Product

Concept and ideas

One of my biggest regrets with this project is the amount of time I spent working on the idea and concept. I was incredibly indecisive for around half of the year on what I wanted to paint. I learned quickly that It was hard to ask to paint something on a wall when the person who gives permission doesn't know they are saying yes or no to; I should have presented a clear design to move the process forward more efficiently.

What I'd do differently:

Survey students to learn what they may want to see
Don't be afraid to go simple - it doesn't have to be symbolic of anything
Look for inspiration but make ideas your own
Know whatever you paint might change along the way

proposal notes

Proposal outline and draft notes

Notes after meeting with Julie about the best way to get permission to paint in the school.

Beatrice Lake Mural Proposal

Proposal Draft

Submitted April, 2023. This is one of the things I should have started working on earlier in the year.

I needed to have the design and other logistics planned before I started it which pushed back the finished project.

A proposal needs to be clear and thorough. When asking for permission and trust to paint on something, the process and product needs to be well thought out.

It needs to address all the questions and concerns before they're asked* (how, why, what, etc.).

Notes and critical feedback

Issues with the proposal and design

I later had to change the mural content plan and submit a new idea to the faculty for approval and community review before I could continue anything else.
I was able to work on it in school hours but I had to adjust the location and move it into a classroom or office instead of hallways.
There are many hoops to consider jumping through when deciding to paint a public mural!

Community Review

Content Draft

Submitted April 23, 2023
It didn't have to be perfect
I got frustrated with submitting something that felt messy but I learned it just had to be a rough idea of content with colors
The overall product changed a lot in the end
I received helpful feedback about the mural's vision
I needed and accepted the constructive criticisms

I used acrylic paint.
Why? Fast drying and can build colors.

They don't come off either. I found out fast that to remove something I had to work fast!

Reviewing my work was essential to making forward progress.
By looking at it close up then far away it revealed lots of areas where additional work was needed.

I started with the darkest color first and worked my way up to adding highlights.
Outlining the shapes in different shades made the overall image a lot cleaner.

Using the ladder allowed me a better perspective.

Trying to paint things out of reach would have been very messy and would have altered my perspective.

Senior Project timelapse.mp4

Final Product

I put 29 hours into just the painting and drawing alone.
I would never do that to myself again. Even while the actual painting part was very therapeutic, I crammed in as many house as I could into around three weeks.
I'd recommend giving yourself time for attention to details. It could have been a bigger mural had I given myself more time.
It can be challenging to weigh others' opinions and concerns with your own artistic ideas.

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