the murals of skip dyrda
Dreaming of Disney
Interior designer Anne Folsom Smith brought me in to paint this mural for a fourth‑floor condo on Longboat Key, where the homeowners—avid Disney enthusiasts—wanted a sweeping DisneyWorld landscape. I built the scene around four beloved icons: the Monorail, Thunder Mountain, Cinderella’s castle, and Space Mountain, arranging them with a bit of artistic license so they could share the same vista. True to form, I added my red string, along with several hidden Mickeys tucked throughout the painting. I even left a sealed envelope in the room revealing their locations. My friend Abby Kent joined me for part of the painting process. The mural spans roughly 8 by 14 feet and was painted on‑site in high‑quality acrylics directly onto the wallboard.
In Progress and Detail Images
To get started, I first created my sketch in Photoshop and then projected that onto the wall. I rarely use a projector and typically draw freehand. I taped off the buildings and roughed in the sky.
Here’s good friend Abby Kent assisting with painting the water in front of the castle.
I’m close to being finished here…sort of. Probably lots of little details to add, including the Hidden Mickeys.
Here are two closeup photos of two Hidden Mickeys. Can you see them? There were, I think, ten total.