Au Revoir...Adios...Adieu...

The mural is now en route to a sign shop where it will be framed and then it will probably wait in storage until the corner of Cook and Broadway is ready for its placement.

Jill in action - with complicated back-lighting, no less...

This morning, my friend and photographer Jill Martin of Jill Martin Photography came over to get a shot of the panels all lined up together.  Overall, I'm happy with it, but seeing it all together in the light of day after not really paying attention to it for weeks, there are a couple things that stood out and I wish I had done them differently.  But, I'll keep them to myself as no one else will probably care but me.  A couple of the panels have a little warp - I'm sure the sign company will be able to handle that in the framing process.

Saying Goodbye 

Anyway, I did do some last minute touch ups in a few spots - I was never able to put together more than 2 panels at a time inside the garage, so there were a couple of details that didn't line up.

Stick a Fork in It - It's Done!

Well, it's official!  All 5 panels have 3 coats of varnish on all sides.  I guess there's nothing else to be done on it.  I'll be getting in touch with my contact to see about getting it transported into the unknown.
 

As I look at it, there are some things that I might have done a little differently, but I'm happy with it overall.  At some point, I guess you just have to let it go...

Transitioning...

It's a bit crazy how we can jam-pack the fall season with so much busy-ness!  This is the first weekend where I've been able to relax (a little), although there's still a ton on my plate - soccer season is in full swing with end-of-season parties & all-star tryouts on the horizon, the Horizons Family CoOp that I coordinate meets this Tuesday along with one of my art classes, and so on...

Students busy in the California History class!

I've slooowwwlly been painting layers of exterior varnish sealer on all sides of the mural.  I did the backs and now I've been laying them out, one at a time, on sawhorses in order to do the fronts and all 4 edges (that way I don't have to keep turning them - they're a bear to move).  I'm doing 3 thin coats on each and I'm close to being done with all 5 panels.

Panel laid out on sawhorses in order to seal all edges.

Part of the reason that this is taking a lot longer than I thought is because of the fall craziness mentioned above.  But, another reason is that the city is changing its plans on where it will ultimately go.  Looks like the Gottchalk's corner is out, but I have not yet heard what plan B (or C or D...) is.  I know my contact has been busy with the recent Grapes and Grains event, as well as other fall festivities, and I've been grateful to have the time to get my homeschooling and art classes off to a solid start.

Studio "corner" - the garage is too cold in winter and there are too many
spiders!  I have plans for some bulletin boards and wall-hanging holders for
pencils and stuff...I'll get there eventually.

I know that the mural project is at an end as my mind has been buzzing with thoughts of other art and writing projects.  It's time to transition backin to new creative work - not sure what exactly, though.  I still don't have a lot of free time, but I did clean off the old drawing table corner of my room in preparation.  Now, joining my drawing space is a caricature portrait that I recently acquired of my Granddad who passed away about 20 years ago - I think it was given to him as a retirement gift (or something like that).  It's a nice addition to my workspace.

Granddad watching over my work :)

"What?!! You Painted Over It?!!"

...screamed my daughter.

Now you see it - now you don't!

No, I've turned all of the panels around and I am currently painting a couple coats of clear varnish on the backsides.  I wanted to do the backs first because I wasn't sure how tacky it would be for and for how long.  The primer we used seemed to always have a certain degree of tackiness - even at this point.  If that was to be the case with the varnish, then I wanted to do the fronts last and make sure they didn't lean up against anything while they awaited transportation.

I've now discovered that the varnish dries quickly and the finish isn't tacky at all.  Good!  Now, I plan to put the panels one at a time on sawhorses and paint a couple coats on the fronts and all edges.

In Loving Memory...

Past Horizons Group During Some Outdoor Activities

I had really hoped to be done by now - I feel like things have been moving at a snails pace.  Of course, we have since had the memorial for my father-in-law, Robert Smith, and will soon be doing much to care for my mother-in-law as we are the only relatives in the area.  We're also 2 1/2 weeks into our school year, now - so far so good!  I have an 8th grader, a 5th grader, and a preschooler this year.  Also, we'll be starting our multi-family, multi-subject co-op called Horizons on Tuesday.  I've had A LOT of communication, organization, supplies, and general loose-ends to tie up. So, I will be "laboring" on that this Labor Day Weekend.

Still, God is great and life is good!  Just keep plugging away...

It's (mostly) Official...

Well, there it is  -

The signature means I'm done.  Really, I could probably tweak something here and there forever, but I realize that must stop somewhere.  Maybe I'll be caught making an adjustment in the middle of the night under cover of darkness, but for now I'm content with the end product.

I did add a lupin-type flower to the tabletop for added color and visual interest.

I also added some of a dull reddish color to the hillsides - I color I remember seeing when I was in the "observation" stages of the mural.  I wanted to add another layer of color to the first 2 panels without going overboard - the rest of the mural is vibrant and busy enough and the first panels are intended to contrast that energy with the more bucolic setting of the fields.

A ruddy red on parts of some of the upper hillsides

Now, I will begin the layers of exterior varnish and Voila!  It's off to the city it goes...

Letters and Leaves...

Spent a good part of today kneeling and lying on the garage floor painting...and repainting...letters.

