the murals of skip dyrda
My privately commissioned murals appear in homes and businesses across Florida, New England, and even as far as Argentina. Many are painted in my signature Trompe L’oeil style, designed to blur the line between illusion and reality. Each piece is created entirely by hand on walls, canvas, polytab, or almost any surface my clients dream up.
Explore each project by selecting an image
Dreams of a Fantasy Land
Jump into the world of Disney with the fictional (somewhat) DisneyWorld landscape painted in a guest bedroom in a condo in Longboat Key, FL
A Fantasy Land Library
Painted in a Longboat Key hallway, this mural creates the illusion of a sprawling library packed with 263 books and an eclectic mix of magical artifacts, curiosities, and literary references. With treasures like Dobby, a Smurf artist, a sextant, pirate dubloons, and enchanted potions tucked between the shelves, the scene invites viewers to explore its details again and again.
Little Yellow Corvette
This mural brings a burst of energy to a young boy’s bedroom with a retro cartoon‑style yellow Corvette crashing through the wall. Inspired by the bold, playful look of 60s and 70s animation, the scene turns the room into a moment of high‑speed adventure.
Sweet Dreams in My Fantasy Land
Painted in a young girl’s bedroom, this mural features oversized flowers, cheerful bumblebees, colorful birds, and a single large tree anchoring the scene. Everything is rendered in a playful cartoon style, creating a lively, storybook‑like environment.
Dreaming of Santorini
Painted directly onto a stucco wall beside the client’s pool, this mural creates the illusion of looking out over a Mediterranean coastline inspired by Santorini. Soft blues, sun‑washed architecture, and distant water views bring a sense of escape and tranquility to the outdoor space.
Looking For Stone Crab
This mural, painted at the scale of a full door, was designed to resemble an old split‑door where the top half swings open. The lower section looks like weathered wood, while the open upper half reveals a distant view of the Ringling Bridge and a whimsical signpost pointing toward far‑off destinations.
For this project, I transformed a two‑car garage into a full Steampunk‑themed man cave. The space features custom Steampunk elements across a large set of bi‑fold doors, the interior panels of the garage door, one full wall, and the ceiling, creating an immersive mechanical‑fantasy environment.
A Little Monkey Business
This project is a series of three murals painted along a long hallway at The Gan, a preschool in Sarasota, FL. Each panel features whimsical plants, flowers, bugs, and animals, with small Trompe L’oeil moments woven throughout—including a mischievous monkey perched on a window ledge holding my signature red string.
Hey! Did I Win?
This series of murals was painted high along the perimeter walls of a large gaming establishment, roughly ten feet above the floor and about five feet tall. Rendered in a playful cartoon style, the scenes feature lush tropical vegetation, colorful birds, and a few mischievous monkeys woven throughout the landscape.
The Carriage House Doors
For this project, I was hired to transform two white vinyl double garage doors, painting them to look like richly grained wood complete with aged cast‑iron hardware. The Trompe L’oeil finish gives the doors the appearance of handcrafted, old‑world craftsmanship.
On a Safari
This poolside mural features a Serengeti‑inspired landscape with zebras, two giraffes, and even a rooster adding a bit of whimsy. My signature red string appears as a small Trompe L’oeil detail woven into the scene.
Welcome to the Jungle
This mural was painted across two walls in the front hallways of a school connected to a local church. The design is lighthearted and whimsical, featuring African wildlife and lush, stylized plants that bring the space to life.
Gone Ballooning
This mural was painted on a very rough stucco surface on a home in downtown Sarasota, FL. A fellow local artist hired me to create the illusion of black doors and shutters with lace curtains on the front of her house. I later added her dog as a personal touch to complete the scene.
Playtime Village
This mural was painted inside a large indoor children’s play center filled with pretend shops, play areas, and activity zones. Positioned next to the café, the piece depicts a whimsical, fantasy‑style merry‑go‑round and spans roughly 18 feet wide by 24 feet tall, creating a vibrant focal point for the space.
Barrel Vaulted Ceiling Mural
This mural was painted on a barrel‑vaulted ceiling in the foyer of a large Sarasota home. Heavy moulding divides the vault into fifteen distinct coffered panels, each one forming part of the overall design.L
Main Street, Rosemary Beach
These murals were painted in a residence in Rosemary Beach, FL, spanning the two walls of a large first‑floor hallway. The main mural measured approximately 12 by 30 feet, and together the pieces depict a detailed view of Main Street in Rosemary Beach.
More Monkey Business
This mural was painted on canvas in my studio and later installed high in the great room of a private residence. Measuring roughly 11 by 40 feet, it sits atop 18‑foot walls and was inspired by 18th‑century scenic wallpaper, rendered in a sepia palette with select details highlighted in full color.
Looking For Nemo
In ESPN basketball announcer Dick Vitale’s pool powder room, I created an underwater‑themed mural filled with colorful tropical fish, graceful dolphins, and flowing underwater plant life. The whole space feels like you’ve stepped beneath the surface.
Looking For the Secret Room
This mural was painted in the grandchildren’s bedroom of ESPN announcer Dick Vitale’s home. The design features a collection of playful, cartoon‑style animals, including a mischievous monkey holding a basketball.
Sailing to Fantasy Land
Aboard a 110‑foot yacht designed by Pierro Rivolta, I created two murals, including this one in the master stateroom. The artwork is a rich composition of tropical foliage, adding a sense of calm and natural beauty to the room.
Laurel Oaks Fountain
On a Sarasota lanai, I created a mural with three Trompe L’oeil niches: two filled with planters and one designed as a fountain. The wall around them is painted to look like massive cut‑stone blocks, giving the space the feel of a hand‑carved courtyard.