The Coziest Mural

 Hi Everyone,

 

Sure feels weird to blog about something so fluffy, in light of the recent Orlando shooting tragedy. There's nothing new to say that would fully express my feelings about it. I keep thinking about how important queer spaces are for the exact purpose of having SAFE spaces where people can be themselves. That sense of safety was shattered, on Pride month, no less. It's just plain heartbreaking. I want to just promote this page that is collecting donations for the victim's families, before moving on. Hopefully this mural will bring a little lightness and color to your day, if your heart is hurting too.  

 

I made this mural the weekend before last, in my home town of Eugene. My parents still live there, so it was an added bonus to get to hang out with them while working on this. And sure nice to have a dad to bring me random supplies I forgot, and a mom to bring me a milkshake. Perks of being home for work, I tell you!

 

This mural is in a new yarn shop called "Cozy" that is opening in Eugene, OR. in mid-July, at 285 E. 5th St. The idea is to have all of the furnishings in the shop be in white, while the only pops of color will be the actual yarn on the shelves, and my mural in classroom area in the back of the shop. It's about 30ft. long, so not exactly subtle! We played with the idea at first, of just doing a giant granny square afghan, blown up large-scale across the whole wall. Then, I thought to have just crochet circles on a while background to keep it fresh, modern, and more in tune with the store's look.

 

I was excited about the concept sketches, but I can actually say I was a bit nervous about the actual execution of this one. I didn't know how I was going to tackle it until I was staring down the giant blank wall - no plan. The first circle (far right) was a learning circle, and took awhile. After completing that one, I found a rhythm, and just let it flow out of me. And now I know how to tackle painting crochet work, just in case I ever get asked to do that again, ha! It was fun to have a challenge, and then solve the creative puzzle. Creative puzzles are my favorite.

 

Enjoy! And be nice to each other.