Mural at Ilex Forest Retreat

Sep 18, 2024

Mural at Ilex Forest Retreat

Earlier this year

I received a message from a friend saying, "Hey some friends of mine are wanting to chat about painting a mural on their shipping container, can I pass along your info?" It was an immediate YUP, on my end.

I've always been curious about shipping containers, how they're converted into livable spaces, and of course I was stoked on the idea of painting one. Before long, I was sitting and chatting with Brandon and Robb about their vision for the space and campground, Ilex Forest Retreat. Just 1 hour north of Grand Rapids and across the street from Manistee National Forest, I couldn't wait to get up there and take it all in for some inspiration.

The following week

With excitement and anticipation, I drove up and hiked the property the following week. Even with 168 acres to trek, I somehow still managed to trespass but found my way back to the container eventually. Following the established trails and some newer ones they were still blazing, it was fun to check out such a diverse landscape... from a cedar swamp with Pileated Woodpeckers goin' to town over head to the deer running up the sandy hills, I was reminded that the land was already a sanctuary, soon to be shared with those visiting the future campground.

Fueled by my recent hike

A few days later, I presented Robb and Brandon with 3 mural concepts and was stoked when they picked the funkiest one that I had dubbed "Intertwined". This concept was inspired by the overall idea that we are of nature not in nature. A celebration of the ways we connect with our natural surroundings. Mountain biking, road trips, camping, hiking and canoeing are all highlighted. Butterflies, ducks, trout, black bear - these native animals have interesting migration patterns that make me think about humans and how we look for different “escapes” during each season. (Yes, they have seen black bear on the property... how rad!)

Go time!

After making a few tweaks to the concept I was ready to head up and paint. I packed my Honda Element to the gills with all the essentials; ladders, clothes to paint in, coffee, bread, PB and J, paint, brushes, and my companion for the week, Waffle, our pup.

Whenever painting large murals, I use a projector to get the rough lines in and anxiously awaited the sunset so I could get set up. After balancing the projector on boxes and sticks in the trees and ferns, I finally had it lined up perfectly and painted the lines in white as fast as I could. With this being a 40' container, I had to break it up into two sections. As soon as I finished painting the first half, it started to drizzle. I covered everything up with a tarp and sought some shelter (and sleep) inside the container until it let up around 5am. It was just starting to get light outside, ever so slightly, so I knew I had to be quick! I ended up painting the final lines as the sun came up, whew, the hard part was over, I was so pumped for the week ahead.

This was by far the most peaceful place I've ever had the pleasure of working. Surrounded by trees, tucked into 168 acres, just me, Waffle, and the birds for the week. I tackled the mural by painting one color at a time, kind of like a giant paint by number. At the end of the first day I grabbed a homemade pizza from the one and only local store, the Bristol Party Store, and took to exploring the back roads in their UTV.

After the mural was wrapped up

Brandon and Robb invited us up to camp with some friends and relax a bit. By this point, they had finished the build out for the bath house, added a hot tub, outdoor shower, and a communal style campground consisting of 4 Bell Tents, an outdoor kitchen and bathroom. We got to crash in the container with our 2 kids and friends, Max and Leigh Ann. S'mores and good times were had! We can't wait to head up again to make more memories.