Mural Art Project 2011

     I have not been idle, what with this sudden abundance of free time I find myself with.  I did exactly as I said I would, and have attempted to throw myself full-force into the world of the contracted artist.  I scored a gig as a muralist for the West Seattle Produce Company.

 So this is the plywood piece that Bruce picked for the mural.  He had some specifics on what he wanted.  He wanted an unfinished background with elements of the Pacific Northwest and with vintage  produce signs.  

Bruce is from New Zealand and is pretty hardcore in my opinion.  He built his own boat and traveled half-way around the world before sailing to Seattle and settling in West Seattle.    

He's been running/owning the West Seattle Produce company for years.   Recently the giant store across the street was up for lease, so now he has an opportunity to have a produce store as opposed to a produce stand.  The space is huge, with tall ceilings. It was cold to work in , but I got a great sense of joy and accomplishment going in each day and watching the mural grow.  

I took pictures at the end of each day to see it develop.  Because of the coldness  in the concrete building, I was only able to paint for a 2 to 4 hour length of time.    Bruce got me a space heater, but would be carting construction equipment in and out.   Like I mentioned before, he's hardcore, so i don't think he noticed how cold it actually was.  

I had a uniform I wore to "work" everyday.  I had wool tights on under long underwear, thigh-high socks, knee-high socks, leg warmers and my Doc Marten's- all under my painting pants.  I had two tank tops, two Henley's and a hoodie with a sweater over that.  Finger-less gloves too, of course.

This is the finished mural.  It took 24  hours to  complete.  I still have several coats of sealant to put on top which will take many more days to be considered officially done.  

Oh, and these are close ups of my sexy mountains!  They were my favorite part of the whole mural experience!

I was hoping for two more murals for Bruce, but with monetary constraints it  doesn't look like a possibility.  This opportunity has got me wanting some more!  I got the itch to do more public art.  I hope that more chances come my way!    

     

Remembering A Mentor Past

Remembering a Mentor Past

     When I lived on Martha's Vineyard, I had a dear friend that I would go to life drawing classes with.  She was a barista by day at the local coffee shop.  She was half a decade older than me, so she naturally fell into a mentor figure for me.  We had some striking similarities; both of us had BA's in Psychology, loved to draw, wore eclectic clothing, and wanted more than anything to find a way off of Martha's Vineyard and back out into the cities.  I worked in retail for a great Mom & Pop shop called Fancy That, and I saved all of my money up to move by living with my grandma (tough to do when you are in your early twenties).   "Art Kristin" (that's what I call her in my phone contacts list), had a whole other plan.  She stayed up late at night working on her portfolio.  It was her dream to get into an Art School in New York City.


      I supported her in her decision and gave feedback on her folio as it got closer to the deadline.  However, I had a hard time taking her seriously.  I was young and a bit opinionated.  I secretly thought that being her age and becoming a student in order to totally alter your career was dangerous.  Not only that, New York City is huge!  NYC is expensive, loud, competitive; I worried that a barista from M.V. would get "eaten alive" in NYC.  Although I supported Art Kristin, I fully expected to see her come back to the island in about a year or two.
     
     I couldn't have been farther from the truth.  She flourished in that big, big city.  School gave her more concrete skills and the bustling nightlife gave her a wealth of contacts and art-peers.  Art Kristen became a part of the NYC art scene.  She had/has successful art shows and thrives in the fact that she's living her dream.  Unfortunately we have lost touch over the last two years but I fondly look back on my short time with her.  


     And here I am now... several years later... facing a very similar predicament.  Do I stay the "Retail Mogul" or do I go out on that limb and see what will happen.  In many ways Art Kristen is still acting as my mentor, even though we have grown apart.  I learned from her the value of making a truly honest effort.  It is amazing to think about the impact all of your acquaintances/friends/lovers/teachers/strangers/family can have on your life, even many years after you have grown apart.  Thanks to Kristen, this will not be my midlife crisis twenty years from now, but instead my catharsis.  This blog will catalog my journey through the artistic community of Seattle, WA.  I look forward to feedback, criticism, advice, praise... please subscribe and don't be afraid to tell me what you think of my artwork and endeavors.