This week I completed my first full-size reproduction of a Rufus Porter mural. My client had seen and fallen in love with the original mural when he saw it at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. His home is right on the Boston waterfront and he wanted to reproduce this scene to hang on his wall. He came to my studio and saw my mural work; we discussed my process; and he requested a couple of very slight modifications. He wanted the mural to be created as a large (5′ X 10′) piece which would hang permanently from rods inserted through top and bottom sewn channels in the canvas.

Boston Harbor Detail

I made a couple of trips to the MFA to get a good look at the mural. The original is 6’5″ X 15′ and is painted on plaster. You can read all about it at http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/boston-harbor-500074. I loved examining this piece. I only set the “you’re too close to the artwork” alarm off a few times, but the museum graciously allowed me to take lots of photos. Such a treat!

I have had the good fortune of being right up close and personal with 5 original Porter murals. There’s a magical quality in these beautiful works. The foliage, broad strokes of background washes of color, the fussy little details from rigging on sails to tiny windows complete with muntins all encourage the viewer’s eyes to wander around the piece. The murals that wrap around rooms grab you and take you back in time. It’s my way of living in the Outlander (by Diana Gabaldon) world of time travel!