Painting a school mural in Brooklyn
How I found the project
Since painting the mural for Pasta Louise, it’s truly felt like the gift that keeps on giving. That project sparked a wave of interest, and I’ve since been approached to paint four new murals—this one included!
Realistic floral mural
Brooklyn Restaurant Pasta Louise
The Brief
I met with Teona, the owner of a brand-new Brooklyn Pre-K called Park Slope Little Learners and her husband as they prepared to launch their new school in Park Slope. They were excited to work with a local mural painter and had a clear vision: treehouses with a few extra touches like their daughter and dog woven into the design. Teona was full of energy and enthusiasm from the very start, which made the whole process a joy.
The wall itself was large and grey—an outdoor space that needed colour, warmth, and creativity. To keep things cost-effective, we chose not to prime the wall and instead designed a mural that would cover the lower half of the surface. The goal was to create a joyful, child-friendly scene that would bring life to the space and enrich the daily experience of the children using it.
The wall before the mural
The Mural Painting Process
I began by projecting the design onto the wall. It was a bit of a logistical challenge since I was working solo: the projector was taped to a piece of children’s play equipment, and I used a laser tape measure to make sure everything was aligned. Even with this hiccup I found projecting the most time effective way of getting the design on the wall (faster than the tape or doodle method). Thankfully, this was a very organic mural design and forgiving if a leaf was a few millimeters off. I sketched the layout using yellow paint, hoping it would stay visible but be easy to paint over. Chalk wasn’t an option since I was leaving for the UK shortly after and didn’t want the outlines to wash away in the meantime.
This was an exterior mural, and like many outdoor projects, it came with its share of challenges. The biggest one? The heat. It made the work physically intense and also caused the paint to dry too quickly. I added plenty of water to keep it workable and was later advised to try a paint conditioner—which I’ll definitely be testing on future art mural painting projects.
To manage the heat, I adjusted my schedule: working early in the morning and returning in the cooler evenings when needed.
Part way through the process in the heat- note that we painted out the rust on the wall to for the final piece!
Painting with helpers
During the week or so I spent on-site, I was lucky to have help from both Nico and Hayley. Having them there was a big boost—both for the extra hands and the company. They’re both interested in learning how to become mural artists, and it felt great to share a bit of what I’ve learned along the way.
In this project I was able to bring together a lot of what I’ve learned over the past year. Using BEHR high quality exterior paint that (almost) covers in one coat, and all my weird and wonderful brushes (including sweeping brushes) for texture. I completed both this mural and the window for the Pre-K in 11 days.
Me and Nico on site
Strong look in the heat!
Final Thoughts
This project was a reminder of why I love being a mural artist. The whole way through the project I was thinking how much the mural was going to improve the kids experience of the space.
Whether you’re searching for local artists, wondering how to paint a mural, or just dreaming of colour on your walls let me know what you think of the project in the comments!
