Big white brick box mural

It was a busy and hot week-end. I realized as the wind blew and the sun crisped up my skin that this is the first time all summer that I had been out under its powerful rays.

I put down some painters tape to line up where the quote they asked me to paint would go. You have got to make sure to buy the right brand. I think this is scotch #233.  All the other stuff I have bought at the art stores around the city sucks. This roll may have come from Home depot or an auto body shop.

The brick drinks up the paint and takes an awfully long time to paint by hand. It drinks it up and I have to go in between each brick crack to make sure it has full cover. The wooden ladder is scary and precarious.

Curiosity has so many cars slowing down to look, it could be a traffic hazard, making it very effective advertising.

Now to stand back and have a look at what needs to be done next and to run home, and get a little food in me.

Meanwhile I need to cut a stencil for the company name. Here is the large print out I was given so I attached together some large pieces of canvas paper I had in a pad and put the backing down on the floor to protect the lino as I cut.

You can see the painted stencil to the lower left and how it initially looks up the ladder. This ladder is much better but it still makes me nervous since I have no spotter. 

It was so windy the stencil would blow off and the paint would spread so I had to go up the ladder with white and tighten up the edges. It was annoying and I was running out of time and daylight.

I got up the quotations and the authors name by the end of the day.

A few days later Dallas and the crane crew lifted the land rover onto the brick box roof top and the owner put in some nice yellow flowers. Check it out the address is: 1700 - 11th St SE.

Big white box

This is the start of a commercial mural project. Base coat completion.

Xstine cook rode up on her bike to my door on Friday with a rush request to paint some words on the Brick Box studio building in Inglewood. I made a call and we arranged a meeting. Here is the before pictures.
 
 My past student Jesse Gouchey has been painting on this building for an animated graffiti project he has been working on. His work can be seen at his website: http://gouchey.com/
 
Alas, it rained so no painting could be done over the week-end. A few days later I walked over, met the owner and listened to what he wanted me to do. He wanted the box painted over white and a Steve Jobs quote painted on it. He is planning on parking one of his Land Rovers on the roof on Monday and he needs the box ready for the event. His plan is to sell these specialty collector vehicles thru his website : http://www.finevehicles.ca

We drove to Rona and picked up the supplies and I got to work. This ladder is scary to work on and the brick is drinking up the paint. This part is a real pain in the ass and time sucker. But I want to do the best job I can so I'm sweating it out.

Luckily many passers by have improved my outlook. The neighbor brought me some gatorade to help what he called "the beautification of the neighborhood" project. He also offered up the cardboard from his hardwood to protect the ground. Then my buddy Ben drove up after work and offered a paint sprayer. When you have the right tools for the job, the work goes far better. I've never used a paint sprayer like this before, I love it!

I wrapped up as night began to fall. The box is white and the owner and myself are happy with the first stage of the work! Now I have to wait to paint because of other client work and teaching my final cartooning class tonight. But I'm coming up with some mock ups of the lettering he wants as examples before I begin painting.

Keep an eye out, the truck will be lifted on top of the box and the words will be finished by this Monday.