I accept commissions and design murals for homes, offices and commercial spaces. My murals are painted with quality archival materials that will last generations. Any painting that you see on this web site can be done as a wall mural in your home or office. I work on location between Sacramento and Redding, California, and in all 50 states with covered travel expenses. Wall murals can also be painted on large artist's canvas and shipped anywhere.
"Yosemite Dreams" is a mural painted on two large doors in a children's playroom. The size is eight feet wide and 80" tall.
The children love their mural and show it off to all visitors, they
have even given each of the animals a name! It is painted in a highly
realistic style.
This mural was designed so that the children will
never outgrow it. So very often, I'm contacted by parents who want a
“cartoonish” type of mural done in their child's room. It is my belief
that just as very young children can appreciate Great Classical Music
(in addition to nursery rhymes) they can also appreciate good fine art.
A mural is not something that you want your child to outgrow in just a
few years. I speak from personal experience, the “cowboy” wall paper
that I loved at age 10 became a total embarrassment to me by age 12! I
design and paint murals that children will be proud to show to their
friends well into their college years.
Here is a close up detail of the family of elephants in the "Yosemite Dreams" mural. The animals were designed to reflect a family setting, at peace with each other and with other species, all within the breathtaking Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. Truly a dream, hence the name of the mural, "Yosemite Dreams" by your "Painter Of Dreams"™, ~ Frank Wilson
Here is a close up detail of the family the giraffes with the lion family in the "Yosemite Dreams" mural.
Who would not be amused by a mother chimpanzee carrying her youngster on her back? The seam between the two doors is clearly seen in this photo of the mural "Yosemite Dreams".
This is a close up detail of the family of lions on the right side of the "Yosemite Dreams" mural. The entire mural promotes family love and affection through the use of animal imagery.
This is the advantage of having a skilled artist design a custom mural as opposed to buying "wall paper murals" .... YOUR ideas and values can be designed into a custom mural.
This mural "Grand Vista" was done in a private residence in the master bath covering two walls around the bathtub. The painted stone work matches exactly the existing tile work on the bottom. The mural is 76 square feet in size on both walls. There is an amazing feeling of depth and space in this mural making the room appear much larger. The entire scene is reflected in the opposite mirrored wall,creating a beautiful "wrap around" look. What a beautiful place to soak after a hectic day! The grout lines on the actual tiles line up with the "lines" on the painted stone work! An amazing 3-D illusion of depth!
Here is another view of "Grand Vista" showing the foot wall of the tub area. There are lots of minute details like a distant eagle in the sky and a black bear in the brush. Notice the perched butterfly on the the top far right column. At night, when the lights are off, the sky in this mural is glowing with stars. See my Illusions page for a complete explanation.
Frank Wilson with his completed mural "Grand Vista."
In this detail of "Grand Vista" you can see the Bald Eagle soaring. The eagle actually measures just under two inches across. The illusion of atmospheric depth is very strong in this mural.
This is a detail of the top of the far right column painted in the mural. The painted addition of a a butterfly perched on the column added a bit of outdoor realism to the entire mural.
To commission a mural for your home or office see the "Commissions" page
This is a spectacular example of Wilson's double illusion sky murals. It was created in a large dome 33 feet high in the foyer of a private residence. The domewas painted to look like a beautiful, luminous daytime sky with soft and ethereal clouds that could be seen from most any part of the expansive room below.
The home was still under construction and scaffolding and ladders were used to access the high dome. Notice the luminosity of the painted sky. It will be illuminated by recessed lights around the perimeter of the crown moulding.
This is the dome as seen from the upstairs balcony. A truly amazing transformation occurs at night as shown in the next photograph below.
When the lights are turned off the dome transforms itself into the night sky! Most of the constellations appear in their proper astronomical positions with intermediate and minor stars and even the majestic "Milky Way" appears across the dome! Sky and clouds by day and glowing stars at night!
