Subway poster and Wallpaper for the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority

I was originally commissioned to create a poster to interpret the subway experience for the Metropolitan Transit System. The final piece is called "Catching Lines" and the image is a fanciful interpretation for the commuting experience when transferring between different lines.

Three sketches were first submitted and MTA Arts and Design chose the first idea and suggested we used the netting from sketch three to catch the lines. It turned out to be a great suggestion. Since this was a complex project with color, I did several rough color tests and we chose a blue scheme because it would fit in with the light blue interiors of newer subway cars which were being fitted with the wallpaper.

After looking at color studies, MTA Arts and Design asked that the skyline be extended. It was a great suggestion and added a nice "base" to the final art card image.

A few months after the art card was in trains, the MTA called and asked if I could adapt the image as wallpaper for the interior which would be printed by the agency on vinyl. What was amazing is I only needed to prepare a file to size at 100dpi (normally for printing you need 300dpi or higher) and the final product looked like the original art at a higher resolution.

It was exciting the first time I rode in a car with my wallpaper and even many years later, it is a thrill to step into my car.

Project Directors: Amy Hausman, Lydia Bradshaw