Behind the Mural: Working Without Guarantees
Stretching a 9 x 12 foot canvas cloth backdrop across painter’s plastic on the garage floor has no guarantees. I came into this latest commission with some level of confidence having painted hundreds of paintings, other murals and large paintings among them, yet nothing this large or on this particular material. This mural is for a beloved church family, and they are in a space where they will set up weekly. I needed to figure out a material that would be extremely durable and cost effective for this project.
I did a little research and saw several exhibits and installations from artists who used a cloth backdrop to make some inspiring art. My approach would be slightly different but this definitely gave me the proof I needed that this would be a viable option for the mural.
I had some good conversations and planning sessions for the mural with the church committee and we landed on a color palette and overall feel for the mural. With the church being located in a coastal city this also gave me some natural inspiration from their environment.
As I began painting the dropcloth with the largest paint brush I could find, I realized this mural was going to require an extraordinary amount of paint. I had to also figure out how to achieve the peaceful and ethereal end result I wanted. The dropcloth seemed to soak up every speck of paint I offered it. I added more and more water and paint additives to achieve the exact texture I was after.
This took MUCH trial and error.
Typically I like to paint and listen to a podcast or music. I like to work and listen, and to somewhat have my mind occupied. Each time I’ve painted a large mural it has been in complete silence. Something about the scale humbles me, intrigues me, and requires my whole body to be involved. It’s quite a meditative process.
I found that this painting involved a lot of letting go. At times I knew what was going to happen and at other times I was unsure. I went with my intuition a lot. This is where experience tells me — it will all work out in the end. I’ve learned from painting many abstract works over the years my “mistakes” often turn into some of the best areas of my paintings. The layers that come from my “mistakes” tell the best stories. They also give me the perseverance I need to keep pursuing the final result I am looking for.
When I felt I had added all the layers of paint, tested and checked every area—my final test was to get it up off of the floor to view it hanging as it will be viewed regularly. My husband helped by climbing a ladder and clipping it to the steel beam we have hanging in the middle of our garage ceiling due to the bedroom we added above during our renovation.
Immediately I was struck by the imagery, the water, sky, marsh grass—all implied but more as an invitation to see what you will see. I am pleased with how interesting the final work is. Your eyes want to stare and wander and get lost in the many layers and textures.
This process felt profound as I offered my humanity, my creativity, my sense of discovery, and lots of prayers.
