Dr. Letitia Plummer and I in front of the blank walls during the first site visit.
I had the pleasure of painting a set of murals for Dr. Letitia Plummer at her dental practice in Pearland, Texas. Dr. Plummer has been practicing dentistry for over 20 years and is a Houston City Council Member. You can hear her speak on local topics during episodes of the Houston Public Media Houston Matters Podcasts.
With that being said, the project was a breeze because of a few things…
Similar Attitudes & Artistic Styles
On Maxwello Dental’s website, there is a video of Dr. Plummer speaking on why she became a dentist and how she runs her practice. Dr. Plummer says when you come to her practice, “you’re not just a number… you’re a name with a face with a family”. She also speaks on running her practice like she runs her life. For example, working hours for staff is conducive to having time after work to spend with families. They schedule patients within hours that won’t keep the staff late or in time to pick up kids from school.
As a client, Dr. Plummer was adaptable to my schedule. I’m upfront about being unable to meet quick and concrete deadlines because I choose to set my work hours around my kids’ school hours. My toddler also gets sick frequently from all the viruses circulating daycare.
The pillow we used for the color palette inspiration
Dr. Plummer’s taste for art and color matched up with my style so the sketching process was swift. Her vision was to have only text on the walls of the words “breathe, smile, and love”. She also wanted the text to be illustrated in a way that represents the action.
The preferred color palette was actually the colors already on my paint rotation. She wanted the colors on a throw pillow in the office waiting room, along with a primary color pallet.
Sketch/Design
Black and white sketches
Color sketches with grid. Ready for the wall.
I used a grid to transfer the art onto the walls, along with a homemade paper stencil. It wasn’t feasible to use a projector in the hallway because there wasn’t enough distance for placement. To create the paper stencil, I used a projector at home to roughly trace the image onto kraft paper. I cut out parts of the stencil I needed to mark the placement of the text.
I could’ve sketched the design on the wall using only the grid and without the stencil. But my time is limited when I’m working on site, away from home. For this project, I felt better about being over prepared for transferring the design on the wall, rather than under prepared.
I placed the paper stencil on the mural wall and used white paint to fill in the stencil.
The white markings give me reference points for painting the text and florals, along with a grid I chalked on the wall.
I sketch in the the design using white paint and/or chalk. I use chalk because it wipes away with water without touch up needed. I use white paint because it’s easy to paint over.
Blank Walls
Hallway with blanks walls for the mural at Maxwello Dental. Pearland, TX.
Wall for “Breathe”
Wall for “Smile”
Wall for “Love”
Finished Mural Walls
Breathe by Caroline Truong. Mural for Maxwello Dental Office.
Breathe by Caroline Truong. Mural for Maxwello Dental Office.
Smile by Caroline Truong. Mural for Maxwello Dental Office.
Smile by Caroline Truong. Mural for Maxwello Dental Office.
Love by Caroline Truong. Mural for Maxwello Dental Office.
Love by Caroline Truong. Mural for Maxwello Dental Office.
The experience of designing and painting custom murals for Maxwello Dental was enjoyable. I was able to bring Dr. Plummer’s vision to life by adding a touch of her personality to the dental practice - and in my own style! Stay tuned for more. Dr. Plummer also commissioned me to paint a 4ft x 8ft large canvas for her home, and I can’t wait to get started!
What do you think of having murals like these in a dental office?
Leave a comment or send me a note. I’d like to hear your thoughts or any ideas for future projects!