Marriott Hotel in Delray Beach Florida (opal Grand) Now
This was one of my first mural jobs. All I did was walk up and ask if they would be interested in doing a mural by their pool bar. I was very excited when they said yes but also very scared. In my head I was saying “What was I thinking? Can I really do this?” About 100 to 200 people a day would watch me paint, sipping their poolside drinks telling me what should go in the mural. So, needless to say, I put my earphones on and just painted! When it was time for the great unveil, I seriously thought the hotel would fire me. The manager came out and told me he loved it! O.K., maybe I got this? Much to my surprise they paid me in full! We even agreed to an annual contract to maintain the mural for the next five years! From then on I knew painting murals for a living was all I wanted to do.
Growing up my parents did not believe you could make a living from art. My second mural job was for the daughter of the Mayor of Palm Beach. I painted two different murals, one of Polo Ponies and the second a full underwater scene consisting of game and reef fish. At the time, I was living with my dad as a single mom. My father, the man who was unsure of my future profession, never said a word while I painted that mural. When I finished and was paid, I gave my dad some of the money I made as a gift. The next morning, he packed my lunch and told me to “ Go get another one!”