This is a closeup of the Mourning Doves in flight Frank Wilson painted inside the dome. Of course at night the doves cannot be seen. One sees only the black void of the night sky filled with glowing stars in many magnitudes. This double "Day and Night" ceiling mural can be painted on flat ceilings as well. Would you like this done in your home?
I painted murals on all four floors of this Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Webster, Texas.
This is a "Double Illusion" Sky mural on the ceiling of the dining area of the Holiday Inn Express in Webster, Texas.
The soft ethereal clouds give a light, airiness to the dining area room.
Two types of lighting, a white light and a black light, in the recessed area gives five lighting combinations to this mural. The stars and Milky Way appear when the room is darkened or the UV lighting is activated!
Here is another view of the Sky Dome looking straight up into it. Note the two Mourning Doves in flight. The doves have become a "signature" addition to many of my "Double Illusion" day and night sky murals.
In the Holiday inn Express King Suites the ceilings
look normal with daylight coming in through the window. The same
ceiling at night transforms to a view of the starry heavens. The major
Constellations can be easily identified along with the majestic Milky
Way. This incredible illusion creates a beautiful, stress-relieving ambience for the guests in these suites. It also provides the perfect setting for conversation and intmacy. See the "Night Illusions" page for more examples of my glowing "Art In The Dark".
Hotels, Resorts, Spas, B&B's can contact me for information and rates on having this wonderful amenity for their guests. Homeowners can also have this in their homes, and home theaters!
This mural "Kilauea Lighthouse" was done in a private residence. The mural measures 8' x 10 feet.The homeowners enjoy a nautical there and this lighthouse is one of their favorite places. Kilauea Lighthouse is the northernmost point of the main Hawaiian Islands. Built in 1913, it was had the largest lens of it's kind and guided ships heading to and from the Orient. In the 1970's its light was turned off and this landmark was replaced by a low-maintenance light beacon.
I also painted a faux driftwood "frame" to set the mural off from the wall.
The Kilauea Lighthouse is located on a narrow peninsula and remains one of Kauai's most popular attractions. Native vegetations and an informative visitor center attract thousands of tourists to this site to bird watch, view the sweeping cliff and ocean vistas, and revel in Kaua's past.
I painted this view of the lighthouse at the homeowner's request from a reference photograph they had taken. The view is from up on a bluff with views of the steep cliffs and coral reefs in the clear water below.
Here is a detail photograph of the lighthouse mural with the waves splashing on the cliffs below.
Here is another detail photograph of the mural's lower right corner. The wall itself was quite textured and I had to "scrub" in a lot of color to fill in the gaps of the textured wall. The overall effect of the mural set a real "By The Sea" ambience for the room.
This mural covers three walls in a boy's room. It measures 4 feet high and is 17 linear feet in length. In this photograph you can see how the mural was designed to "wrap" around the walls with a continuous design. This mural depicts some actual places along California's Feather River Canyon as it would have appeared around the year 1900. Logging was a major industry and trains made regular runs up and down the steep canyon with their cargo of Pondersa Pine and Douglas Fir logs.
Here the steam locomotive is about to cross the "Rock Creek Canyon" wooden trestle bridge. Details include the house number on the train and the road they live on is the name of the Railroad. There is a cougar on the rocks in the foreground in the lower right of this photograph.
This is the middle wall showing the train emerging from the tunnel.
Frank Wilson shown with a potion of his 17 linear foot long mural "Feather River Canyon" which wraps around three wall surfaces in a boy's room.
Here is a detail of the steam locomotive hauling a load of fresh cut Ponderosa Pine logs to the mill at the bottom of the canyon. The headlight on the locomotive glows in the dark and stars appear in the sky portion of the mural. See my "Illusions" page for a complete explanation.
A small "Explosives" shed is just in front of the tunnel. Waterfalls cascade everywhere in this canyon in the spring. It is just a short drive from where I live and I enjoy visiting and exploring the Feather River Canyon for inspiration.
