Might I have a bit of earth?

A homeowner in Chicago, Illinois wanted a mural for the wall next to her deck facing the garden. Her only request was that it feature black swallowtail butterflies, her favourite garden visitors, and be painted in a style resembling tattoo art. I researched plants indigenous to the area that swallowtails feed on and picked a selection of those flowers to make the focal point of the mural. I had originally designed a hummingbird for the upper left, but she asked if we could swap in a fat little sparrow instead, and I was happy to oblige! In line with the tattoo theme, I wanted a banner with lettering to tie the piece together, but I wasn't sure what to write... she came up with the perfect quote: "Might I have a bit of earth?" from Francis Hodgson Burnett's charming novel, The Secret Garden.

The mural is 8 feet wide and 15 feet high, with earth tones extending down beneath the deck to the ground below.