Painting a mural on my apartment before moving out

Painting a mural on my apartment before moving out part 3 of painting a mural on my apartment building before I move out If you're new here, I'm Erin I'm an artist and I specialize in pet portraits. I'm an artist and I specialize in pet portraits. my landlord has always wanted her dogs to be painted life size on the building since the original mural fell off during a storm In part 2 I got her favorite photos sketched out the dogs and primed the wall for painting started painting pet portraits nearly 10 years ago after my aunt lost her dog seeing her heartbreak inspired me to surprise her with a portrait and I fell in love with the feeling of gifting something so special and personal I've painted hundreds of dogs for families across the country and watching people connect with my art is incredibly fulfilling tears often fill their eyes as they remember their favorite moments with their pets and that's how I know I've done my job well taking the leap to become a full time artist this last year has been rewarding but has also come with a handful of challenges and self doubt when an unexpected rainstorm almost ruined my progress I was reminded that even when life feels unpredictable and a little chaotic the sun does always shine again with the support of my neighbors and people passing by admiring my work I was nearing the end but felt like something was still missing yes this mural was for my landlord but in a lot of ways it became something for me too earlier this year I traveled to Paris for an art residency to connect with other artists and build confidence in my work every time I question whether I was on the right path there always seemed to be a ladybug and since coming home I've started to notice ladybugs everywhere I go Seeing a ladybug is a sign that things are aligning for you in ways you might not even notice yet," says Aycee Brown, a psychic channel, medium, spiritual guide, and teacher. "Spiritually, it's a reminder that you're protected, and abundance is nearby. Ladybugs are small but carry big energy, signaling that good things are in motion even if you're not aware of it. They come with the message to trust the process and stay grounded because you're supported." and since coming home I've started to notice ladybugs everywhere I go and so ladybugs have become a symbol for healing in my life so I knew that I needed to incorporate a ladybug into my painting the mural was once filled with butterflies and cardinals so I knew I wanted to tie them back into the new artwork cardinals are believed to be comforting visitors of loved ones who have passed with this was a way to honor my landlord's parents who have passed away and butterflies represent transformation and rebirth to me it's also why butterflies show up so often in memorial art, sympathy gifts, and even in the designs people choose for keepsakes. The symbol quietly affirms something many grieving people eventually discover: you don't "get over" loss-you change shape around it. Your love remains, but it has to live in a new form. they've always been a reminder to trust where life is leading me and I've seen a lot of them while living here my hope is that these dogs bring a smile to everyone who walks by and for anyone going through a hard season I hope the little details I tucked into the mural offer the same comfort and encouragement that they brought to me I can't wait to surprise my landlord with the finished mural and I really hope she loves it as much as I do