Indoor Mural of Spoonbills
Illustration, Design and Mural Painting by John Potter - Escape Key Graphics
Client: Grand Harbor Golf and Beach Club
Final Drawing
Sketch 2
Sketch 1
About the Location
This mural lives in a restaurant at the Grand Harbor Golf and Beach Club in Vero Beach, Florida. The club features two world class golf courses and a magnificent beach club. It is often described as Vero Beach's premier private golf and beach club, and spending time there makes it easy to see why.
The Mural Itself
The painting depicts spoonbills, those striking pink wading birds that feel so native to coastal Florida. They stand in shallow water, their forms echoed in the reflections below. The composition is calm but alive, which felt right for a dining space where people come to relax.
I painted this using traditional academic methods. That means working from dark to light over a burnt umber underpainting. The underpainting establishes the values first, and then the color builds up in layers. It is a slower way of working, but it gives the final piece a depth that faster methods cannot match.
My Process
Before I touched the wall, I worked through several sketches. The page shows the final drawing alongside two earlier versions. That progression matters. Each sketch gets closer to what the client actually wants, and having those stages to look back on helps me see how the work evolved.
Your Mural Project
If you have a restaurant, a club, or any other space that could benefit from a custom painted mural, contact me. I have done this work before and I would be glad to do it for you.
EXPLORE MY PORTFOLIOS
- Illustration: Find custom illustration, book covers, illustrated maps, and architectural rendering.
- Fine Art: Browse original paintings and drawings, the Custom Halftone Series, and murals.
- Graphic Design & Motion: See my graphic design work, plus motion design and animated illustrations.
- Maps by industry: Illustrated maps tailored for boat shows, resorts, marinas, real estate, transit & parking, towns & cities, parks, and wayfinding.
- Other project types: Also available: cover art, vehicle & vinyl wraps, proposal renderings, and street art.
- Techniques: Explore work in vector, isometric & axonometric, painting, black & white, GeoData, overhead, and halftone styles. Recently I have also begun to use AI for some specific solutions.
- Software: Primary tools: Photoshop, Illustrator, SketchUp Pro, and InDesign. Motion work uses Premiere Pro & After Effects.