"Kennedy Meadows" is a "site specific" mural of an actual place in the High Sierras. The mural was painted on an unusual shaped portion of wall over an office door. It reminds the owners of their annual horseback hunting trips to Kennedy Meadows at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. Off in the distance there is a riding party with pack horses ascending the trail.
In March of 2009 Frank Wilson was awarded two commissions from Enloe Hopsital in Chico, California. The murals are installed in recessed alcoves on the exterior of the parking garage on Magnolia Ave.
The murals measure 3 feet wide and are 6 feet tall.
This is the second Enloe Hospital Exterior Mural. The mural is based on one of my oil paintings.
"Mountain Moonglow" is a commissioned mural from the City Of Chico, California and hangs on East Third Street at the corner of Main Street in Downtown Chico. In a competition open to all artists in Northern California, twenty finalists were chosen and given a canvas on which to paint their mural proposal on. Those 20 works were displayed throughout the summer of 2005 for the citizens to vote on which of the twenty they wanted to see as a permanent, mural in their downtown area. Over 8,000 votes were cast and Frank's painting proposal, "Mountain Moonglow" won the "Peoples Choice Award" in 2005. The mural was commissioned by the city of Chico.
Frank Wilson shown next to his mural Mountain Moonglow on the special easel he built out of 2 x 4's to hold the 180 pound panel. It was just too big to work on in the studio so the artist worked on it outdoors. The large mural brush he is using is one of a pair of brushes that was a gift from his high school art teacher in the 1960's.
This ceiling mural is in a recessed area 36" deep up into the ceiling. It has many complex angles and the homeowners wanted to lighten the heavy look of the angles. I suggested a "Sky Mural" with soft, ethereal clouds to hide the harsh angles. As you can see the effect is quite convincing but the amazing part is what happens at night when they shut off the lights as shown in the next photo!
Here is the same ceiling as above photographed in darkness. The clouds are gone and it appears that you are looking up into the beautiful night sky with thousands of stars glowing softly to sooth and comfort you. This double, "Day and Night" ceiling mural is a specialty of mine. I often employ this illusion in the sky portion of many of my wall murals as well. See my Illusions page for more info.
As a finishing touch, the homeowners wanted a pair of Mourning Doves on their ceiling. The finished result was the illusion of two doves in flight. At night the doves disappear and the only thing you see is the beauty of the stars glowing in the darkness! See my "Illusions" page for a complete explanation.
Here is a close-up of the Mourning Doves. The ceiling had a medium texture to it which can be seen in this 1/2 life size photo.
Putting the finishing touches on the Mourning Doves. The is one of my double Day and Night Murals. What is amazing is the transformation at night. When the lights are turned off the clouds and doves disappear and your looking up into the most beautiful starry night sky imaginable.
Here is a view of the ceiling nitch looking straight up. The multiple angles have almost completely disappeared with my painting of soft ethereal clouds floating in a painted blue sky. In the center, you can see an electrical box where the light fixture is to be hung.
This Mural covers one wall in a bedroom. Eight feet tall by twelve feet long. The colors chosen match the warm wood tones and bright accents of the furnishings and accessories in the room. Due to the limitations of space I could not get the whole mural into one photograph. This is a portion of the left side. Note the light switch for scale.
Here is the right side showing the leaf litter and cluster of moss covered rocks in the corner. A few oak leaves from last year's season stubbornly cling to some branches with a few acorns.
Close up detail of the upper portion of the tree trunk. Rich lavender and deep purple are on the shadowed side of the tree while warm sunlight reveals the twisting contours of the moss covered branches.
Here is a close up of some highly detailed oak leaves on the right side of the tree trunk. New spring buds are appearing on the branches.
An old, hollow tree stump with mushrooms balances out the left side of the mural. The form is revealed by painting strong sunlight hitting the stump from the right.
On the upper left of the main tree trunk one can find a robin's nest in the fork of the branches. The overall look of the mural is one of three dimensions and realism with a strong painted light source and many overlapping forms.
