Owls and Aspens

Hi Everyone! I'm posting about a project on the day I painted it...whaaat? So prompt.

I loved this one. Not only for obvious reasons (got to paint fluffy baby owlets), but for reasons not shown in these pictures. I loved painting this wall because the owner of it was an extraordinarily sweet person with a cute, cute family. When I started painting murals for money about 14 (WHAT?!?) years ago, I only really painted for family friends, or friends of friends. But now that my business has grown, my clients are mostly strangers. And I love when I meet nice strangers and get to connect with their families. Painting inside someone's home means asking a lot of questions about their lives. It means being in their space for hours on end and playing with their children. It sometimes means eating meals in their homes or accepting a bottomless cup of tea. This job allows me to meet people in my city that I would otherwise maybe never get to know. In all these years, I can only remember a couple of instances where my gut was telling me to avoid a Stranger Danger situation, and I did not go through with a mural. The other 99% of my clients have been pretty darn lovely. Anyways, with this one, I just felt very welcomed into this family's home. They even offered to let me and my fiance stay the night when they heard our furnace was broken (fixed now!). More than that, these murals seem to mean a lot to them. I am slowly transforming a dark and dingy basement into a lighter, brighter space for their children to play. They are picking trees, colors, and animals that are significant to their family. The funniest thing was, after all that thought and planning, none of us realized until I was finished that I had painted an owl mom of twins - just like my client and her children. How did we miss that one? 

This is one of 3-4 smaller vignette-type of projects we have planned in their home. Loving the challenge of creating pieces that fade off into their wall, instead of completely covering it. Super fun!

Six Strong Women, Six Strong Panels

Hey Everyone!

Happy weekend! I'm just getting around to blogging about something really cool that happened for me last weekend. Our Six Strong collaborative mural was installed on the side of Everyday Wine on Alberta street here in Portland! This is a project that was organized through Alberta Art Works, an organization trying to get more public art into the Alberta neighborhood. Six local female artists were chosen to work on this project, and I was honored to be one of them. Each of us was given a 4'x8' panel to paint on. Anything we wanted (within reason - no nudity!) that related to the (very broad) theme of female empowerment. 

You can learn more about the project and artists on the Go Fund Me page here.

Can you guess which one I made from the first picture below? Hint: I like pink. 

Here's a couple of the thoughts behind my panel:

1. You can feel strong, capable, liberated, empowered, and independent, but also present and identify yourself as super "femme" at the same time. Break the molds, break through stereotypes, break the glass ceiling. But feel that it's also ok to paint your nails and wear pink and glitter along the way, if it makes you feel good to do those things. It should be considered a legit choice to be a super badass and also glittery if you want to be glittery. Hence, the colors in my panel are all pinks, and all the skin tones of the women are painted with pink glitter. I'm hoping the sparkle shows up more when the late afternoon sun shines directly on the mural.

2. We are strong through each other and through our communities. I liked the imagery that came up when I thought about women very literally, lifting each other up to positions of greater power and strength. We can do it (together!)

SO SO excited to have finished and installed not one but TWO pieces of actual public art up in this city in the last month!! YAY PUBLIC MURAL STUFF!! Not that I don't like the residential indoor ones, but it has definitely been a dream of mine to make more public work. So YAY dreams coming true and stuff. 

Happy fourth everyone! 

 

"Six Strong" Mural Project

Hi everyone!

There's not going to be much happening in the way of murals for a few weeks here (construction scheduling... predictably unpredictable!), but there's a lot of mural-ing on the horizon to be looking forward to! 

Today, I finished this sketch for one of the future projects that I'm most excited to be a part of. I was asked to be one of six female mural artists/street artists to collaborate with on one large mural in NE Portland (the Alberta Arts district, if you're familiar with Portland.) I am super honored to be sharing a wall with each of these five talented women! We'll each get one 4'x8' panel to do whatever we want with, as long as it relates to the theme of "female empowerment." The panels don't have to relate to each other in terms of style or color, or anything other than the theme. Instead, each panel is supposed to represent it's individual artist's aesthetic. You can learn more about the project on the Go Fund Me page here.

I was working with two main ideas to make my sketch:

1. The idea that feeling strong, capable, empowered, and independent, but also presenting as "femme", can exist together in the same person. Someone should feel that it's ok to identify as a woman and a feminist, and present themselves as traditionally feminine - or not - as they want. Break the molds, break through stereotypes, break the glass ceiling. But feel that it's also ok to paint your nails and wear pink and glitter along the way, if it makes you feel good to do those things. I'm not sure I'm explaining the idea well enough. Basically, I think it should be considered a legit choice to be a super badass and also glittery if you want to be glittery. Sparkle on!

2. The idea that we are strong through each other and through our communities. I liked the imagery that came up when I thought about women very literally, lifting each other up to positions of greater power and strength.

Hopefully, at least a little of those ideas, or at least positive, empowering vibes, comes across in my panel when it's done. I'm excited to paint this BIG! And extra EXTRA excited to use this much pink glitter on one piece. ;)

Happy one-extra-hour-of-daylight, loves.

