Cats are cuter in Egypt-themed rooms

Happy weekend, everyone!

My weekend was unintentionally extended due to some sickness that I am still trying to kick. I do have a man-voice though, which is at least entertaining. I had a mural scheduled for today, whichhas taken a lot of coordination to find a date that would work for everyone involved, so I decided to go ahead and do it, sicky or not. 

I was contacted by an animal hospital, which sponsors one room inside the cat area of the Oregon Humane Society. The rooms all have different themes, and the cats sit in them, waiting for new adoptive parents to come love on them. The room I was asked to work on, needed some of the cat perches moved, built, and a couple small stools built as well.  It already had an Egypt theme (I was not involved in painting the original mural.) After the construction people were there this morning, I came along and touched up the paint after them. I painted the stools to match the pyramid bricks, and fixed some areas here and there on the mural. Pretty quick and easy job.... a good one for doing while sniffly.

Best perk was walking around and looking at all the kitterzzz afterwards! So much cute. My favorit was a little lover named Fluffy, who you will see if you scrolly scroll down this post. It was fun watching all the couples, singles, and families with kiddos wandering around, trying to find the kitter they most connected with. As I was loading up my car after the job, I saw a lady walking to her car with her nose in the cat carrier she was holding, saying, "I think I love you!" to her new furry friend/child. Soooooo sweeeet. 

Bye for MEOW! ;)

Corie

Teaching Teachers Mural Making!

Hey Everyone!

This week, I did something I've never done before; I taught teachers! For almost 3 years, I worked as an Artist in Residence, teaching art and mural-making to students grades K-12. I loved it a WHOLE LOT. There were only two major cons to that gig: #1 I never stayed at one school long enough to form real bonds and working relationships with the kids and other faculty. As soon as I learned everyone's names, it seemed I had to switch again. #2, I made good money when I was working, but the residencies came very unpredictably, making it hard to make a living.  So I made a change, and moved to Portland to be a graphic designer/muralist. Combined, my two jobs now allow me to have those lasting working relationships, and make living. But I do miss teaching very much sometimes. Having never studied education, I learned what I did about it through watching other teachers (I was in SO many classrooms, I got to observe their styles and what worked and what didn't) and through my own trial and error. 

This week, I was able to share what I've learned with teachers. It felt good to pass that knowledge along to people who can use it. My mom is a retired teacher of 30+ years, so we got to teach the seminar together! My mom gave her presentation on making paper collage murals, and I gave mine about making painted murals. She has the huge knowledge base of having taught for that long, and I was coming at it from a place of being an artist. It was really a great combo and we complimented each other's presentations, and reinforced each other's points really well. 

After we gave presentations for an hour, we used the second hour to get teacher's hands a little dirty and actually made stuff! We split the room of 40 teachers into 2 groups; one group practiced painted murals, one practiced paper murals. I was busy facilitating my group, so don't have any good pics of my mom's groups' paper mural, but it came out really amazing! I was so impressed with what they painted with me too! They worked on 2 different panels, and came together to make artistic decisions. It was pretty cool to watch them use some of the principles I taught. Check out the pics below.

If you are interested in making painted murals in your classroom, or with another group, you can get my presentation with this link:

Click here for the downloadable pdf

Happy weekend and till next time, 

Corie

2015 - A Muralist Year in Review!

Hi Everyone! 

So I was watching a little Youtube while eating a snack, as you do, and thought it would be fun to steal an idea from the "beauty gurus". These "gurus" post videos of all their favorite products of 2015 (makeup is a hobby/interest for me.... because color and texture and GLITTER). So here is the same idea, but from a mural artist instead of makeup artist. Here we go the BEST of 2015:

Murals or painting commissions completed:

19

Most exciting career move:

Moving to a 4-day work week at my day job as a graphic designer, so that I can use Fridays for mural consults, business tasks, or painting. Love love loving it. 

Favorite mural-ing moment:

Showing up to a job and having the client's 3 year old run up to me, hug my legs and yell: "THE PAINTING MAN IS HERE!" Wrong gender somehow makes heart melt even more.

Grossest mural-ing tool:

A pickle jar I have used to hold water since I'm pretty sure 2005.

Coolest new mural-ing tool:
This awesome rolling tool storage thingy I got from Home Depot. It holds all my paint in the bottom 3 drawers, and other tools (levels, sealer, pencils, respirator) in the top compartment. Organization is helpful, and wheels are easier on my back.

Product most excited to try in 2016:

My sister gave me these mural paint markers for Christmas! I can't wait to see how the acrylic flows through them. Hoping to get some cool effects from these babies. Will also make the initial sketch a snap!