This Mural, " Zorn Villa", was created on a blank wall in a kitchen. You look out and across the grove of olive trees at the Zorn Winery. Merlot grapes cover the rolling hillsides and more groves of olive trees are in the distance. The far hills are ripe with Seminiola wheat. Painted crumbling plaster reveals the illusion of solid brick underneath.
Here is the entire wall in the kitchen. In addition to the "window" all the exposed brickwork is a painted illusion!
This detail shows the right corner of the room with the illusion of brick. Note the painted hairline cracks that give the illusion of crumbling plaster in the corner of the room.
The painted illusion of more brick work over the doorway.
Detail of the painted brick in the upper right of the mural
Detail of an old wine bottle on the window ledge. Zorn Vineyards Merlot reads the label and the vintage is 1921 the year the homeowners father was born.
Three ripe pears complete the illusion of a window ledge.
This mural is painted on two walls of a dining room. The trunk of the tree is split by a hallway.
The addition of a tree stump and a cluster of mushrooms completes the look of the "forest floor".
In this detail of the right portion, notice the little acorns and the oak leaves. The lacy branches are so real looking it appears that you can walk behind the branches!
Detail of the left wall. The tracery of the branches flows around the door opening to the kitchen.
This is a photograph of a ceiling that I painted in a child's room with soft looking clouds. At night there are thousands of stars glowing softly along with the majestic Milky Way and the children can learn to identify the Major Constellations on their ceiling! There are also three "shooting stars" for a little excitement! Please see the "Illusions" page for more details about my star murals that can only be seen in the dark!
In this large room the homeowners wanted to bring in the outdoors. There are Oak Trees just outside the large windows on the right. I painted an oak tree on the wall that can be seen as you enter the foyer. The ceiling is 15 feet tall and I created a "Day and Night" sky mural with cirrus cloud filled blue sky that would be visible from a high altitude up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
This is a close up of the tall oak as you enter the foyer. The branches go down the hallway to the left and into the great room on the right. There is a friendly grey squirrel looking out of the hollow of the tree.
This is a detail of one branch in the great room. Notice the goldfinch perched near the acorns. Details like this bring life to the illusion of the tree.
The mural as seen from the entrance to the great room. The flowing oak branches fill the wall and create a pattern that suggested movement. Real oak trees are visible looking out the glass windows to the right. The colors used match the colors of the decor, especially the Persian rug on the floor.
Working on the sky. This was an amazing illusion as it is a double mural. When the lights are shut off at night the clouds disappear and you are looking up at an incredible star filled night sky with the majestic Milky Way shimmering in the dark with the Perseus meteor shower streaking across the ceiling.
Because of the large size of this ceiling 484 square feet, I was able to fit almost all of the major constellations onto the ceiling. Of course, you cannot see the stars during daylight or when the rooms lights are on. My "Double Sky Illusion Murals have to be seen to be appreciated. Please see my "Illusions" Page for more information.
When the ceiling fan is in motion at night, even on low speed, it is invisible and one can see the stars glowing on the ceiling above. This was a magnificent illusion to see at night, with the ceiling changing from blue sky and clouds to the dark night sky filled with thousands of stars of every magnitude glowing all night long. See the "Illusions" page for more details about my glow in the dark star murals
This mural, Butte Creek Canyon, was created to cover a large window in a home theater. It measures 38" x 96". In darkness the horizon softly glows and stars sparkle in the sky portion of the mural. See the "Illusions" page for more details.
What a beautiful change your mural made in the playroom. The huge doors are now a beautiful piece of art that can be seen from most of the home. Yosemite Dreams is so peaceful to look at. The animals at peace with each other and looking so gentle you feel that you could walk in and pet them. You really understood what I wanted for that room. I can't thank you enough for the very calming effect this has on my children especially my son. When Jesse is having one of his many hard days we can start talking about the mural and the animals and you can visually see him calm down. He will take his blanket and pillow and lay in front of the doors and talk to himself and to the animals and relax. Frank I can't thank you enough for this beautiful mural. I hope you realize how much this means to my children and to me.