I think I already mentioned that I wasn't excited about painting letters and, yes, I did overfuss it.  The more I tried to refine the letters, the less I liked them (and the more they seemed to draw attention away from the mural).  In the end, I went back to fairly loose letters (sans serif).  The title simply reads:  Celebrate the Harvest - Santa Maria Valley (across the bottom of 3 panels)

I also worked on detailing the leaves around the pumpkins and building a little more contrast in that area.

Now, I'm a little more excited about working on the mural again.  I will be moving some panels tonmorrow to (finally) detail the field beneath the wave.  There'll be a little bit of greenery and some dots of red (strawberries) to pull a teensy bit more color into those first two panels.

At least I won't have to lay on the floor for the next phase!

Winding Down...

Time to check in!  Took a couple days off for the holiday (Happy Belated 4th of July), but I've just been touching up here and there - things I really can't photograph (like strawberry leaves and the black/white tiles that needed a 3rd coat).

But, I did continue work on the vines across the bottom, coming out of the ground, and up the wave - probably not much more I'd do there, except for a highlight here or there.

I did choose to switch out the splashes to Pthalo Blue (a much better fit than the ultramarine - too purple - and cerulean - not "deep" enough).  This is still bright, but much more harmonious.  Also, the only other place I used pthalo was in the cauliflower and broccoli, so this brings that hue in across the panels.

Mommy's little "photobomber"

Tomorrow, I'll work on the wine glasses and wine bottle.  Then, I'll put in the "thanks" to contributors and the mural title.  After that, I'll have my husband help me move some panels around so I can get some together and check how things line up.  Some adjustments there and then it's a topcoat exterior sealer - Voila!

Them Thar Hills...

Finally got to spend a larger chunk of time on the mural again today.  I've started building up the landscape in the first couple panels, particularly the hills.  As you can see, I started by laying in some yellow to capture the flowers that come around every spring (and have gone at this point).

I'm so glad that I spent the time to work out the tree colors - it soooooo helped.  And, as expected, I'm reworking the hill colors, or at least the brushwork.  I'm using a more textured approach in the areas closer to the viewer.  I still have a lot to do on them thar hills, but I like how it's started.  Some I like, some needs to be adjusted.  Our hills have such variety - many are bare, some have the occassional shrub or tree, while others seem to have a blanket of shrubbery.

Moving On...

Woohoo!  I think I've done enough grape leaves for now and I'm ready to move on.

I even worked on the giant leaves behind the figures, but I started to run out of the "highlight" mixture.  So, I may still go back to it...but probably on my last pass through of "final touches." 

Darn flash glare!  Notice that I added a couple of leaves to
overlap the grapes.

For now, I think I'll move on to the rest of the panel - giant grape touch up, the female figure's dress, the tabletop (remember, there's supposed to be a bottle of wine there), and I need to fill their glasses.  Then, on to the architecture around the chef, floor touch-up, a few more veggies and the splash.  It may seem like just a little bit left, but there's still a lot to do in the first couple panels - there are supposed to be trees, details on the pumpkins (more leaves, and stems), and crops growing on the rows under the wave - things like that.  But, after that, it's all touch up detailing.  There's light at the end of the tunnel.

Still toasting with empty glasses - hmmmm, white or red?

Time to Get Out of the Kitchen

A few days off with lots of Mother's Day sleep!  Just what the doctor ordered.  I've had a lot of other things to think about lately with lots of end-of-year parties for all of our homeschooling co-ops and collaborations.  That, and trying to get some things in order for next fall (yes NEXT fall - gotta catch everyone before summer hits).

Anyway, last time I hinted at another intended change to the chef panel.  Can you guess what it is?

More veggies?  Nope.  Kitchen clutter on the back counter?  Nope.  I decided to frame the panel with a matching column on the right (not in the original plan).  Did you figure it out?   Now, see if you can find Waldo...

Just kidding. 

But, I do think this is my last evening working on panel #5 for a little while.  As we all know, one can only work with vegetables so long before it gets a little tiresome.  Luckily, I've got 4 other panels I can revisit. 

I've worked out most of the kinks in the kitchen and now I'm ready to start going back through the mural to build layers, values, details, fill in the unfinished, etc.  First, however, it's time for another study - since I'm headed back to the farm, I need to work out some details of the tractor that I haven't yet filled in.

Who's that lurking in the background...it isn't Waldo.

Seeing Yellow - Lots and Lots of Yellow

The nice thing about working on panel 5 is that it's a nice break from the multitude of detail on panel 4.  I covered a lot of real estate this evening just by working on the background.  The downside, however, is that because I was working a little red into the yellow for texture, I had to work without stopping in order to blend the colors before they dried completely.  And, since it was a larger area, I was using larger strokes...I feel alright right now, but I think my arm will fall off tomorrow morning.

Thought y'all might be interested in seeing more of the panels in one shot.  Since I don't have room to put all of the panels side-by-side, you'll have to fit them together in your mind.

At the end of it all, I will have to move certain panels together in order to finish them properly.  They're quite heavy, though.  So, I'll complete everything, do a little rearranging, and then finish off those objects that cross panels.