Take Off

For the last page of my bird notebook:

The birds have found their wings.

Goodbye birds!

On to new adventures!

Magic Sky

No birds today.  Just wanted to play with the sky.

Collage and gouache in notebook.

A Balmy Day

What is that?

collage in notebook

various papers and gouache

A PS on the Mural

All Over Albany put together a little gif showing progression on one part of the mural.  Thank you again, All Over Albany. 

Note:  the two moments when we see someone working, it happens to be Barbara.  Thank you Barbara for your help during the process.  Mixing paints, filling in large areas, hiding mistakes, and let's not forget dealing with the Spill (black, all over my pants, shoes and sidewalk.) 

A mural called "Back Home"

A few years ago, I made this little comics page.  I am a fan of street art and fantasized doing my own.  But I knew it would never happen.  After all, I am a children's book illustrator!

And this fall, I was contacted by Tony Iadicicco, director of the Albany Center Gallery, to participate in a project of beautification of downtown Albany!  The project started last year, was financed by the Albany Parking Authority, and already included two very large murals.  They wanted to add three new pieces this year.  Rachel Baxter, Cara Henley and I were the lucky chosen ones.  

I had never done anything like it but I jumped at the chance.  Tony showed me a few available walls.  And I chose one.  I never knew one could get so fond of a blank wall.  It became MY wall.

Parking entrance on Green Street, between Hudson and Beaver.

I knew right away that I wanted to paint a parade of fantastic animals, as if they were living in the garage and going back home.  I was ready to extend the parade all the way into the garage, but, for security reasons, had to stop by the back door of the post-office.  (If curious passers-by were to go in and examine the art beyond the ramp, they might get hurt by exiting cars.  What a horrible thought!)

Followed sketches, submissions, much work on liability insurance, purchase of material, etc.  The painting itself had to be done quickly, so as not to hamper the garage activities too long, and to take advantage of the last warm days of Fall.  Followed 9 days of intense and happy work, during which I had to overcome my fear of heights.  (To a point:  Tony did help with the very top of the largest beast.)  How do others do with murals many stories high?!

From day #1:  Projection of the larger shapes, deciding size and placement, outlining with chalk.

From day #2:  Blocking in larger shapes.

From day #3:   Start of the black line work.

From day #4: More colors and some details.

From day #5: Start of the patterning work. 

From day #6: Things are shaping up.

From day #7:  Finally tackling the largest beast.

From day #8: The view coming from Beaver Street.  Cara's mural was done on day 3!

From day #9:  Touches of color were added, the piece was signed, time to be silly.  With Tony Iadicicco.
  

Some beasts are very large, some very small!

The mural seems to make people smile.  It is what I was after.  The Times Union came by.  (Click here to see the article.)  All Over Albany made a Vimeo.  (Click here to see it.)  And I am back to smaller work at home. 

An Egg?

Or is it a rock?  A ball?  A bomb?

One can't always tell at first.  

Animal Parade

A bit of whimsy to liven up the day.