Q Why do people hire you to paint murals in their homes?
A For many different reasons. They want to wake up a space, add elegance or solve design issues. To make a room feel larger and more spacious, I can paint a landscape with a lot of visible sky and a horizon to give a feeling of depth. To raise a low ceiling, I've done everything from graceful bamboo trees, to vines and even curtains with vertical stripes painted on walls.
Q Are some of your murals examples of trompe l'oeil?
A Yes, some include trompe l'oeil elements such as the illusion of a path that extends from the floor of the room outward into a landscape. It can give the feeling of expanding space.
Q What was an especially unusual request?
A I painted a countryside landscape with kestrels directly on the glass doors of a disabled elevator shaft. It was in the client's home when she bought it. It was a nice challenge for me.
Q How do you choose the colors for your paintings?
A I base colors on what the client asks for and on what's existing in the house in the rugs, furniture and drapes. If the house has a lot of blue tones [for example], I will incorporate them in flowers, in water and the sky -- wherever logically makes sense.
Q Which room is the most popular?
A The powder room, because the smaller space allows people to indulge their sense of whimsy and have fun. I've turned powder rooms into beach scenes and gardens full of flowers.
Q How many murals have you painted?
A I've done more than 100 wall murals since 1999. They range from a 90-foot-long creation scene on the front of a church to a family of Beatrix Potter-style mice on the baseboard of a kitchen.
Q What was your most physically demanding job?
A I helped paint the entire floor in a high-rise condo to look like a lagoon with sea turtles, dolphins and sharks.
Q How much does a mural cost?
A A small job -- a foal painted on a bedroom wall -- starts at $500. Large landscape murals can be $2,000 and up, depending on the size and complexity.
Q How can people find out about local mural artists?
A I often get referrals from interior designers. There's also a website, www.findamuralist.com.
Tracie Thompson will display some of her works at "Raw: Fusion Showcase of Art, Music and Fashion," 8 p.m. Aug. 25, Fine Line Music Cafe, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls. Tickets are $10. Visit www.rawartists.org/minneapolis/fusion.
Lynn Underwood • 612-673-7619
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