So Ed an I worked on the mural both days during Corn Hill arts fest. We got some lookers and some feedback. One guy yelled from across the street "You do your work girl. I love that!"
I also had the pleasure of talking with the owner from Community Child Care across the street.
I spoke to one women who told me about her daughter was was an English major and her completion of a mural project. Other groups asked questions or just told each other to look at it.
We worked primarily on touch ups and outlining the lower portions on Sat and Sunday. We did some work on the middle sections as well on Sunday.
We worked on the scaffolding this last Sunday and were not alone in the parking lot as we worked. The Flying Squirrel was hosting a punk metal show that day during the same time frame we were painting. Some people were skateboarding, others were passing out "bologna Records" made from actual Bologna. Other were inflating inflatable sharks. These was an amusing crowd and having the bands as background music as I worked was cool.It was a good motivator to me as I brushed along with the rhythm.
I finally had a chance to go look at it last night in a time that I was not working on it. I went to the Flying Squirrel for a drum and hoop event instead.
I realized what things I still need to change and what things need to be finished. I am also realizing the computationally all the things people want to see it the mural are going to make it too busy. The problem is I don't want to offend anyone by not using their suggests in the painting. but it I use them all and the piece is not strong because of it what was the point?
It has proven to be a challenge for me to accept people's feedback and questions on the spot when standing in front of the mural. Most people want to know what everything is. I was told be my most recent painting teacher that A painting should speak for itself. So far this one is not. There is a conglomerate of so many different peoples visions in this project and I think that it is showing in the imagery.
I was asked last night who the people were, Why there was a fire truck and questions like "Why is that there?What is that? Why is there a tree and why is there garbage under it?" These questions are always hard to take at first and I take it personally criticizing myself as an artist. Later I realize they were well pointed and if people have to ask then I as the artist is not doing a fair enough job conveying the imagery.Trying to take so many peoples feedback into consideration and have so many people tell me what they would like to see may be taking away from the composition of the painting.
