Framing a Mural

Using fabric for a mural is new to me. Usually I swing four by eight foot half inch sheets of plywood around painting two at a time in order to remain consistent in the colour and tonality of the image. This method also requires screws, drill bits and two electric drills so I avoid plugging and unplugging and changing bits. I thought about the fabric for a while. It was recommended that I work on the floor. There are several drawbacks to that. One is my age. I am getting too old to crawl around on cement for very long. Another is the lack of backup space. I like to retreat into the shadows to determine if what I have done is balanced, focused, well designed. Getting distance between me and what I am working on is one of the essential ingredients to doing a good job. So I had a problem. For the plywood I had constructed a frame out of one by two inch spruce with angle irons but it was too small. I needed something at least thirteen feet long and six feet high. Could I stretch the fabric? It is not canvas. Often during the night inspiration comes to me when I am grappling with a problem. And so it was this time. Coroplast. I have several sheets in the attic of the garage which I used as display boards for my student shows in the summer. Things have changed. They were gathering dust. I expanded the frame and brought down four sheets to cover the wood and strengthen it. A little white duct tape smoothed the crevices. We were ready for the fabric.

Why Artists Need Space

One of the differences between hobbyists and professionals is the space they require. Many artists I know work on the kitchen table or in a corner of some other room. That is where I started too. Picking up and putting away was one of the drawbacks to this arrangement. It discouraged starting again. Painting is messy. Moving into the garage was heaven. There is a drawback to this as well: the cars remain outside and we choose to scrape windows in the winter…. Murals occasion another strain on the space. The other day I rearranged my studio. At present I am working on two large pieces in the “Eve” series and the next step involves graphite powder. Now graphite powder is dirty. It may or may not be part of the mural I am working on. However, with the upper part of the mural on the floor there is about twelve inches of squeeze space between projects and no room to back up. Placing graphite powder on a vertical surface is not the most efficient way to do things and the horizontal space has been occupied. So I took a cup of hot water (my preferred beverage), sat down and contemplated the drying paint. Yes, it was going to take longer than I expected. Leaving my studio early, I decided to do some bookwork instead. It is definitely more interesting than watching paint dry….

Dragon

Did someone mention a dragon? I have come a long way. At one time I was suspicious of anyone who liked dragons. I suspected my son of demonic possession and refused to paint his walls black. Thankfully he has grown up into a nice young man who is still passionate about dragons. The dragon world is unlike any other. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to see the process another artist took in order to create his masterpieces. It sounded reasonable to me so, as I was waiting at a local coffee shop, I began doodling shapes on the page, manipulating the possibilities and finally came up with a handsome head. Yes, this one had personality. I brought the sketch home, added a body and presented the preliminaries to my client. There were quite a few adjustments to be made. My dragon looked more like a dinosaur, an unlikely candidate for flying…. So off came the pounds…I wish I could do that so easily! I flipped him to show off his wings and again showed the sketch to my client. Getting closer. A few more adjustments and I transferred the sketch to mylar. Mylar is a very accommodating format. Plastic paper. It has a good tooth and can easily be manipulated and adjusted with a kneaded eraser. Such fun. As is usual with most artwork the drawing took on a life of its own. The wings were suddenly transparent and the castle walls moved into a shape that allowed two knights to defend the fortress. The stonework kept me entertained for hours. Lovely.

Splishsplash/plocplouf

I am always experimenting. Tonight, as I type at my computer, I cannot help but notice the paint all over my fingers. No one who sees me doubts what I do during the day… Most of them suspect I paint walls and, on occasion, I do. In a way I was painting walls today. The mural has taken over my studio. Undercoats, patiently drying, more undercoats. In the meantime I am always considering the next challenge, perhaps a different mix of colour or another ingredient, maybe some thread. With the graphite powder defining the value and the shape of each rock I was a little concerned that “Splishsplash” would be too dark. I continued with the layers of colour, darker and darker. Then came the foam, the swirls, the dappled light. Ah yes, let’s dance. By the way the St. Albert Painters' Guild is coming up quickly. We open 7pm on April 15th.

Splishsplash

Hop! Skip! Jump! Again!

Perseverance gains the cup.

Bitter or sweet? Choose.

Plocplouf
Sautons, et encore!
On glisse, on tombe, on rigole,
on se plaint. Un choix.

(Ps 111: 4-6)