For the first of three installations created for Samsara's new headquarters, I designed this 25' dimensional mural comprised of interlocking woodcut pieces. Each layer has been cut, assembled, painted, and installed to form this undersea, flowing scene.

The full stack for this project involved: digital painting (Photoshop), 3D modeling (Fusion 360), fabrication (Illustrator + CNC), painting (good ol' fashioned paint), and installation. Each of those steps involved a great amount of sub-steps and logistics that I delve into below! This page is a look into the process of planning, building, and installing this piece.

We worked with our longtime partners, the fab fabrication team at Skiffmade, to bring this idea to life. They fabricated the individual shapes so beautifully and pristinely, such that when I first began painting, I felt like I was frosting an intricately designed cake.

When working on a complex piece like this, I think it's important to invest time upfront in creating a strong, organized plan. For example, each of the three installations we created ranges between 60-100 unique pieces, so each piece had a unique code that was etched on its back. In addition, Skiffmade created a system of toggling, layering, and assembly to maximize efficiency and safety when painting, moving, and installing the pieces. Simple tasks like this take time initially but have great pay-off at the end when you're chaotically surrounded by a ton of paints, brushes, and artwork.

Once complete, our team brought together each of the individual pieces and installed them onto the wall to form one cohesive piece! We used a combination of careful measuring, leveling, cleats, toggles, and ✧･ﾟinstallation magic･ﾟ✧ to ensure that the pieces fell perfectly in place, as per the plan. Because the overall installation is dimensional, some pieces sat directly on the wall, whereas others were layered or offset a few inches.

I wanted the pieces to look like they were magically floating on the wall, without obvious evidence of screws or brackets. It's a small detail, but I think it has a cleaner overall look, and helps to suspend reality for the viewer, even if for a bit!