I recently had the honour of being featured in the latest edition of SPA+CLINIC magazine, featuring my large scale artwork created in collaboration with Nicole Prance, my client and owner of Pro Cosmetic Tattoo.
SPA+CLINIC featured the story behind this custom designed wallpaper mural I created for Pro Cosmetic Tattoo (a fabulous Brisbane beauty clinic and tattoo studio) to honour and empower women after breast cancer.
This mural project is one to remember, and this story makes my heart sing. I know the difference that my client Nicole is making to help women after breast cancer through cosmetic tattooing and I am thrilled she is recognised for her talent.
Breast cancer survivors travel far and wide to visit Nicole in her clinic (Pro Cosmetic Tattoo) in Brisbane, Australia. She truly is one of the kindest people you’ll meet, too.
And the opportunity to create a custom wallpaper mural that empowers women in her clinic every day? Life changing.
I’m so grateful that my art has the power to impact people in such a positive way. I hope to work on many more wellness and health spaces in the future. Read on to learn more about this Brisbane mural project from start to finish.
How Did My Custom Wallpaper Collaboration with Nicole come about?
Nicole was in the process of renovating her new shop in Clayfield and had advertised for the opportunity to paint on a wall in her reception area. She was inspired by a line art drawing of a lady holding a flower over her breast, and wanted something similar.
I was blown away by Nicole's story and the incredible work she does - I knew I wanted to work with her straight away. Based on her inspiration image, I also thought she would love my distinctive line art style. I had drawn a series of art prints featuring line art ladies (to celebrate women’s empowerment) the year before. It felt like a perfect match! Nicole told me it was my excitement and passion for the project that led her to choosing me.
When I met with Nicole at her new studio during renovation, I was excited to see a large blank wall that would be perfect for one of my large wallpaper murals. She asked me to put together a proposal, and I was thrilled when she accepted both projects.
I painted the line art lady near reception, and went straight into creating the larger wallpaper mural for the work area.
How Did I Come up with the Concept for the Custom Wallpaper Mural?
Nicole and I chatted over text message and email in the beginning. She had some wonderful ideas and images she'd saved - women with tattoos, flowers, hearts, lips, lashes and brows, positive words and affirmations, as well as the iconic breast cancer ribbon.
This gave me inspiration and direction but Nicole also gave me complete freedom to be creative. This is always the dream outcome for me. An additional request of Nicole's was to incorporate her logo into the wallpaper mural. The Pro Cosmetic Tattoo logo is an eye - I decided to separate the eye from the text, making the eye part of a larger face. It gives life to Nicole’s logo in a new and fun way.
I was designing a wallpaper mural that had to span 3 walls (which were angled in different directions) so I thought quite a lot about the following:
Which wall will be seen from the entry way as a first impression?
Which walls will be a 'reveal' as you walk into the space?
Do I want the artwork to span across all three walls or will I take advantage of the different angled walls?
How do I make the wallpaper mural consistent in aesthetic across three walls?
Which wall should showcase the logo and the business name?
In the end I had two main ideas for artworks and so I presented two concept options for Nicole’s consideration. She chose her favourite and we went from there!
How Long Did the Project Take?
It took around 8 weeks in total from idea to installation - this included liaison with my client Nicole, concept design, art creation and reviews, printing and wallpaper hanging.
The drawing and art creation takes many hours. The concept designs took 3-4 hours of sketching, and the artwork took me a week to draw (spaced out over many sittings). The beautiful sunflowers were a last minute addition and I just love them - it took me most of the day to draw these, and a few more hours to divide the artwork up into panels for the wallpaper printer.
The wallpaper printing takes two weeks to be printed and delivered, and the wallpaper installation is the quickest part (3-4 hours).
It’s not a quick process, but it’s a very special outcome and high quality finish that will be enjoyed for a long time to come. Even better, if Nicole moves her tattoo studio, we can reprint her mural for the next space!
My digital artwork also offers Nicole the chance to use the artwork in her marketing, on her website and brochures. The repeat pattern on the main wall could also be used for gift wrap or other business stationery.
Why was this Mural Special to Me?
I feel very passionate about women empowering women, self love, inner strength and reclaiming confidence. I also believe people can be healed through art and transformed by the environment around them. It was a dream come true (and brought me tremendous joy) to create a beautiful space for Nicole and one that will empower women every day at Pro Cosmetic Tattoo.
Have a read of the article here!
You'll love reading about Nicole and her dedication to survivors of breast cancer. Thank you to the editor Nadine at SPA+CLINIC for sharing our story.
Looking for a Custom Wallpaper Mural for Your Spa, Beauty Clinic or Tattoo Studio?
If you're looking to decorate your clinic with an empowering, uplifting wallpaper mural that helps change lives, please email Kylie: hello@tinygiraffe.co