Underwater Atlantis Explorer – Part 1

When this customer and I initially walked through the empty commercial building and began brainstorming themes and ideas, we started with an aquarium theme.  We needed something that would transform the sterile commercial feel into a warm, inviting therapeutic environment that would not detract from what the organization was doing.  

There was a round ceiling with pillars and strategically placed walls with cabinets, plus wavy walls along the hallways. I made the suggestion for an underwater Atlantis explorer theme and we ran with it!

I found myself feeling a little bit like Michelangelo as I painted the ceiling! I have painted other ceilings but this one had more detailed areas with the dolphins, sea turtles and fish.  The ceiling is about 32’ in diameter across.

Some challenges that I ran into were the lighting on the ceiling and trying to build the lights into the mural (for example, I put a ripple effect in the water around one of the light fixtures.) Additionally I used an airbrush for some of the water effects. With the sprinkler system there, I had to be cautious not to set off the sprinklers with the dust particles from spraying. 

I often underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete some projects. Or maybe my desire to have the final project look how I envisioned it in my head takes over. Interestingly, I was scheduled to have surgery that would limit my lifting and movement for 6 weeks, so I had to get to a certain point with this mural prior to the surgery. In addition, my wife was in the third trimester, pregnant with our twins so the pressure was really on! I finished it the week before our babies were born, just in time!

See Part 2 of this project here: Underwater Atlantis Explorer – Part 2