Louise Gillis

I created these dynamic mural for a bistro and bar in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My inspiration came from my client's desire to evoke an air of familiarity and energy in the bistro. As I hear the patrons' conversation and laughter it brings the images to life, I feel my challenge has been met and my work is a success.

This small Warehouse District hangout has an inviting ambiance: booths, a corner bar, a few high-top tables by the windows. Low lighting, dark wood, exposed brick, and tin ceilings. But these will not be the first things you notice — the room's most striking feature is a mural that features a contemporary collection of bistro patrons. One resembles a pensive Johnny Depp; another, an insouciant Kato Kaelin. They laugh, they talk, they flirt; a waiter pours another glass of wine. You'll get either the eerie sense that someone is watching you or the desire to climb into a booth and join the scene.

Interesting back stork: owner John Laurent hired local artist Louise Gilles to paint the mural, which is based on a number of his friends. When she finished, Laurent liked the work but found the resemblances a little too real, so he asked her to repaint the faces. The only figure whose face remains untouched is Laurent's son. Try to find him it's like Where's Waldo?

- Minnesota Monthly, Rachel Hutton