I painted a floral mural inside a chicken coop. Yep. A chicken coop.

From time to time, I get strange requests. Some recent ones include:

Can you please draw me a tulip bouquet in ink for free? (No.)

Can you draw me some serpents for a tattoo on my ankle? (Just no.)

Can you please send me all the digital files of your drawings so I can pick one out to print and frame? (Hard no.)

But then, from time to time, something odd comes along and I just can't say no. This time, it was a request from a friend for a floral mural in her new chicken coop.  

{ beginning stages of the chicken coop mural }

Yep. A chicken coop. Mind you, this chicken coop happens to be about as big as my entire eat-in-kitchen-slish-dining-space, but still a chicken coop nonetheless. I had to consider the fact that within a few weeks the painting will likely be covered in feathers and... well, you know. I also had to consider the fact that the painted portion was going to be on plywood, which means a rough surface and irregularities that are challenging for even the most seasoned artist (which I am not).

Detailed florals wouldn't be an option.

So, alas, I agreed to paint this little mural. It was on one narrow wall of an enclosed area for the chickens with a roost halfway up the wall and a little ladder for the chickens to climb.

{ final mural - still needs to be sealed }

The scenery around the coop is what dreams are made of (farmland backing onto a winery) and the weather was perfection for painting outdoors (warm but breezy). I still need to seal the wall with a clear, washable topcoat, but I thought I'd share a couple photos of the current state because, chickens.