Indoor Mural of a Tropical Island
Illustration, Design and Mural Painting by John Potter - Escape Key Graphics
I painted this mural in my home in 2006. The space is a short hallway that cannot really function as usable square footage, but it offers plenty of opportunity for aesthetic treatment. I wanted a rich, classical feel. Two things influenced me strongly. One was the book "The Painted House" by Graham Rust. The other was the television show "Lost." I wanted a tropical theme, something that felt like a beautiful south pacific island while still grounding you in a warm, inviting home.
The painting is acrylic. It depicts jungle in tight spaces. As you walk in, a mountain looms above a doorway with two palm trees arching over and up onto the ceiling. Those trees also help obscure the transition to the right hand wall. A small section of jungle sits on the left. If you turn, you can look down on a tropical beach surrounded by jungle, rock formations, and a landslide. Dramatic clouds billow above it all.
For the rest of the room, I ran a chair rail around the whole space to stop the painting from descending too low. Below the rail is a dark, rich maroon. I upgraded the door trim to something with more architectural detail, and over the years I have replaced the doors with solid wood. All the wood is natural with stain and clear coat. The result takes what could be wasted space and turns it into a calming, warm mood setter for the house.
If you have a space that could benefit from a custom mural, contact me. I enjoy transforming overlooked areas into something worth pausing in.
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PORTFOLIOS
- Illustration Portfolio: Start here for custom illustration and book covers. You can also browse illustrated maps and architectural rendering.
- Fine Art: I offer original paintings and drawings, including my Custom Halftone Series. You will also find mural work here.
- Graphic Design & Motion: View my graphic design portfolio. After that, explore motion design and animated illustrations.
- Maps by application: I create illustrated maps for boat shows, resorts, marinas, real estate, transportation, transit and parking, towns and cities, parks, and wayfinding.
- Additional project types: I also produce cover illustration, vehicle and vinyl wraps, proposal renderings, and street art.
- Illustration methods: My techniques include vector, isometric and axonometric, painting, black and white, GeoData maps, overhead maps, and custom halftones.
- Software portfolios: I work primarily in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, SketchUp Pro, and Adobe InDesign. For motion projects, I use Premiere Pro and After Effects. You can watch my demo reel here.