The Ruins Ballroom was the biggest job of my career. It took a year of design work, historical research and problem solving, and a year of me painting, feverishly, from early in the morning to late at night. Frank Irlanda did the gold leaf, Jim Quade hung the murals, and Art Lockwood and his crew of 8 guys did the carpentry. The client asked me to paint the Great Pacific Northwest, Roccoco. Wonderfully excessive!

Every creature and plant, from the tiniest spider to the outfits of the Native Americans (I was asked to depict Nez Perce instead of Salish or Squamish), is researched and authentic. I read as many historical diaries and logs I could get my hands on, and even went out to the Burke museum to look at Vancouver's diary and artifacts. The Ruins, by the way, is a private membership dining club in Seattle.

Acrylic on signage canvas • 30' and 40' wide x 17' high