Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 7 PM – 10 PM will be the the official unveiling and signing of my City Beautiful Mural at Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company (1300 Alden Road, Orlando, Florida 32803.) Gentry’s BBQ will be on site for food options. No cost to attend but drinks and food will cost.
I have been working on this mural for the past 39 days, usually from sunrise until noon when the sun floods the wall taking away my cooling shade. The last week was accelerated with me working all day long because Charles Marklin from Metro Finishes let me borrow some scaffolding. When I stood on the scaffolding it would shake violently side to side. I braced my hand against the wall and steadied my breathing to continue painting the sky. I only painted one 5 foot section of sky and then Pam Schwartz took over. When she stood on the scaffolding she was steady as a rock. She ended up painting all the rest of the sky.
I was introduced to Glen Clossen of Ivanhoe Park Brewing by Brendan Bunting O’Connor of The Bungalower. Brendan knew I had pitched this mural design for the Fringe offices back in 2014, but that building was torn down before painting started. I adjusted the same sketch for use on the Brewery. Years before this same design was used to paint a large canvas at a Downtown Arts District fundraiser at the Sonesta Hotel Downtown. That painting was executed by the drunk party goers and the results were as might be expected. It looked like it had been painted by non artists. That canvas hung over the admissions desk for a while and then quietly disappeared. I am not sure of it’s fate, if it went in the trash, or is in someone’s private collection.
My process on this mural is well documented on Instagram showing a photo at the end of each work day. Line work was a challenge. I considered using Krink markers but was told they do not last long in the Florida sun. Instead I used black acrylic paint and the same water brush I use every day to do my on location sketches. I tried to maintain the same quirky line quality of the original sketch on the much large wall surface.
Come on out, grab a beer and say hello.