One of our longest-running and most trusted relationships that we've built over the years is with the Dallas Arboretum. We often share our work during the holidays with the Christmas Village but we've also had a hand in all manner of things in the Arboretum's different exhibits, in particular the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. Here's a little overview of just some of what we've touched up this year.
Reconstruction
Most of what we do is repairing and refreshing established installments but there are some things that we have to reconstruct from scratch, such as the acorns for the First Adventure section of the park. They were in pretty bad shape from many years of weather exposure and tiny children and in need of a total rehaul. So we used our old reliable EPS foam to carve brand new acorns!
With a hard base coat of paint to seal the foam and help the top coats of paint adhere to an even surface, we were then able to provide the acorns with the appropriate shades of brown and intricate detail work to bring them to life. Or rather, to larger than life.
Repainting
One of our many great specialties is in scenic painting. This practice has been passed down and mastered for decades to be used in theatre, television, and film, and the skills range from the realistic to the fantastic. In particular, scenic painters carry a specialized knowledge for how to scale something that is typically small into something much bigger.
Because the Children's Garden focuses a lot on providing kids' first exposure to science, many exhibits are made "super-sized" for an exciting and palpable learning experience. This is where the particular skillset of a scenic painter especially comes in handy. Our professional painters look to the real-life inspirations behind the installments and carry those details over into the refreshed coat of paint to provide an impactful visage of realism.
Restoration
Another method we employ to the restoring of exhibits for the Children's Garden is to utilize more modern techniques that can stand up against the particular wear and tear of the outdoors.
These solar targets for the Pure Energy exhibit get exposed to some particularly harsh elements, so we decided that instead of painting the complex designs over and over again, this year we'd create the patterns digitally for a vinyl wrap to be applied. The material is similar to what's used for cars, so it's meant to withstand a great deal of exposure to sun, weather, and water, and with the patterns recreated digitally, we'll be able to reprint and replace them whenever necessary.
We're always thrilled to be working with the Dallas Arboretum. If you've never visited the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden, be sure to check out all of its fantastic exhibits and its natural beauty!