There are many reasons that we created this incredible Dr. Seuss Room for Elijah. When my wife and I found out that we were pregnant with our first child, we wanted to create a living space that was bright and cheery for our little baby. But we also wanted an environment that helped spawn our child's imagination and creativity. We chose not to find out if our baby was going to be a boy or a girl, so we wanted to use a primary color scheme in the nursery. One that would fit nicely for either a boy or a girl. We both enjoyed Dr. Seuss books very much when we were children, and it seemed to us that most of the Dr. Seuss characters and scenes used bright primary colors. Plus, I really like to draw and paint. So, after I drew up some sketches of the room using scenes from a couple of Dr. Seuss books that we had laying around the house, it was not difficult to talk my wife into the Dr. Seuss mural scheme. Dr. Seuss Room Photos | How It Was Created | Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Seuss Room Photos [top] Click on these photos to view full-size versions of them! This wall depicts a scene adapted from the book "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut". It includes the Cat in the Hat teaching Young Cat how much you can learn when you read ... especially with your eyes open! This wall depicts a scene adapted from the book "Green Eggs and Ham". It includes Sam-I-am and the nameless skeptic showing off the large platter of green eggs and ham while an excited audience of characters cheer and wave! This wall depicts a scene adapted from the book "Dr. Seuss's ABC" along with some trees that are adapted from the book "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut". The dog-like characters are happily announcing that this room is Elijah's Room! This wall also features a great looking bright and colorful window treatment that was designed by my wife and sewn by my wife's mother! This wall depicts a scene adapted from the book "Hop on Pop". It includes a couple of happy bears playing tennis and also three fish in a tree! Here is a detail photo of Young Cat. This was the first character that I created in the room. Here is a detail photo of the Green Eggs and Ham characters. They are the first thing that you see when you walk into the room. I think that they turned out the best out of everything in the room. More Photos Still To come! (Room with furniture, Full 360 degree animation) NOTICE: Characters and scenes TM and (c) by Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P. and their use for non-profit educational purposes is allowed under the fair use clause of the copyright law.

How It Was Created or The Making Of ... [top] Sorry, but this area is still under construction! NOTICE: Characters and scenes TM and (c) by Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P. and their use for non-profit educational purposes is allowed under the fair use clause of the copyright law.

Frequently Asked Questions [top] Q. Did you draw this mural by hand? A. It probably would have been easier to just project the images onto the wall with a computer projector or an opaque projector, but I didn't have any fancy projectors so I just drew it all by hand. I went through quite a few pink erasers during this process, but I'm very happy with the results. Of course, this process required that I paint the white background one extra time in order to make it clean and new again after all of the pencil marks and eraser smudges. Unless you're a real artist wannabe, you'll probably want to project your mural onto your wall instead of drawing it yourself. Q. What kind of paint did you use to do this mural? A. I'm not a professional painter, so please don't sue me if I give bad advise. I experimented with a couple different kinds of paint. I used the fast drying glossy latex indoor/outdoor paint (Krylon Products Group) in a small can from the WalMart paint department for the blue tree on the Cat in the Hat wall. That paint dried very shiny and very tough, kinda like nail polish. But it required about 3 very heavy coats in order to get good solid coverage, so I got tired of that paint very quickly! For the rest of the mural I used the weather resistant glossy acrylic enamel indoor/outdoor paint (Plaid Enterprises, Inc.) in the little squeeze bottles from the WalMart crafts department. These paints don't dry as shiny and tough as the others, but they covered very well which was a huge time saver! The tougher paint might last longer, but who has the time to apply 3 or 4 coats of detail to a large mural anyway? Is it possible to get shiny and tough water-based paint that also covers well and isn't watery? Q. I don't have the time/talent/patience/etc. to do something like this on my own. Can I pay you to do something like this for me? A. Thank you for the compliment, but there are many reasons why I cannot paint murals ... not even for my close friends and relatives ... not even for lots of money. I already have a full time job and I have a wonderful family that I love to spend time with in the evenings and weekends. Painting murals is a very time consuming task, especially since I am sort of a perfectionist, so I cannot commit the time that would be required. Also, I cannot make any money from it because that would violate copyright laws and I could get sued. Q. How much time do you have invested in this whole project? A. That's a very good question that I don't have an exact answer for. It took about 8 months from initial concept to finished project. But I only worked on it a few hours during the week and probably only a full day every other weekend or so. I figure that I put in more than 200 solid hours, though. That's more than 25 work-days or more than 5 work-weeks. But that is only because I'm sort of a perfectionist. A professional could probably whip something like this up in just 1 or 2 work-weeks. Q. How much money do you have invested in this whole project? A. I never kept an exact total, but I have a rough idea. I probably only spent about $150.00 in materials.

The "Buzz" about the room [top] Anna writes: Thanks so much for sharing your nursery pictures!!! It's so hard to find Seuss stuff. We haven't gotten pregnant yet, but I know this is what I want to do and I LOVE, LOVE your room. Thanks so much for sharing something so personal. What labor of love! [email dated 4/15/2003] Monica & Scott write: What a wonderful room! Thanks for sharing your ideas! [email dated 4/23/2003] Sue writes: What a wonderful job done on the Dr. Seuss mural! Two thumbs up! I'll bet there is one 'very happy' child residing in that room. In reading your Q&A's, I read that you had some difficulty with erasing on the wall. I am a muralist, and as such, have a tip for you if you ever plan to paint another mural (and from the looks of what you have already done, I'd say it would be quite a shame if you hung up your brushes!). When I sketch my mural work on the wall, I use watercolour pencils. They can be bought inexpensively at any art/craft supply store. (Even Staples!) Use appropriate colour for each portion of line drawing. If erasures need to be made, it is a simple wipe of a damp cloth. When you paint your mural, just go right over the watercolour marks and the colour will blend right in with your acrylics. Erasing with a pink eraser leaves a residue on the wall, which is likely why you had to re-coat it. If you would like to see my work, feel free to visit me at http://www.offthewalldecor.homestead.com Congrats on the lovely Dr. Seuss room. I look forward to seeing the additions to your site when you are done. I have this bookmarked. [email dated 5/20/2003] Laura writes: I loved your work! Thanks so much for sharing it. I'm getting ready to start one on my kids' bathroom. [email dated 5/28/2003]

Thanks for visiting, Kurt & Sam Leucht Titusville, FL

http://www.leucht.com/ Email Us!