Living in Madison, CT I enjoy nothing more than having an opportunity to have my work seen in the town where my family lives. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to get a call from the two sisters, Sheila and Janice, who own and operate a popular storefront in Madison that sells trendy and fashionable clothing for women. When I first arrived to talk with them, they were in a transition, moving their storefront from Bradley and Wall Street right onto Main Street (or Boston Post Road) in Madison. I arrived and immediately noticed their Ciao Bella Moda International sign with clouds and cherubs adorned with a leopard skin pattern. It was trendy and fun and I wanted to be involved.
Originally they wanted me to quote them the job of having their wall covered in leopard spots. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t beat the price or speed of having wallpaper up. The good news was, they liked my work and we all hit it off pretty well. I ended up pitching them an idea I had of painting a model in front of the leopard spots, creating a tromp l’oeil mural that would be interesting and fashionable like the store they own. They also hired me to recreate the signs for the exterior. Now, this Connecticut mural I created was something I was pretty excited about. We ended up using Sheila’s daughter as the model which made it even better. The finished painting is something I am super proud of and is a piece that inspired me to create other paintings in that style. I have always loved painting in this Trompe L’oeil style and this piece in particular is a favorite of mine.