Corie

BIG BIG BIGGERRRR!!!

Hi everyone!

Happy new year! I have BIG hopes and plans for 2016. After a bit of a mural-break over the holidays, I'm excited to get back into the groove. Yesterday was a busy day of three different mural consultations, which have me totally stoked for the months ahead. The first consult of the day had me talking to the National College of Natural Medicine here in Portland, about what could be the BIGGEST MURAL IVE EVER PAINTED. And most public - it's right off of one of the really busy streets in town. The pics below show only 2 of the 3-sided site that they are looking to cover in murals. As far as the subject matter for this one, I was so excited by the initial email inquiry awhile back, that I had to post it to my facebook page. In case you missed it:

Excerpts from a mural inquiry I received today:
"reflect a deep respect for nature "
"an abundant forest"
"a mildly hypnotizing flower"
"A powerful owl would be appropriate"

I'm like, 10,000 TIMES, YES PLEASE. 

This one will require cooperation with the City of Portland, neighborhood, and a committee at the school. So it'll be awhile before paintbrush hits concrete, but I can't wait for the moment it begins. My BIGGGGG public mural dreams look like they're slowly coming true. Thanks, thanks, thanks, Wall Painting Gods. Hoping you get some breaks in 2016 from the gods-of-whatever-you-are-into. :)

Pretty Pretty Princesses!

Hi Everyone, Happy December!

My latest mural was quite the problem to solve, visually. I was asked to represent all the disney princess in one mural without actually painting any of the princesses, within a faux balcony landscape. I was working in the home of a family of MAJOR Disney fans, so they were able to correct me in my lack of precise Disney knowledge.

One wall is a "balcony" looking out onto a kingdom (featuring Rapunzel's tower, Mickey in the clouds (see it?), and a big ol castle. "Hanging" on the "inside" on the wall, are Mulan's sword and Merida's bow.

On the small wall perpendicular to the main one, I painted some faux shelving and a table with more objects to represent the princesses: a clock striking midnight and a glass slipper for Cinderella, Belle's rose, a genie lamp for Jasmine, and Aurora's crown. On the table, a note from one frozen sister (Elsa and...?), and on the ground, Snow White's poison apple (sadly....already bitten into). One the ledge of the main wall, two little frogs for princess Tiana. WHEW so much detail. So much Disney! I'm always so so happy to work in children's rooms though, and this one was no exception. The squeals and smiles from the two girls who live in this bedroom was almost payment enough. Almost. ;)

And a selfie in the clothes that make me the happiest to wear out of any in my closet because of what I do when I wear them. Even though they look disgusting. And new headphones too!



Happy weekend you guys!

Pirate's Life Yo Ho

Hi Everyone!

My last post was pretty word-y, so this one is just gonna be pic-heavy and pirate-heavy. This was commissioned by a mom of three. Her oldest, a teenage dude, was pretty stoked to get his bedroom wall turned into a pirate ship interior. Complete with gold-leaf painted treasure, creepy pirate-monkey, and a pirate pin-up babe hanging on the "wall." Those were my favorite parts of this to paint. Well, the pirate ship moonscape was pretty fun too. It really was just a very playful project to work on. It was challenging too. Under all those cute details, is a pretty gnarly perspective project. My old college Perspective professor used to have this stamp that said "DO OVER" that he would sometimes stamp with red ink, onto homework drawings that had taken us hours upon hours to complete. All that practice did pay off though, because I definitely used what I learned in that class to create this ship interior.

Next project on the horizon: a princess-themed room for the two daughters in this fam. :)

Goodnight mateys!

Tree of Life

Hi Everyone!

I've been thinking deeply about my career. Again.

Ever since I was 18 years old and choosing a college, and effectively, a path that would lead to a career in art, I have turned this question over and over in my mind: "How can art help people?" I know intellectually that art can change the course of history. But I still sometimes struggle with the fact that my skill set as an adult professional, is to paint pretty pictures. It's sometimes hard to see the impact.

My last mural project (this one) helped a couple celebrate and mark a major life event - their move to Portland. The mural wrote their story in a horizontal timeline of pictures, without words.

My recently finished project (below), helped mark a friend's rite of passage as he converts to Judaism. He asked me to combine a few elements: a Tree of Life (important symbol in Judaism), images from the story of Jonah in the Torah, and the hebrew for his chosen name. The "how" to combine all of that, was left up to me. "Surprise me" he said. When he received the painting, he said: "I am blown away. Can't even express how much it means to me. It now has a very special place in the entryway to my home. Thank you thank you thank you!"

My current work in progress, is a pirate's lair on the wall of a teenage boy's bedroom. The mom who hired me emailed me the night after my first day of painting (believe me, the mural was less than impressive looking that day) to say: "Just wanted to say thank you, again, for the great start! Really amazing to see an idea/dream being realized."

