Wild Things for the Waiting Room
3:55 PM
My month of August has been busy building, painting, creating and decorating for my husband's new job.
They updated an older clinic and I volunteered to do the decor.
I'm starting with my absolute favorite project from anything I've made for his office,
the painting for the kid's corner in the waiting room.
I had to design all the kid things in a small area, so the painting actually turns a corner.
I've been planning this painting for years, but thought it would be fun to
display it where lots of people could enjoy it rather than just hanging in our toy room or something.
I will say if my husband ever switches jobs, I am taking it with me, however.
Even when I envisioned it on one flat wall, I had planned it to be a triptych painting in three panels.
Below in an Ikea spice rack holds the original Maurice Sendack
children's book to read.
So how I made it:
The painting is on 1/4" thick red oak sheeting.
I bought it at Home Depot in a 4'x5' sheet for $35.00.
I cut my painting 3.75' x 5' wide. The rest of the sheet went to other projects.
I wanted the trees to be the actual wood, which is why I chose to paint it on the wood sheeting,
so I cut out tree shapes from contact paper
(the kind you line your silverware drawers with) and stuck them on the wood.
I used craft acrylic paint and dobbed on the background,
then peeled off the tree stickers revealing the red oak trunks.
Using the book as a reference, I sketched on the characters.
My son wanted the little goat wild thing rather than the beak bird,
so one wild things is different from the scene in the story.
My son helped paint the grass at the bottom.
I tried my best to mute the colors by adding gray to most of them to attempt to duplicate the faded wash look of the book,
which used watercolors.
I went through more than 5 thin Sharpie permanent markers to shade all the details.
I chose to only detail the wild things.
The trunks are just raw wood, and the leaves and plants were just paint.
I thought the detailing only being on the characters helped them pop off the painting better.
(Moishe is my favorite)
Once the painting was finished I added a clear coat of satin Mod Podge to protect it.
I considered polyurethane, but it seems to yellow too much and I didn't want to risk it.
I considered polyurethane, but it seems to yellow too much and I didn't want to risk it.
I was a little nervous to take my paiting and hack it on my table saw into the three pieces, but I went slow and it left clean edges.
I also rounded the corners with a coping saw to help give the three panels a unified dimension.
Because these are only 1/4" thick, I obviously couldn't drill hardware in the back.
I also wanted them to stand from the wall, so I ended up using magnets to float mount them.
My mom had given me super strong magnets that hold 10 pounds.
(they are serious magnets, two got close enough to join, pinching my finger between them...they can be dangerous)
So I used epoxy to glue the magnets on the back of the paintings (top and bottom in center)
For the other magnet half to attach to the wall, I took a scrap of of 1x3 and drilled a hole with a spade drill bit and glued the magnet in the scrap.
At the office I screwed the scrap to the wall and the painting just sticks right on. 
I am a big fan of this book!
More office projects to come!
30 comments
Oh I LOVE that painting! What a ton of work, I love how it looks in the office. I'm sure the kids will just love it! I can't wait for your other projects. Nobody really shows doctors office decor in blogland, I like the change :) Oh, and your dress you are wearing with the painting is super cute!
ReplyDeleteI tried to research office decor for ideas and there was nothing! Waiting rooms were even hard to find online and most were hotel lobby images, not actual office waiting rooms, so I ended up just winging it I guess. I hope the kids like it! I have to admit the kids corner was the smallest and easiest for me. It would be really fun to decorate a pediatrician or pediatric dentist office or something where adults are only there as parents. My husband had to reel in my ideas because there was too much kid stuff I wanted going on.
DeleteYou're such a great artist! Congratulations it looks amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is really creative and beautiful. I am such a fan of the book, it was our nursery theme for my daughter (i did NOT want girl colors!)
ReplyDeleteMae
That must have been one awesome nursery!
Deletewow! the painting is amazing!!! such a lucky doctor's office!
ReplyDeleteSo amazing and creative, I am always so inspired by your projects. I want to run out and learn how to use a table saw.
ReplyDeleteWOW- that looks amazing! Awesome! I am beyond impressed!
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing! that painting is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteDude, you're incredible. It looks sooooo good!!
ReplyDeleteWow! You're such an amazing artist! This is my favorite book, such a good idea!
ReplyDeleteYou're incredible! That is stunning and I bet you're going to get ALL SORTS of compliments from patients. I'd take it with me if he ever switched jobs too hehe!
ReplyDeletethis is AMAZING - I'm in awe!
ReplyDeletethat is beyond amazing! such a great job, your artwork looks identical to the original. love how it rounds the corner, that was super clever. so impressed!
ReplyDeleteYou are truly amazing:):) I love this painting!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow. That turned out amazing. And I think you are with in every right to take it with you if he ever changes jobs. Love how it turned out!
ReplyDeleteIt is so beautiful! I can't say anything different from what everybody else has said. It's so awesome. You should (and probably do) feel so proud of yourself!! :). I don't think I could do that in million years. I'm so exited to see the rest! I miss hanging out with you and the rest of the girls :) looks like you guys have been having a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! I love the sharpie detailing... great job!
ReplyDeleteIt looks SO good Jess!
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed by your talent. What a wonderful painting. Congratulations as well to your husband on his new job. I hope everything goes well for you both.
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness! This is totally amazing. I am always amazed by your talents, but seriously blown away by your ability to paint free hand! This is amazing. Also, your dress is totally adorable. please tell me you made it and I can get a pattern :) Love You. Miss you!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness! This is totally amazing. I am always amazed by your talents, but seriously blown away by your ability to paint free hand! This is amazing. Also, your dress is totally adorable. please tell me you made it and I can get a pattern :) Love You. Miss you!
ReplyDeletethere are no other words to describe my really good impression of this first part of the office project. That you were able to share some of this with your son is priceless, as well. Too often we march right into a project and forget what a grand teaching opportunity it is for our children. It seems he may have inherited his mother's creative genes.
ReplyDeleteYour outfit is pretty cute too.
You are AMAZING! I love it. I dream of being able to do things but when I attempt my skills fall desperately short!
ReplyDeleteThis is just incredible! Wonderful art and use of the space.
ReplyDeleteYou are so talented! I can't believe all the different creative talents you have! I absolutely love this painting!
ReplyDeleteWow! I can't find the words. Seriously amazing artwork there. I am so impressed. I love it!
ReplyDeletethis. is. amazing. AMAZING. I am so impressed with your talent!! Wish I had even a lick of it. AWESOME!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI CANNOT BELIEVE YOU PAINTED THIS! Wow. You are amazing. Thanks for sharing your talents. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous painting! It is so fun and perfect in triptych! Good work!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, we love to hear from you!