long story short, the tiles for a wall project ended up becoming a mural...and i had never painted anything that large before. i was a little nervous, but what can you say when this is something for abused and abandoned children? nothing. one just pushes forward! 

i began the mural with little to no knowledge on painting murals, so i used common sense as i went along. there are probably better and more official ways of doing things, but here's how my first one went...

maybe one of the hardest part of the project was coming up with a design. thankfully they were happy with the bird idea because i love doing birds and trees, and it worked well with being in a garden. so i taped the tiles together and free-handed the design first in pencil then sharpie. (if you've never worked with bisque, the pencil and sharpie both disappear in the kiln.) i needed the black marker lines to show through the background that i sponged. the aqua and blue spruce faded down into kiwi and chartreuse. after sponging, i stamped some swirls on the top and leaves on the bottom for texture. after that dried, i painted everything else and used black puff paint to outline the birds and their legs.

next i had to do all of the writing.

i was most nervous about writing "The Serenity Garden" in puff paint because, for me, it isn't the easiest thing to use. it is a thick combination of underglaze paint and a bit of clay, so it's difficult to do curves. after a few butterflies in my tummy, it came out okay...thank you powers above!

next was all of the personal messages that people had chosen to be on the tiles. i do have to say that this part was emotional for me. the words that people chose were so full of love...

next was the firing process.

after it came out of the kiln i was so relieved. nothing chipped, smeared or cracked! it was exciting to hand them over to the awesome people who built and volunteered so many hours to putting the garden together. 

when my son and i went to the dedication, there were so many tears of joy. being a visitor, i could just feel the care, concern and love these individuals have for these children. all i could do was cry along, feel happy and be so proud to be included.

the final product! another awesome individual mounted it on this display. i was also excited to share the moment with S...what a special memory i will cherish forever. to see life through his eyes is such a special treasure. 

this experience did cause me to stop for a moment in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life. to stop and be still and know that God is in control. that the problems in my life are insignificant in comparison, not only to the pain that some children suffer, but also to the pain and suffering of Christ. yes, there are bad people that do bad things in a world where awful things take place...but, there are also courageous people that fight against those things and bring hope and healing to those who need it.

push forward today and be brave.