This very unique mural project was designed and executed by the mother-son team of Cindi and James C. Tanner, sponsored by The Maricopa Health Foundation. Cindi is an accomplished watercolorist and James is an amazing mutli-media artist. In March of 2011, they combined creative forces for the Maricopa County Hospital Pediatric Burn Unit in Phoenix, Arizona. It is the premier burn unit in the state. The artists wholly devoted themselves to providing more than just something on the wall to look at. They created fantastically detailed murals and wall (and ceiling) vignettes with wounded young patients foremost in mind. The art was also intended to offer more than distraction for anxious families and attending nursing staff. All the renderings invite story-telling, open to the interpretation of the viewer, encouraging everyone to guess what the ending of the story could be.
In five of the pieces, the artists imbedded a classic favorite activity of children everywhere: find-the-hidden-object. A list of what objects to look for was provided for the children, and a legend provided for the nurses' station. Some of the objects are easily detected for younger children to enjoy, and others are more obscure to be challenging for older children. The large koi pond mural in the hallway, for example, hides ice cream cones. On the opposite wall, 14 different birds are hidden in and around the sunken ship. It is not easy to find and keep count of each fun, hidden thing! These hidden-object murals are designed to appeal to a child's sense of fun, competition and determination.
Another goal of the project was to inspire young patients to imagine themselves up and out of their hospital bed and unpleasant procedures. A theme of movement was honored in many of the paintings, suggesting that they would be leaving the hospital and going home. This was rendered by a wind-mill in the fantasy mural, an approaching cloud-burst and a steam locomotive in the "western" patient room, a "wave" of water rolling out of the burn unit, and so forth.
Most of the images reflect a human element, to encourage the children to imagine themselves far away doing fantastical things. The "space" room, for example, features a large central mural of Neil Armstrong standing on the moon, with the glittering earth behind him in the black void of space. James intended for children to imagine themselves far, far away exploring the great unknown.
All of the images were painted literally as a labor of love. The Tanner family almost lost one of their own on April 6, 2004. Daughter and sister, Asia Tanner, was critically injured while waiting at a city bus stop. Her very long-term medical ordeal that followed was very similar to what a burn victim experiences. Always, the memory of agonized vigils at a child's bedside for weeks at a time inspired Cindi and James to paint with the intention and hope for healing. Asia designed some of the images, assisted with and photographed the project.
Note:
We wish to express thanks to Tom McKinley and the Maricopa Health Foundation for their cheerful support, and to Lori L., the world's most devoted Child Life Specialist, to an awesome nursing team, to housekeeping, and to Joey McKellar, son from another mother. Thank you to James, my son, my creative consultant and genius of conceptual collaboration; you are amazing! (Gotta love that air-brush! )
Most of all, we humbly dedicate our work to the children and their families who hope so much for healing. It will come one day. It really will.
~ cTanner
April 2011
Fantasy Patient Room, large mural
Hidden Objects: snail, rooster's head, banana, high-heel shoe, key, football, mouse, fish, frog, cat's eye glasses
Hallway Mural: Sunken Treasure
Hidden Objects: 14 different birds
Featured Elements: Great White Sharks, Mermaid, Bottle-nose Porpoise, Whales, Schools of Fish, Submarine
Superhero Patient Room: (South Wall) "Spidey" & Rogue - part of a series of comic book -style panels
*credit given to creator of Spider-man: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby & Steve Ditko
*credit given to creator of Rogue: Michael Golden
Space Bathroom
Spiral Galaxy & Comet
Space Bathroom, West Wall
Planet & Space Vehicles
Fantasy Room: Spanish Prince & Princess Stained-glass Window
Western Patient Room: "Canyon de Chelly" close up
Western Patient Room: "Canyon de Chelly"
Hidden Objects: Diamond Ring, Feather, Turtle, Pumpkin, Paint brush, Number 2, Soda Bottle, Carrot, Sewing Needle, Crayon, Star, Toothbrush
Fantasy Patient Room: Close up of Hidden Object - Banana
Western Patient Room: Locomotive Painting - close up
Features: Zebra-tail Lizard & "Man in the Maze" Anasazi Petroglyph
Western Patient Room: Locomotive
Superhero Patient Room: "Spidey"
*credit given to creators of Spider-man: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby & Steve Ditko
Superhero Bathroom: Batman
Hidden Elements: Umbrella = The Penguin, Cat in window = Catwoman, ? in window = The Riddler, "W" on building = Wayne Tower, "HaHaHa" on water tower = The Joker
*credit given to creator of Batman Bob Kane
Fantasy Patient Room: (Ceiling) Fire-less Dragon
Hallway Mural: Koi Pond - Close up of Bumble Bee
Fantasy Patient Room: Close up of large mural
Hidden Object Visible: Snail in tree bark below bird's tail
Western Patient Room: Bathroom
Featured Elements: Cactus Wren, Coyote, Tortoise, Horse and the "evening stars"
Western Patient Room: "Canyon de Chelly" close up
Hidden Objects Visible: Number 2, Diamond Ring & Paint Brush
Hallway Mural: Koi Pond close up
Fantasy Patient Room: Large Mural close up
Fantasy Patient Room: Bathroom (West wall) "To catch a prince, you have to kiss a lot of frogs"
Space Patient Room: Bathroom (South wall) "Rose Nebula & Milky Way"
Hallway: "Sunken Treasure" close up
Features: Great White Sharks, Bottle-nose Porpoise, Schools of Fish
Fantasy Patient Room: Bathroom - close up of anxious frog hopping up to be kissed
Superhero Patient Room: Concluding comic book panel
*credit given to the creators of Spider-man & Rogue
Fantasy Room Bathroom: Princess with expectant frog close up
Hallway: Wave detail
Superhero Adventure Batman Bathroom: Batman trivia close up
(Umbrella for The Penguin, cat for Catwoman, HaHaHa on water tower for The Joker and bats for you-know-who
Hallway/Nurse's Station: Wave detail
Hallway: Koi Pond & Wave
Western Room Bathroom: "Visitor at Sunset" close up
Coyote observes tortoise on the move
Western Patient Room: "Locomotive" close up
Curious praire dog
Space Patient Room Bathroom: "Night Out" Space vehicles and movie theatre
(guess the end scene on the screen)
Hallway: "Sunken Treasure" close up
Mermaid and 2 hidden birds are visible
Superhero Adventure Patient Room: Beginning of Comic Book style panels
Fantasy Patient Room Large "Open Story-telling" Mural: close up
hidden objects visible: Cupcake, mouse, woman's high heel shoe
Hallway: Koi Pond Mural close up
Fantasy Patient Room Mural again: slightly different close up
hidden objects visible: cupcake, mouse
Fantasy Patient Room Bathroom: Blushing just-been-kissed froggie
Hallway: "Sunken Treasure" close up
5 hidden birds are not so hidden
Western Patient Room Bathroom: "Visitor at Sunset" close up
cactus wren on saguaro perch
Space Room Mural: close up of the Stars and Stripes
Space Patient Room: close up of Neil Armstrong's historic walk on the moon
awesome airbrush by James C. Tanner, assisted by Asia Tanner
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