Most impulsive purchase:

I'm so bad when I go shopping at Michaels. Someone will need something very large and neon pink soon though, right?

Favorite brand of paint:

Nova Color is by far the winner. These paints are highly pigmented, so they go a long way, which is important when you are painting walls and using a ton of paint all the time. You can also buy these in 4 oz, 16 oz, 32 oz, gallon, and 5 gallon sizes! They are also super affordable when compared to other professional grade acrylics. They are MADE for mural painting because of their flowing consistency. Last year, I made the commitment to myself to start buying better quality paints, and so I tried a bunch of Nova in the 4 oz size, and fell in love. As soon as these run out, I'll be ordering more in the larger sizes. You can call them to request a color chart for free so you can see actual paint swatches before you order.

Favorite color used:

Nova color's Indian Yellow. Just a tiny bit of this goes a long way, and mixes a gorgeous warmth into whatever color you're making. I can't achieve this look with any other color, and certainly not with anything available in the crappy craft acrylic colors that I use to supplement my nicer paint. I will be ordering this by the quart next time for sure. 

Favorite brushes of 2015:
From the top down:
1. Blick Wonder White Round #12
2. Artist's Loft Round Filbert #12
3. Blick MEGA filbert #30
4.  Artist's Loft flat and Filberts #10









Favorite FAVORITE Mural Tool of 2015:

Meet my new car, Carmen! She is the best tool for hauling all this crap to my various mural sites. I was so sad when my 1986 Oldsmobile finally bit the dust this year. I needed something that could carry as much as her, and more. I had my eye on the Kia Soul for awhile now because of this. Big, but not too big. Hatchback trunk situation for ladders, etc. Super happy with my choice!

And there you have it, my favorite favs of the year. Looking forward to trying some new stuff in 2016. Happy painting, to those of you who paint, and actually care about brush names and paint color names haha. To the rest of you readers, thanks for indulging me in my supplies raving.

Overall feelings of muraling in 2015: I have had projects that have grabbed my heart and held on, and I have done projects where the subject matter was not earth-shatteringly-life-changing, but just made me feel good to paint for someone. With the added benefit of that high feeling I get from having a paintbrush in my hands. I feel so lucky to be able to mural as a part of how I make my living. I am excited to paint more murals into 2016, and as long as I am blessed with walls to paint, and people to paint them for.

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. :)

Merry Christma-kah!

Happy Holidays from me, Talking Walls aka Corie! 

I hope you all are enjoying this time of year, whatever you celebrate, if anything. I celebrate both Christmas and Chanukah. I really enjoy putting together and making my own presents for people for both those holidays. In my Talking Walls Murals business, it feels really good to be able to create a piece for someone that has only existed in their imagination before I made it real. Making surprise-present-artwork for my family is the best feeling though (even though sometimes they ask for something very specific... not so surprising then haha.) Anyway, here is my family's haul this year:

The above is a painting for my sweetie's office. He needed something calming and peaceful. Awhile ago I asked him what he would want if I could paint him anything in the world. He said, a forest with snow. 

When I was in elementary school, I took sewing lessons. It's been a really great life skill to have. Not only for practical things, but for artsy endeavors as well. There's a tradition of gift-giving in my family that I make my mom an art doll every year. Sometimes it's totally random, and sometimes the doll is themed to something important to my mom that year. This year, my parents travelled to Greece, so my mom got a doll of Athena, the greek goddess. 

My boyfriend is of Jewish heritage as well, and needed a menorah. So I made him one out of a raptor toy, naturally. 

My little sister lives in the cutest studio in San Francisco, and was growing tired of her old black and white Ikea prints over her TV. She measured the space she wanted the new artwork to hang in, and put in her holiday present order from her artist sister: a triptych (3 paintings that go together) with red, close-up poppies. Sister gets what sister asks for because I love her. 

This giraffe went to my aunt and uncle. My grandma, who passed away a few years ago, loved and collected giraffe things. When we cleaned out my grandparent's house, many of us took one or more of her giraffes. My Aunt said: "A giraffe painting! A realistic one. Oh nevermind, just do it your own way." And I sat down to paint it like, "ok then it's going to be purple." 

And there is one more piece for my dad, that I failed to get a picture of. Maybe I'll post that at some point too. But basically, there you have my family's Corie-art-present haul for 2015. I think sometimes my family thinks this is annoying or burden-y for me to make most of their presents. Shhh don't tell them how much fun I had making them. :) 

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!