Again, Thank You!
Frances, Jesse, Kelly, Hattie, and Maggie
Dear Frank,
I want to let you know what a delight it was working with you during the creation of the "Grand Vista" masterpiece that now adorns my bathroom walls. From our first meeting up until the completion of my project, you have been a pleasure to work with. I am extremely particular when it comes to art and have always had a difficult time selecting pieces to hang in my home. When I saw your work, I knew immediately that I wanted to own one of your pieces. I had toyed with the idea of a mural, but once I set foot in your studio and reviewed the various murals you have painted, I was certain that was the route I wanted to take. It started with a general idea of what I wanted and with your helpful suggestions and viewing your previous artwork my ideal Grand Vista became a reality. I felt incredibly comfortable with you in my home and hardly knew you were here working diligently on my mural. I looked forward to the end of each day when I could see the progress that was made. It was amazing to watch my husband who felt neutral about having a mural painted turn his indifference into true appreciation by the end of the process. Because of you, I now have a gorgeous place to escape to and immerse myself in! I can relax in my tub and surround myself with the beauty you sculpted with each brush stroke. I get so excited each time I get to show it off to someone new. I know it will be marveled at for ages. My children enjoy pointing out their personalized areas and telling the story behind it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I look forward to working with you again in the future.
All our best, Jason & Holly - Chico, CA
Frank & Toni, Thank you for the wonderful job you did on our STARSCAPES®. It was great having that to look forward to when we got home from our cruise. The first night we didn´t have time to "charge it up" But it was still great! Last night we turned on some lights for a while first and it was brilliant! We are so pleased! Brent, Michelle, Savannah, Rob, Gabby & Brad - Paradise, CA
Dear Frank and Toni, "I just wanted to thank you both for your professionalism and the outstanding job you did on our ceilings! I have seen many amazing things during my life time, but this tops it all. I am absolutely astounded that my ceiling looks normal in the light but disappears in the dark to reveal all the stars in the sky above. Thank you again for an amazing job well done!" Bill D. - Paradise, CA
"We get so much enjoyment from the STARSCAPES® ceilings you did for us but our fun doubles when we have company over. Our guests simply cannot believe their eyes when we show them our STARSCAPES® ceiling! Thanks for doing such a good job!" A & V - Paradise, CA
"My husband and I just used to kiss each other good night and go to sleep. Now when we go to bed, we talk for hours under our very own stars! Thank you for bringing the romance back into our marriage with your STARSCAPES®!" - Chico, CA
"Wow! This is awesome! Absolutely unbelievable! My son is going to love this! Thank you both! Josh - Pollack Pines, CA
"Yosemite Dreams" is a mural painted on two large doors in a children's playroom. The size is eight feet wide and 80" tall. 
This mural was designed so that the children will
never outgrow it. So very often, I'm contacted by parents who want a
“cartoonish” type of mural done in their child's room. It is my belief
that just as very young children can appreciate Great Classical Music
(in addition to nursery rhymes) they can also appreciate good fine art.
A mural is not something that you want your child to outgrow in just a
few years. I speak from personal experience, the “cowboy” wall paper
that I loved at age 10 became a total embarrassment to me by age 12! I
design and paint murals that children will be proud to show to their
friends well into their college years. 
Here is a close up detail of the family of elephants in the "Yosemite Dreams" mural. The animals were designed to reflect a family setting, at peace with each other and with other species, all within the breathtaking Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. Truly a dream, hence the name of the mural, "Yosemite Dreams" by your "Painter Of Dreams"™, ~ Frank Wilson
Here is a close up detail of the family the giraffes with the lion family in the "Yosemite Dreams" mural.
Who would not be amused by a mother chimpanzee carrying her youngster on her back? The seam between the two doors is clearly seen in this photo of the mural "Yosemite Dreams".
