Picture this: you're wandering through this magical place called an Ecostay, surrounded by trees, birds chirping, and a sense of serenity in the air. But something catches your eye – it's not just the natural beauty that's captivating, it's also the art. Yes, you heard that right, art! I recently had the chance to work on a project where I painted murals in various spots for an Ecostay, and let me tell you, it was a journey filled with creativity, color, and a whole lot of fun.
Now, let's talk about these murals. They weren't your typical, in-your-face kind of paintings. Oh no, they were carefully designed to blend seamlessly with the surroundings, adding to the charm of the place without stealing the spotlight. We're talking earthy tones, traditional patterns, and motifs that make you feel like you're part of the landscape. The whole place was very natural and surrounded by greenery, and using wrong colors or designs would just spoil the mood. So, every design and every shade used was very carefully selected.
First up, we had the cow shed. The idea was to keep it relatable to the location, as well as keep it traditional. So, I chose the Pichwai cow painting where I have depicted a cow as the central element, surrounded by lotus, depicting various ponds around. The blue color is psychologically a very relaxing color and that's why I chose this. This shed was right at the entrance and this wall was one of the first things that a visitor would see. So, a full coverage mural with an eye catching design was needed.
Then there was the store room. Now, I know what you're thinking – a store room? They had two different store rooms. One was right next to the parking space and another was after the cow shed. That means, the visitors crossed both these locations when they would go towards their rooms, kitchen or the rest of the areas. So, these walls couldn't be left blank. But, having full coverage murals with details on every wall would have been out of budget, we decided to keep these walls simple.
Next on the list was the kitchen. Ah, the heart of any home. I wanted to create a warm and inviting atmosphere, so I painted images of lotuses, which is again a depiction of ponds around the stay. It also established a connection between the cow shed wall and the kitchen. I covered all sides of the kitchen, since it was attached to the restaurant where people would come for meals, snacks and tea. 3 out of 4 walls of the kitchen were visible and we planned to covert them all. Again, the design was kept simple, to cover all the walls within the budget.
But perhaps the most magical transformation was the tent. With a few brushstrokes and a lot of imagination, I turned that plain canvas into a cozy retreat. I wanted to preserve the essence of living in a tent, for the visitors. But, since they were quite huge in size, they also looked blank from outside. I chose the traditional art of Warli for these tents. Traditionally, warli is done in white over red background, but we went with black. An entirely red tent would have spoiled the complete mood and also grabbed a lot the attention. We wanted to make them artistic, but not to grab a lot of attention.
And of course, who could forget the selfie spot? I painted a beautiful selfie spot with Peacock wings. The owner wanted wings for this wall, but they are way too common these days. So, I planned to paint peacock wings rather than the common bird wings. This not only made it unique, but also relatable to the surroundings. A selfie spot or a thoughtfully designed picture spot is a great source of publicity. Everybody wants to stand and take pictures at such spots, and when they share them on social media, it is a source of attraction. Therefore, investing in picture worthy spots is one of the most crucial things for any business. A design that practically begs guests to snap a photo and capture the moment. It was like creating a little piece of Instagram heaven right in the middle of nature.
At last, there were two huge rocks at the serving outlet of the kitchen, which was towards the restaurant. We couldn't leave them blank and I chose to paint them in th hobbit home theme. Those tiny doors looked like they have come out of a fairytale. So, not only this was natural, it was also magical.
But here's the thing – as much as these murals added to the beauty of the place, they also respected it. They didn't try to overpower or overshadow the natural surroundings. Instead, they complemented them, enhancing the overall ambiance and making the Ecostay feel like a home away from home.
So, the next time you find yourself in need of a little pick-me-up for your space, why not give murals a try? Whether it's a cozy corner or a sprawling landscape, a touch of art can turn anywhere into somewhere special.
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