These most recent three projects and my client's responses to them, have caused me to ponder my question again: "How can art help people?" I think the clearest answer within the scope of my own mural-ing, is that I am here to be a translator for people. I can see this concept so clearly as an image in my head. My clients are pouring a jar of their dreams, stories, pasts, and wishes into my head. They filter, as words, through my own brain and heart, and come out my hands in the form of pictures. The end result is their vision coming alive as actual physical images that are marked permanently (sorta) in their homes, workplaces, neighborhoods. For the purpose of bringing their families a tiny bit of joy. That's it. That's my purpose in my mural career. To be a translator and a helper for someone to get something they can physically see, from something they couldn't before.

When I'm having feelings of self-doubt, and like my work is not "important", that is the image I will conjure up in my mind from now on, to quiet those thoughts. It's a small thing. But it's good.

Warm and Fuzzy: Positivity Board!

Hey everyone!

Happy weekend! Mine has been really epic already and it's only 12:30 pm on Saturday. Last night I went to see Michael Franti & Spearhead with my cute man friend and it was SO. GOOD. Michael Franti concerts are all about spreading messages of hope and change and filling up people's hearts (cheese factory, I know. But it's true!) He was wearing a shirt that said "Eat, sleep, hug, kiss, dance, change the world, repeat." A man whose music is full of good vibes, and whose concerts are even more full of them. He reminds people to stay positive, open, hopeful and loving. 

This lil tiny "mural" project was a lil tiny version of that - a reminder. A co-worker's daughter requested a "diva board" for her birthday. The "diva board" is something that a character from a TV show has above her bed.  But this kiddo re-named hers, a "positivity board", which I like a lot better too. Just a quick, cute, birthday gift I was happy to help out with. You go, girl. Shine.

The birthday girl with her board!

Her mom took this photo at the exact moment she saw her present. Cutest!

The Most Romantic Mural Ever!

Hey Everyone! 

First things first: June 26, marriage was made legal for same sex couples in USA. Hooraayyyyyyy!! As someone who was gonna get "gay married" to someone I loved at one time, it's a super personal "win". As just a regular American citizen in general, it's a super awesome step in the right direction of making our country more welcoming to all people. SO on that note, get ready for the more romantical (and gay) mural EVER! Hooray gay stuff and hooray LOVE! Ok, onto the project:

My client originally wanted to surprise her girlfriend for her birthday with this super cute mural of the two of them in their home. BUT, the more she thought about it, she decided to let her girlfriend look at a sketch first, since ya know, it was gonna go on the living room wall of their house theoretically forever. She told me that when she showed her girlfriend the sketch, she cried - how adorable is that? This one was SO warm and fuzzy to be a part of. I also love when people "gift" other people with my murals. Also, strictly speaking about the art-y stuff: can more people please commission me to do night time scenes? I've discovered I love them a whole lot. I was really feeling the FLOW today too. Thoughts, worries, hours melted away and I was in a blissful trance and knocked this one out today. I love it when I go deep like that.  

Muraling selfie time!

My new toy! Isn't this the COOOLEST organizer ever? Feel so proffesh.

Sometimes your client picks the perfect shade of eggplant to paint next to your mural before you even get there to paint it. 

Murals on the Horizon

Hey people!

Long time no blog. I gave myself a whole month, to not do any kind of commissioned work. I painted for myself, and took a little break. More on that in a later post. BUT, I'm just about to get back at it! Here's a little preview of some murals that are soon-to-be-painted. All residential murals this time, so they're all somewhat smaller. But, all these scenes have personal meanings to the clients who are commissioning them. I love being able to bring this kind of thing into people's homes: brightening their spaces, reminding them of happy memories, or reminding them of a place that makes them feel at peace. I just handed off all these "sketches" (photoshop collages) to my clients. Can't wait to get painting these! Excited!!

Corie

If the Thunder don't get you....

Happy Sunday, people!

I realized I forgot to share this little project with you all. If you follow me on my facebook page (which if you don't, I'd really appreciate the support! click here), then you may recognize this from the 2 minutes it was actually posted on that page before I took it down. I'll get to that in a minute...

The request for this project was sent less than a week before they wanted it done, and I actually was able to make it happen for them, so that was kind of great :) This is in the brand-spanking-new bar in the Alphabet District of downtown Portland, called "Lightning Will". Check them out if you're ever in the area! A sports-bar-meets-old-school arcade-meets-biker-bar. It's pretty great. They are located at: 305 NW 21 Ave, Portland. The whole place is based off of some Grateful Dead lyrics...the ones I painted over the lighting bolt. This was a fun little project. And challenging too.... freehanding Old English typeface....not the easiest choice. 

And now, my embarrassing story: When I painted this, I actually left out the first "g" in "Lightning". Like, completely left it out. I even showed the bartender who commissioned this, and we both stared at it for awhile, and he gushed. Then, I got home, even posted this on my facebook page, all excited. And then 5 minutes later, my mother called me to tell me the horrible news. OOPS. I immediately set up a time to fix it...which I did. Cannot believe I did that, but I guess I was too focused on how the letters were looking, to think about painting them in the correct order ;) They were totally cool about it though. :)

Go check out Lightning Will and have a great week everyone!