This is a close up detail of the family of lions on the right side of the "Yosemite Dreams" mural. The entire mural promotes family love and affection through the use of animal imagery. 
This mural "Grand Vista" was done in a private residence in the master bath covering two walls around the bathtub. The painted stone work matches exactly the existing tile work on the bottom. The mural is 76 square feet in size on both walls. There is an amazing feeling of depth and space in this mural making the room appear much larger. The entire scene is reflected in the opposite mirrored wall,creating a beautiful "wrap around" look. What a beautiful place to soak after a hectic day! The grout lines on the actual tiles line up with the "lines" on the painted stone work! An amazing 3-D illusion of depth!
Here is another view of "Grand Vista" showing the foot wall of the tub area. There are lots of minute details like a distant eagle in the sky and a black bear in the brush. Notice the perched butterfly on the the top far right column. At night, when the lights are off, the sky in this mural is glowing with stars. See my 
Frank Wilson with his completed mural "Grand Vista."
In this detail of "Grand Vista" you can see the Bald Eagle soaring. The eagle actually measures just under two inches across. The illusion of atmospheric depth is very strong in this mural.
This is a detail of the top of the far right column painted in the mural. The painted addition of a a butterfly perched on the column added a bit of outdoor realism to the entire mural.
This is a spectacular example of Wilson's double illusion sky murals. It was created in a large dome 33 feet high in the foyer of a private residence. The domewas painted to look like a beautiful, luminous daytime sky with soft and ethereal clouds that could be seen from most any part of the expansive room below.
The home was still under construction and scaffolding and ladders were used to access the high dome. Notice the luminosity of the painted sky. It will be illuminated by recessed lights around the perimeter of the crown moulding.
This is the dome as seen from the upstairs balcony. A truly amazing transformation occurs at night as shown in the next photograph below.
When the lights are turned off the dome transforms itself into the night sky! Most of the constellations appear in their proper astronomical positions with intermediate and minor stars and even the majestic "Milky Way" appears across the dome! Sky and clouds by day and glowing stars at night!
This is a closeup of the Mourning Doves in flight Frank Wilson painted inside the dome. Of course at night the doves cannot be seen. One sees only the black void of the night sky filled with glowing stars in many magnitudes. This double "Day and Night" ceiling mural can be painted on flat ceilings as well. Would you like this done in your home?
This is a "Double Illusion" Sky mural on the ceiling of the dining area of the Holiday Inn Express in Webster, Texas. 
Here is another view of the Sky Dome looking straight up into it. Note the two Mourning Doves in flight. The doves have become a "signature" addition to many of my "Double Illusion" day and night sky murals.
This mural "Kilauea Lighthouse" was done in a private residence. The mural measures 8' x 10 feet.The homeowners enjoy a nautical there and this lighthouse is one of their favorite places. Kilauea Lighthouse is the northernmost point of the main Hawaiian Islands. Built in 1913, it was had the largest lens of it's kind and guided ships heading to and from the Orient. In the 1970's its light was turned off and this landmark was replaced by a low-maintenance light beacon.
The Kilauea Lighthouse is located on a narrow peninsula and remains one of Kauai's most popular attractions. Native vegetations and an informative visitor center attract thousands of tourists to this site to bird watch, view the sweeping cliff and ocean vistas, and revel in Kaua's past.
Here is a detail photograph of the lighthouse mural with the waves splashing on the cliffs below.
Here is another detail photograph of the mural's lower right corner. The wall itself was quite textured and I had to "scrub" in a lot of color to fill in the gaps of the textured wall. The overall effect of the mural set a real "By The Sea" ambience for the room.
This mural covers three walls in a boy's room. It measures 4 feet high and is 17 linear feet in length. In this photograph you can see how the mural was designed to "wrap" around the walls with a continuous design. This mural depicts some actual places along California's Feather River Canyon as it would have appeared around the year 1900. Logging was a major industry and trains made regular runs up and down the steep canyon with their cargo of Pondersa Pine and Douglas Fir logs.
