“Time works differently in here.”

I moved back to San Francisco in September 2024 and my new bedroom has become my ongoing creative project. I’ve never had my own room as an adult before, and I’m trying to turn it into a dream space.

I knew immediately that I would be in the smallest room I’ve ever (will ever?) live in, but it has a spectacular feature- my own entrance! I share this flat with 4 other housemates, and the leisure to come and go as I please, and immediately step into my bedroom, feels like a huge benefit. I love having my own entrance and the windy wooden staircase that leads to the wooden gate that I try so hard not to slam. I leave my door open to let the light flood in. I’ve positioned my armchair so I can look out into my neighborhood while I draw or read or watch the rain. I sit in the open doorway when I can’t sleep at night.

Closed though, it was just a boring white door that I didn’t like looking at. I bought $5 paint sample jars from the hardware store and covered up the off-color, sun-stained white with two shades of lovely green.

I saw an image of a beautiful cake that sparked inspiration. It was decorated with a piped black frosting swan wearing a pink ribbon around the neck. A perfect companion to live in my tiny room.

I drew a quick scribble on a post-it note at work, looked at it for the afternoon, and threw it away before leaving. I felt confident that the idea I had in my head would eventually appear on the door. I painted gouache over the wall paint so I could wipe off anything I wanted to change. The larger blocks of color are all acrylic and most of the smaller details and linework are gouache.

I slowly worked on my door for over 4 months. Sometimes it went untouched for weeks and sometimes I manically painted all night. I remember thinking about priorities, what other people are probably rushing home to. Their families? A lover? Their own comfort? And there I was, fidgeting to go home to paint on my door. I thought about this mostly when I was contorted on my hard floor, twisting my wrists to paint spindly vines at 1:00 am.

I wanted my door mural to look like you had stumbled upon something secret. A magical creature spotted through bramble that you can only look at from afar and only if you stay very quiet. My cousin made a comment that I wasn’t just painting on my door, that I was painting a portal. I grinned so hard.

Sometimes I just sit and stare at this painting for so, so long and I wonder if that makes me narcissistic. But I painted it for me, to live with me, to constantly catch my eye- so I’m happy I enjoy looking at it.

I like to think of my door as a portal into a fairy realm~

Fairy Realm

Work Cafe

The Reunion