The amount of goodwill for this mural project is really astounding. I could write a novel on my experience with this so far, and it's only been a week. For now, I'll just share a few random observations. First, if you ever want feedback on what you do, try moving your office outdoors. It's like an open invitation for people whom you would never encounter otherwise to come up and start talking. I actually love this. Although I am technically an introvert, I really love social engagement. And art generally doesn't allow for this, since it usually entails long hours spent in the studio creating in isolation.
One really enjoyable part is being able to talk to people from all walks of life. Normally, society encourages us to interact with those most similar to us in our day-to-day activities (whether through work, school, neighbors, etc.). And most people stay in these safe parameters. But I find life to be so much more enriching when interaction can happen with a wide variety of people. Life becomes so much fuller and more expansive. So, this mural is allowing for that to happen in spades.
Creating outdoors is a tremendous amount of energy and work. It is physically demanding (up and down a ladder, dragging the ladder around, working in the sun, etc.). Painting on stucco is also a challenge. I really like clean, precise lines. Those are impossible to get on stucco. So, I'm letting go of my precision a bit. However, my precise eye is coming in handy since I am creating this design freehand. Both sides of the design will be symmetrical. Symmetry is a challenge to do just by eyeballing it, so, the eye for precision is a useful tool.
That's a bit of an update as of week one. Daily progress is in the works.