Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post Search
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

I ‘Tattooed’ My Wall During Lockdown For 113 Days And Here Is The Result
User submission
1.5K
14K

I ‘Tattooed’ My Wall During Lockdown For 113 Days And Here Is The Result

ADVERTISEMENT

My project started on 25th March 2020. As the UK entered a lockdown, and we became confined to our little spaces, I wanted to record my experience of what will, hopefully, be a once in a lifetime event.

As an artist, my way of writing a diary is to paint. If only I could find a canvas big enough to record each day’s experiences in the weeks (and months?) ahead? The one blank wall of our flat suddenly looked very inviting.

More info: Instagram

Here is my canvas! And our little exotic shorthair cat posing in front of it!

Using black (and blue for the first half) acrylic paint and a brush, I began making daily updates to the wall, usually, each evening, to record my experiences during the UK’s lockdown, be they new, sad, unexpected, or even just mundane.

Day 1. 25 March 2020. First day of work

There was so much to tell on day 1!

My highlights? Inventing new recipes for lockdown lunches (see Halloumi fries – day 15,) making face shields for local care homes with my colleagues at the school where I work (days 34-39,) and, towards the end, discovering that I might (but don’t say it too loudly) actually quite enjoy jogging, after all.

ADVERTISEMENT

Week 1 flew by so fast

It was starting to come together!

After 113 days, the flat’s new tattoo was completed. I’m not sure how long it will stay for, although I suspect that decision will belong to any future owners of the flat, who may enjoy ‘reading’ it first before the magnolia brush comes out!

I have included some lino prints that I was working on at the time

Day 26

Until then, it will remind me of how important it is to cherish the small but important things in life – from chatting with friends, to browsing in a shop, or stopping for a drink after work – and that life’s simple freedoms and pleasures should never be taken for granted.

Wall close to the ceiling was finally completed

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Had many questions regarding the yellow blob. It’s a repurposed knob from the chest of drawers

Above all, I will never forget that this strange limbo I have recorded is just one tiny part of the story. While life has at times seemed in the doldrums, the storm has raged all around and continues to do so, leaving so much loss and sadness in its wake. To all those have endured the front lines of this pandemic, bravely placing themselves in harm’s way to keep life going, and going, and going, until we reach the other side – there are no words, or paintings, that can thank you enough.

At this point, I was still guessing how many more days I’ll manage to fit in

Half-way through the project

A little glass of bubbly always helped to keep the inspiration flowing!

ADVERTISEMENT

The hardest bit was painting while sat on the floor

Yay! Our cat has finally made it onto the Wall!

On Day 102 I have discovered that it is so much better working with a pen than a brush and acrylics!

Day 113. Final entry!

Here’s the final look! 113 days of little adventures, routines, meals, activities, and hangovers recorded on one wall

Happy it’s finally finished!

ADVERTISEMENT

14Kviews

Share on Facebook
You May Like
Popular on Bored Panda
Start the discussion
Add photo comments
POST
gabyk421 avatar
b l a n c
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow this is absolutely incredible! it's such a great idea; you can have all your memories stored on a wall, and it's a super neat design!

alanwilkening avatar
Podunkus
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is impressive to me is that the artist was able to maintain the same, even style of illustration throughout the entire day-by-day project.

gmadams avatar
Blackheart
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love these kind of things. They are what makes a home, it tells a story, lets you know someone was there. I found some little surprises when I remodeled my home, and it was wonderful. I did what I could to preserve it.

anamsaeed avatar
Anam
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good job ! It can surely keep me busy for hours .. would love to find little secrets and surprises in tiny details. It's like a key to a person's heart really 😁

alyssamcintyre avatar
the child
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is super cool. It's a really fun way to sort of keep a diary, but do art at the same time.

ljamie04 avatar
Hollysmom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amazing. That should be made into wallpaper. Not as wonderful as the original of course but, I'd hang that

julesandpaul avatar
smugdruggler
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I so wish I had this kind of talent. It's just fantastic. And the cat looks SO impressed to have been included lol. 😾

katy_malinowski avatar
Katy McMouse
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it me, or does the cat remind anyone of Jack Whitehall's dad?

mrkette avatar
Mary Rose Kent
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That was terrific! When I was growing up, we had a friend who was an artist and he drew/painted/polished (used actual shoe polish) a mural on our living room wall depicting city life meeting up with country life, which featured a gorgeous redwood tree in the right corner. It’s sad to think that after we lost our home, this glorious mural was painted over with an off-white paint of some sort or other.

greenrider82 avatar
Rider
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They should cover it with wallpaper when they move, so future owner can discover it decades later.

melschmidt avatar
Mel Schmidt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a brilliant idea. Would be cool to have everyone have one wall each. When my babies were toddlers, I would let them have one wall in the kitchen to use for their one drawings.

helenglevy avatar
Bunzilla
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love this. It's super creative. It makes me want to do something like this!

dirigobill avatar
Bill
Community Member
3 years ago (edited)

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

the Joker decorated the walls too

gabyk421 avatar
b l a n c
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow this is absolutely incredible! it's such a great idea; you can have all your memories stored on a wall, and it's a super neat design!

alanwilkening avatar
Podunkus
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is impressive to me is that the artist was able to maintain the same, even style of illustration throughout the entire day-by-day project.

gmadams avatar
Blackheart
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love these kind of things. They are what makes a home, it tells a story, lets you know someone was there. I found some little surprises when I remodeled my home, and it was wonderful. I did what I could to preserve it.

anamsaeed avatar
Anam
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good job ! It can surely keep me busy for hours .. would love to find little secrets and surprises in tiny details. It's like a key to a person's heart really 😁

alyssamcintyre avatar
the child
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is super cool. It's a really fun way to sort of keep a diary, but do art at the same time.

ljamie04 avatar
Hollysmom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amazing. That should be made into wallpaper. Not as wonderful as the original of course but, I'd hang that

julesandpaul avatar
smugdruggler
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I so wish I had this kind of talent. It's just fantastic. And the cat looks SO impressed to have been included lol. 😾

katy_malinowski avatar
Katy McMouse
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it me, or does the cat remind anyone of Jack Whitehall's dad?

mrkette avatar
Mary Rose Kent
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That was terrific! When I was growing up, we had a friend who was an artist and he drew/painted/polished (used actual shoe polish) a mural on our living room wall depicting city life meeting up with country life, which featured a gorgeous redwood tree in the right corner. It’s sad to think that after we lost our home, this glorious mural was painted over with an off-white paint of some sort or other.

greenrider82 avatar
Rider
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They should cover it with wallpaper when they move, so future owner can discover it decades later.

melschmidt avatar
Mel Schmidt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a brilliant idea. Would be cool to have everyone have one wall each. When my babies were toddlers, I would let them have one wall in the kitchen to use for their one drawings.

helenglevy avatar
Bunzilla
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love this. It's super creative. It makes me want to do something like this!

dirigobill avatar
Bill
Community Member
3 years ago (edited)

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

the Joker decorated the walls too

Popular on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda