Barbara Riley can make palm trees sway in the breeze and children's characters come alive.

The talented Hollywood painter can create just about anything with her artist's eye, her pencils and her paints. Her techniques include trompe l'oeil, a French phrase that means trick of the eye, where murals appear so realistic they often are mistaken as real.

Riley also creates a form of fresco, using plaster to make three-dimensional art. She adds them to her murals so they blend into the scene and the home. For example, the window blinds become part of her art. (Photo)

A naturalist and science teacher for 27 years, Riley drew illustrations for the nature center where she worked. She eventually decided to become a full-time painter of murals.

''I felt this was my destiny. This is what I am supposed to do,'' she said.

Three years ago, she opened a business that combined color consultations, murals and decorating ideas.

Riley recently moved from Goshen, N.Y., to Hollywood, but she hasn't lost her passion for murals. Her business, Mural Fantasies By Barbara, specializes in residential and commercial murals.

Rosa Santana, owner of Yogarosa, a yoga studio, recently hired Riley to paint roses around the border of her studio. (Photo)

''After she did the painting, the energy of the studio changed. She does wonderful work, and she's fast,'' said Santana, amazed the roses were drawn freehand.

A particularly charming style that Riley offers features a composite of places where her clients have lived over the years, with scenery flowing gracefully from one place to the next. She is currently working on an impressive wall mural that drifts from mountains to bluffs to beaches and palm trees.

Riley's motto, ''envision any theme,'' is apparent in her portfolio, which is filled with murals of children's characters, fairies, flowers and anything else her customers have requested.

During consultations, Riley shows her portfolio to clients so that they can get ideas and see the type of work she does.

''I am painting for you, not for me,'' she tells her customers.

Riley discovered how much she loved murals when she painted popular children's characters on her children's bedroom walls. The family moved often, so she painted the murals to make her kids feel more comfortable in their new surroundings. Soon her children's friends wanted murals in their rooms.

''It was my creative outlet,'' she said.

Riley's work includes removable or standing murals painted on washable fabric and can be ironed and saved for the next generation. A 2 ½-by-4 ½-foot standing mural is $150. Wall murals range from $1,000 to $3,000. For information, call 954-963-5451 or visit www.muralfantasies.com.