Petals for the Pedals Mural
In 2018, City of Raleigh Transportation Department commissioned two road murals to decorate the bicycle parking areas along the street. They wanted a design that encouraged people to use alternative means of transportation and to appreciate the outdoor environment. The two parts were painted separately, couple of months apart because the city regulations for each side were different. I used the special asphalt-marking type paint, which is thicker and chalkier than usual wall grade acrylic paint.
The west side design was the one that won me the commission. It took two days to paint in spring, a tight timeframe because of the ever changing North Carolina weather. The day before it was freezing, the day after raining. I helped to paint the sidewalks on Glenwood South a couple of years ago, but this was my first experience painting in the middle of downtown. I was surprised by the amount of people that stoped to pay a compliment, or ask a couple of questions. One young man spent the entire day talking to me, and oh boy, he had quite a story to tell! But I was glad for the company, it was almost like listening to a romantic drama audio book. I don’t know how much of it was actually true, I was just enjoying the experience.
If you are considering doing something like this in the future and would like to know what it feels like, try doing yoga for four hours straight two days in a row. That about sums it up : )
East side bicycle parking area is twice as big as the west side one and the bike racks were already installed. The big red flower in the middle is the focal point that ties the mural with the racks. I had to modify parts of my design sketch to work with the terrain and the puddles, which I did not anticipate since the temperature was up in the 90s and there was no rain for a couple of days. Mr. Chavis, a very kind member of the transportation crew, used a blow torch to dry out the pavement. I had to paint quickly before the water moved back in and made the paint run.
Working around puddles did teach me that a little water in the paint was a good trick to get it in the cracks. Outlines took two days, and then I missed one day and had to finish all of the color in one day, because the next day was July 4th. The last day was pretty brutal, the air was hot, the pavement - broiling. I made the mistake of siting down on it in the evening so my back could rest, and after a couple of minutes decided that the back pain was preferable. Despite the discomfort, it was exciting and rewarding to hear all the compliments and shout-outs from the people passing by. My supervisor Todd came by and watched the paint while I treated myself to some cold water, snacks, and a bathroom break. People took pictures, kids watched me paint, busy adults took time to appreciate their surroundings - mission accomplished.