Here the steam locomotive is about to cross the "Rock Creek Canyon" wooden trestle bridge. Details include the house number on the train and the road they live on is the name of the Railroad. There is a cougar on the rocks in the foreground in the lower right of this photograph.
This is the middle wall showing the train emerging from the tunnel.
Frank Wilson shown with a potion of his 17 linear foot long mural "Feather River Canyon" which wraps around three wall surfaces in a boy's room. 
Here is a detail of the steam locomotive hauling a load of fresh cut Ponderosa Pine logs to the mill at the bottom of the canyon. The headlight on the locomotive glows in the dark and stars appear in the sky portion of the mural. See my 
A small "Explosives" shed is just in front of the tunnel. Waterfalls cascade everywhere in this canyon in the spring. It is just a short drive from where I live and I enjoy visiting and exploring the Feather River Canyon for inspiration.
"Kennedy Meadows" is a "site specific" mural of an actual place in the High Sierras. The mural was painted on an unusual shaped portion of wall over an office door. It reminds the owners of their annual horseback hunting trips to Kennedy Meadows at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. Off in the distance there is a riding party with pack horses ascending the trail. 
In March of 2009 Frank Wilson was awarded two commissions from Enloe Hopsital in Chico, California. The murals are installed in recessed alcoves on the exterior of the parking garage on Magnolia Ave.
This is the second Enloe Hospital Exterior Mural. The mural is based on one of my oil paintings.
"Mountain Moonglow" is a commissioned mural from the City Of Chico, California and hangs on East Third Street at the corner of Main Street in Downtown Chico. In a competition open to all artists in Northern California, twenty finalists were chosen and given a canvas on which to paint their mural proposal on. Those 20 works were displayed throughout the summer of 2005 for the citizens to vote on which of the twenty they wanted to see as a permanent, mural in their downtown area. Over 8,000 votes were cast and Frank's painting proposal, "Mountain Moonglow" won the "Peoples Choice Award" in 2005. The mural was commissioned by the city of Chico.
Frank Wilson shown next to his mural Mountain Moonglow on the special easel he built out of 2 x 4's to hold the 180 pound panel. It was just too big to work on in the studio so the artist worked on it outdoors. The large mural brush he is using is one of a pair of brushes that was a gift from his high school art teacher in the 1960's.
This ceiling mural is in a recessed area 36" deep up into the ceiling. It has many complex angles and the homeowners wanted to lighten the heavy look of the angles. I suggested a "Sky Mural" with soft, ethereal clouds to hide the harsh angles. As you can see the effect is quite convincing but the amazing part is what happens at night when they shut off the lights as shown in the next photo!
Here is the same ceiling as above photographed in darkness. The clouds are gone and it appears that you are looking up into the beautiful night sky with thousands of stars glowing softly to sooth and comfort you. This double, "Day and Night" ceiling mural is a specialty of mine. I often employ this illusion in the sky portion of many of my wall murals as well. See my 
As a finishing touch, the homeowners wanted a pair of Mourning Doves on their ceiling. The finished result was the illusion of two doves in flight. At night the doves disappear and the only thing you see is the beauty of the stars glowing in the darkness! See my 
Here is a close-up of the Mourning Doves. The ceiling had a medium texture to it which can be seen in this 1/2 life size photo.
Putting the finishing touches on the Mourning Doves. The is one of my double Day and Night Murals. What is amazing is the transformation at night. When the lights are turned off the clouds and doves disappear and your looking up into the most beautiful starry night sky imaginable.
Here is a view of the ceiling nitch looking straight up. The multiple angles have almost completely disappeared with my painting of soft ethereal clouds floating in a painted blue sky. In the center, you can see an electrical box where the light fixture is to be hung.
This Mural covers one wall in a bedroom. Eight feet tall by twelve feet long. The colors chosen match the warm wood tones and bright accents of the furnishings and accessories in the room. Due to the limitations of space I could not get the whole mural into one photograph. This is a portion of the left side. Note the light switch for scale.
