Client: Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital

Location: Santa Rosa, CA, United States

Completion date: 2013

Artwork budget: $40,000

Project Team

Artist

Ellen Blakeley

Ellen Blakeley Studio

Other

Wright Contracting

Client

Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital

Overview

The Cherry Blossom theme is often a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. The garden itself is a memorial tribute to our client’s mother. Her bright and colorful personality is reflected in the simple theme. The garden sits adjacent to the emergency department and can be seen from any angle from inside the emergency room. The formal triptych creates a simple and soothing backdrop in a busy and emotional environment. Each of the three panels is 48” high x 36” wide.

Goals

The goals were to completely illustrate and convey the idea we got from the client. Our process included many different design drafts and plenty of reiteration. The client wanted a piece that creates a sense of calmness and cohesiveness. The central branch of cherry blossoms is the through line of the triptych. Along with the bright blossoms, there are many finely drawn insects and butterflies. The tempered glass glows in the sun and picks up light from every angle due to the extensive use of gold leaf.

Process

We were given a very specific idea to begin with, and so the design reiterations perfected the color scheme and flow of images within the murals.