I enjoyed the challenge of blending the accurate portrayal of trompe l'oeil perspective with the realistic flora and fauna winding through this composition. I designed the architecture of the pergola to accommodate viewings from below at all angles in a room. This way the illusion remains convincing at all times. I have placed several creatures, eight actually, in the painting for additional interest. The most obvious creature is the dragonfly with its glistening wings on one of the pillars. You may also find a small lizard peeking over the sidewall. There are two butterflies and the rest are birds. One of my favorite parts of this ceiling mural was painting the light that was piercing through from above the foliage and vines growing on the beams. I also enjoyed painting the color of the warm sun effecting the white columns and architecture in contrast to the cool shadows. I created the mural design for use in a flat ceiling, a barrel ceiling or a tray ceiling and you may installed the art as an appliqué and present it with or without any molding or frame. Appliqué is a French word meaning “applied” and pronounced “ap-li-kay”. It usually refers to a cutout attached to a background. In wall covering, cutouts applied to plain, textured or figured backgrounds, in this case, the archival appliqué reproduction of a mural for adhering to a ceiling.