Here is the right side showing the leaf litter and cluster of moss covered rocks in the corner. A few oak leaves from last year's season stubbornly cling to some branches with a few acorns.
Close up detail of the upper portion of the tree trunk. Rich lavender and deep purple are on the shadowed side of the tree while warm sunlight reveals the twisting contours of the moss covered branches. 
Here is a close up of some highly detailed oak leaves on the right side of the tree trunk. New spring buds are appearing on the branches. 
An old, hollow tree stump with mushrooms balances out the left side of the mural. The form is revealed by painting strong sunlight hitting the stump from the right.
On the upper left of the main tree trunk one can find a robin's nest in the fork of the branches. The overall look of the mural is one of three dimensions and realism with a strong painted light source and many overlapping forms.
This Mural, " Zorn Villa", was created on a blank wall in a kitchen. You look out and across the grove of olive trees at the Zorn Winery. Merlot grapes cover the rolling hillsides and more groves of olive trees are in the distance. The far hills are ripe with Seminiola wheat. Painted crumbling plaster reveals the illusion of solid brick underneath.
Here is the entire wall in the kitchen. In addition to the "window" all the exposed brickwork is a painted illusion!
This detail shows the right corner of the room with the illusion of brick. Note the painted hairline cracks that give the illusion of crumbling plaster in the corner of the room.
The painted illusion of more brick work over the doorway.
Detail of the painted brick in the upper right of the mural
Detail of an old wine bottle on the window ledge. Zorn Vineyards Merlot reads the label and the vintage is 1921 the year the homeowners father was born.
Three ripe pears complete the illusion of a window ledge.
This mural is painted on two walls of a dining room. The trunk of the tree is split by a hallway. 
The addition of a tree stump and a cluster of mushrooms completes the look of the "forest floor".
In this detail of the right portion, notice the little acorns and the oak leaves. The lacy branches are so real looking it appears that you can walk behind the branches!
Detail of the left wall. The tracery of the branches flows around the door opening to the kitchen.
This is a photograph of a ceiling that I painted in a child's room with soft looking clouds. At night there are thousands of stars glowing softly along with the majestic Milky Way and the children can learn to identify the Major Constellations on their ceiling! There are also three "shooting stars" for a little excitement! Please see the 
In this large room the homeowners wanted to bring in the outdoors. There are Oak Trees just outside the large windows on the right. I painted an oak tree on the wall that can be seen as you enter the foyer. The ceiling is 15 feet tall and I created a "Day and Night" sky mural with cirrus cloud filled blue sky that would be visible from a high altitude up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
This is a close up of the tall oak as you enter the foyer. The branches go down the hallway to the left and into the great room on the right. There is a friendly grey squirrel looking out of the hollow of the tree.
This is a detail of one branch in the great room. Notice the goldfinch perched near the acorns. Details like this bring life to the illusion of the tree.
The mural as seen from the entrance to the great room. The flowing oak branches fill the wall and create a pattern that suggested movement. Real oak trees are visible looking out the glass windows to the right. The colors used match the colors of the decor, especially the Persian rug on the floor.
Working on the sky. This was an amazing illusion as it is a double mural. When the lights are shut off at night the clouds disappear and you are looking up at an incredible star filled night sky with the majestic Milky Way shimmering in the dark with the Perseus meteor shower streaking across the ceiling. 
Because of the large size of this ceiling 484 square feet, I was able to fit almost all of the major constellations onto the ceiling. Of course, you cannot see the stars during daylight or when the rooms lights are on. My "Double Sky Illusion Murals have to be seen to be appreciated. Please see my 
When the ceiling fan is in motion at night, even on low speed, it is invisible and one can see the stars glowing on the ceiling above. This was a magnificent illusion to see at night, with the ceiling changing from blue sky and clouds to the dark night sky filled with thousands of stars of every magnitude glowing all night long. See the 
