Westcoast Dental Office Mural

When the lead first came in for the Wentworth Dental mural, it landed in the inbox of my old partnership, Humanity In Art. At the time, I was in the middle of launching my solo mural practice, so the timing was a bit chaotic. My former collaborator wasn’t keen on the style the client was after, which was a bit of a blessing in disguise. It gave me the chance to take it on myself, even though the style was outside my usual wheelhouse.

I’ve always leaned into graphic and kitschy designs, bold lines, playful colors, that sort of thing. Landscapes? Not so much. They’re beautiful, sure, but they’re everywhere, and I’ve never felt drawn to painting them. But the aesthetic the dental office wanted made sense for their brand, and I figured, why not stretch a little?

The clients were amazing from the get-go. They sent over inspiration photos, shots of the wall, and even rough dimensions. The mural was going to live inside a molar silhouette, which I thought was a clever touch. We agreed to make it as big as possible to fill the space. They signed the design contract quickly, which is always a good sign, and I got to work.

Normally, I offer one design and refine it with the client. But this time, I had a hunch. The first concept I made was snowy and serene, but it didn’t sit right with me. It felt too cold, too distant. So I whipped up a second version with a moodier palette; something that felt more like a crisp Vancouver Island winter day. You know, the kind where the air bites a little but the snow’s only visible way up the mountain. The clients chose the second design without hesitation, which was a nice little affirmation that I’d made the right call.

Budget-wise, they gave me a range, which I always appreciate. It lets me design something that fits the low end and then build up if needed. I kept the palette tight, reusing colors in the same family to keep costs down and minimize waste. More blending, less buying.

Since the mural was going in a high-traffic retail space, I went with Benjamin Moore paints. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that not all paints are created equal. Benjamin Moore’s dark colors are beautifully opaque, which is crucial when you’re painting fine details. Other brands can be so translucent that you end up glazing layer after layer just to get the coverage you need. That’s a time suck I’ve learned to avoid.

Day one, I met the staff and owners — lovely people. It was one of those rare jobs where I didn’t need to visit the space beforehand. They’d sent everything I needed, and it made the prep smooth. I taped every baseboard, laid down drop cloths, and covered the area with plastic where needed. I always try to reuse materials when I can, especially if they’re clean and paint-free. It’s a small way to keep things sustainable.

Once the space was prepped, I waited for the day to get dark and then projected the molar outline. My technician joined me, and having her there was a game-changer. We ran into a snag with the wall’s power outlets( they were smack in the way of centering the design). Centering it to the wall or the reception desk would’ve meant painting over an outlet, which is a no-go. It’s confusing for staff and a weak spot for paint. So we tweaked the outline to sit neatly between the plugs. Problem solved.

Initial outline of the design with the sky started.

We wrapped up around 10 p.m. and called it a night. Both of us work full-time outside of art, so we were already running on fumes. The next morning, we dove in, and that’s when the real challenge began.

Latex paint dries fast. That’s great when you’re doing crisp, graphic lines. But for this style (blending moody landscapes)it was a nightmare. I used Flow-aid to extend the open time, but 15 minutes wasn’t cutting it. We had to rethink our approach, working from the center outward instead of in big sections. It was tense. There were moments where I genuinely wondered if we’d bitten off more than we could chew.

Then came the color drama. A few shades dried way darker than expected, throwing off the whole vibe (we needed the lightness of the mountain to make it look distant and give it that foggy appeal). I had to make a call, stick with it or pivot. I chose the latter. We took a break, drove back to Benjamin Moore, and picked out new colors. Repainting the sky and mountains with lighter tones made all the difference. From there, we blended sparingly with the darker hues, and the whole thing started to come together.

Blocking in the new light shades and adding the dark tree line.

I’m pretty sure my technician thought I was losing it at times, but she stuck with me. Her patience and trust were everything. We’d planned to finish by Monday morning, but between the blending battles and color swaps, we worked until 8 p.m. that night. I clocked about 38 hours total, including design time, and she put in 29. That’s a lot of hours for one long weekend.

Adding details and sketching in the tall trees.

I’ve learned that finishing quickly matters. People see the mural in progress and assume it’s done, so I always aim to leave it looking complete, even if I know I’ll be back to finesse it. That way, it only gets better, not questioned.

The completed painting.

On that final night, we hustled. I tackled the big trees while she handled the fine details. We cleaned up, took some photos, and left the space looking untouched (except for the giant molar-shaped landscape on the wall). The next day, I dropped by to return the office key and got to see the client’s reaction. They were thrilled, and that made all the long days worth it.

I cried once or twice during the process, filled with doubt, but I kept going. Trusted my skills. Trusted the process. If the budget had been bigger, I could’ve spent another ten hours on tiny details, but honestly, it didn’t need it. The mural is done, the client’s happy, and I’m proud of what we created.

Can’t wait to see what the next wall throws at me. If youre on the hunt for a new dentist in Nanaimo, go check out our art loving friends at Wentworth Dental.