One of my favorite types of projects are historical murals. I love learning about different times in history. And for this project, we even dressed the part! Isle a la Cache Museum, in Romeoville, IL, lets visitors experience the North American Fur Trade. This mural was the museum's second commission with Hattas. It shows a shipping dock in Quebec at the height of the Fur Trade, early 1800s.
Isle ala Cache Museum - "Height of the Fur Trade"
Since the mural is filled with figures and historical items, it was important to get the clothing and objects just right. The museum provided images of hats, canoes and shipping materials. And I had friends and family dress in period clothing, posed in the positions from the original sketch.
Jeanine photographing friends modeling in period costumes.
Models in period costumes for reference photos.
From there, I was able to put together a photo mockup. This image is very helpful to make sure everything is in the right place, and can be analyzed by the staff of historians before paint ever hit the canvas.
1. Sketch, 2. Mock-up, 3. Final mural installed
I painted the mural in my studio and shipped it to Illinois to be installed.
Mural in progress in Los Angeles studio
The installers hung the mural just like a giant piece of wallpaper.
Installation by Jef Reese (JR's Wallpaper)
Check out the entire process in the short video below!
Tell your story with a mural by Hattas Public Murals.