I submitted two concepts for a contest held by the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). They sought illustrations to install as murals in the new radiology branch of Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. A jury selected both of my mural concepts out of dozens of submissions, installing my artwork in 2 out of 7 available spaces.
This was my first experience with contracted client work, and I learned a lot about communicating with clients through that lens. The concepts were altered according to feedback, spanning over half of the summer until we settled into the final design shown above.
MUSC provided a list of possible concepts for designs, but I decided to branch off into rivers and lakes and the animals that inhabit them, specifically in the lowcountry of Charleston where the hospital is based. I began with a moodboard. The overall concept was for the illustrations to look painterly, with a texture like gouache and watercolor paints. I wanted it to feel all-encompassing, as if the viewer is in the water with the creatures going about their lives. While the colors here range in greens and blues, the client opted to switch to colors reminiscent of a sunrise and sunset, creating more variation in lighting quality.
Pictured are a couple of creatures omitted during the feedback stage. Before the turtles were incorporated, they were alligators. These had the potential to be frightening to small children, given their toothy smiles and wide eyes. Then there was the longnose gar, which drew too much attention away from the other fish due to its length. It was replaced by a selection of smaller fish.
As well as the client, I also worked with Red Falcon Ink, the company they partnered with to produce and install the vinyl wall coverings, which meant designing my concepts to fit into set templates.
The result of this project is making hospital visits more comforting and peaceful for children and their families by offering an environment appreciating the beauty of the natural world and the teeming life within it.