Maps on the Brain

Ive been wanting to paint a graphic design on the walls in my office for quite a while now. I had a dream a few months ago that I had a map on my walls. I decided to give this a try.

First, I looked up a map of Paris (of course!) and then designed a map freehand with painters tape on parts of three walls in my office. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to do this project... the walls in my office are sloped and there are weird angles with the ceiling. I figured that this would become a feature with the graphic design.

Here is the final result after I got all the streets taped up on the ceiling and walls.



I then used what artists consider to be magic, gel medium, and put it on all the seams of the tape to make sure they are sealed. This prevents the paint from bleeding under the tape. When you peel the tape off, you get crisp, clean lines. Its a headache saver despite the additional step.



I have been debating color choices for weeks. I wanted to go outside the box and use a color that I have never used before. This project was done only two days before we left for the cruise, so I was thinking about using a calming, soothing blue such as turquoise or aqua. After doing research and looking at many color swatches, I bought a pint of very calming aqua paint.

During the cruise, we saw very vivid turquoise and aqua water around Nassau, Coco Cay and Key West. I don't regret using this color at all... it now reminds me of the relaxing time we had during the vacation!


After letting the paint dry 24 hours, I took on the task of peeling off every piece of tape. It was fun watching the graphic design emerge! Rosie kept me company during this phase.



I think the final result turned out very pretty. Its definitely very different from anything Ive ever done. It lends a graphic, funky yet calming quality to my office.




Now I am on the hunt for a small side table to use beside my comfy chair. Using a chair for my lamp isn't quite cutting it for me.