Batavia Community Garden Mural
July 29, 2022
I recently finished a mural for the Batavia Community Garden in Batavia, NY through a grant they received through GOART!. It is painted on five Medium Density Overlay panels on both sides inside the fenced in garden plot area.
I recently finished a mural for the Batavia Community Garden in Batavia, NY through a grant they received through GOART!. It is painted on five Medium Density Overlay panels on both sides inside the fenced in garden plot area.
Ramp to GOART!
August 18, 2021
I finished a little mural on the ramp to the entrance to GOART! a couple of weeks ago. Some Fairy Houses are supposed to go in front of it on September 11th for the Explore Art Festival they're having.
I finished a little mural on the ramp to the entrance to GOART! a couple of weeks ago. Some Fairy Houses are supposed to go in front of it on September 11th for the Explore Art Festival they're having.
Oakfield, NY Community Center
August 7, 2021
I just finished a mural in Oakfield, in collaboration with two sisters who came up with the design, on the new Community Center. Thanks to Susan Zeliff for creating this wonderful resource for the people of western Genesee County, and for getting the grant through GOART!
For more info, see my blog post of August 7, 2021.
I just finished a mural in Oakfield, in collaboration with two sisters who came up with the design, on the new Community Center. Thanks to Susan Zeliff for creating this wonderful resource for the people of western Genesee County, and for getting the grant through GOART!
For more info, see my blog post of August 7, 2021.
I love those cows!
Center Street Mural in Batavia, NY
July 7, 2020
About two weeks ago I finished painting a mural on a building on Center Street in Batavia, NY, facing the Center Street Smokehouse Restaurant. I received another grant through GO ART! in Batavia for the initial mural, but later expanded it to include the entire side of the building, (which I think looks much better than the original concept).
This was my first experience using a hydraulic lift to do the upper half, which was a little scary at first, but I soon got used to it. It certainly made the job a heck of a lot easier!
About two weeks ago I finished painting a mural on a building on Center Street in Batavia, NY, facing the Center Street Smokehouse Restaurant. I received another grant through GO ART! in Batavia for the initial mural, but later expanded it to include the entire side of the building, (which I think looks much better than the original concept).
This was my first experience using a hydraulic lift to do the upper half, which was a little scary at first, but I soon got used to it. It certainly made the job a heck of a lot easier!
Here is the finished product, and the progression below.
Some Indoor Murals at the GO ART! Building in Batavia, NY
March 8, 2020
Over the last two weeks I got to paint a mural on some walls upstairs at the Genesee/Orleans Arts Council in Batavia, NY. And also a door mural on the front door downstairs (the former Batavia Club building) that is now the home of GO ART! and it's galleries.
Over the last two weeks I got to paint a mural on some walls upstairs at the Genesee/Orleans Arts Council in Batavia, NY. And also a door mural on the front door downstairs (the former Batavia Club building) that is now the home of GO ART! and it's galleries.
Commercial Collections Corp of NY in Tonawanda Mural
July 6, 2018
Today I finished the final clear coat on the mural in Tonawanda, New York on a back portion of the Commercial Collections Corp of NY building, facing the parking lot. It's almost an hour drive to Tonawanda from my house, so it ended up taking almost four weeks from the time I started. The weather was pretty hot for much of the time, but if I worked early in the morning or later in the afternoon on a couple of weekends, it all worked out well.
The owner wanted the mural to reflect some of the natural resources and historic attractions of the Tonawanda area, so water turned out to be a major theme of the composition (the canal, Niagara River, and nearby Niagara Falls), as well as carrousel horses representing the Hershel Carrousel Factory Museum, and the famous Riviera Theatre just a couple blocks away in North Tonawanda. I also had to include the little lighthouse on Mississippi Mudds Restaurant near the Niagara River. It's actually a lovely area, right across the river from Grand Island.
Today I finished the final clear coat on the mural in Tonawanda, New York on a back portion of the Commercial Collections Corp of NY building, facing the parking lot. It's almost an hour drive to Tonawanda from my house, so it ended up taking almost four weeks from the time I started. The weather was pretty hot for much of the time, but if I worked early in the morning or later in the afternoon on a couple of weekends, it all worked out well.
The owner wanted the mural to reflect some of the natural resources and historic attractions of the Tonawanda area, so water turned out to be a major theme of the composition (the canal, Niagara River, and nearby Niagara Falls), as well as carrousel horses representing the Hershel Carrousel Factory Museum, and the famous Riviera Theatre just a couple blocks away in North Tonawanda. I also had to include the little lighthouse on Mississippi Mudds Restaurant near the Niagara River. It's actually a lovely area, right across the river from Grand Island.
Bryon-Bergen Public Library Exterior Mural
June, 2017
I've just completed my first mural on the parking lot entrance to the Town of Bergen/Byron-Bergen Library building. This is the first large scale, outdoor mural I've ever done, and it was a great learning experience and a tremendous amount of fun! (Photos are below).
Painting on a concrete block surface was a little tedious at times, but I also learned to make use of the unique texture of the wall and go with the roughness of the surface in some areas. The original paint job was just applied last year when the new parking lot was put in, so the surface was in good shape to begin with. The wall faces east, with a decent overhang of the roof, so the mural will be protected pretty well from the elements of Western New York, and should last a long time. I used a combination of exterior acrylic enamel and a few specialized colors of Nova Brand outdoor mural paints.
It took me a little less that 3 weeks to complete the mural. I got started a little later than I had originally hoped, because of the rain and cold temperatures of early May, but the weather of the last few weeks has been pretty much perfect for painting! It's still a little hard for me to realize the project is finished! I really had a great time working on this thing, and I got to meet and talk with all kinds of wonderful people while doing it. Thanks to everyone for all the nice comments.
I'd also like to thank the Bergen Town Board and the Library Trustees for their comments and feedback during the planning and approval process for the mural. I especially liked the idea they had to give the generic older woman reading to the 2 kids in my initial design the face of Tally Almquist, who was the Bergen Library Manager for many, many years, as well as Village Historian, and who passed away just a few years ago. Thank you also to Tally's daughter, Vicki Almquist, for finding a photo I could use.
And I'm very grateful to Nancy Bailey, our current Library Manager for many years, for giving me the idea for doing this mural when I was thinking about applying for an individual artist's grant (Ripple Grant) through the Genesee/Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) last August. Without her encouragement and Gregory Halleck at GO ART!, I would never have had this amazing opportunity.
My intention for this mural was to illustrate some of the many resources and programs that our library has to offer (besides just books), as well as it's integration with the Byron-Bergen community, history and environment (like the Bergen Swamp). This library has been a hub of education, community programs, entertainment and socialization for my family for many years, and I hope this mural conveys a feeling of what a valuable resource it is for all the residents of this area.
In conclusion, I really had a blast doing this, so if anyone has any interest in commissioning your own mural (indoor or out), please let me know.
Support your local Libraries. Support the Arts!
Peace.
Related Links:
http://www.westsidenewsny.com/news/2017-07-10/byron-bergen-public-library-mural-dedication-completed/
http://www.thebatavian.com/maria-pericozzi/mural-being-painted-on-byron-bergen-library/288438
This project was made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART! in Batavia, NY.
I've just completed my first mural on the parking lot entrance to the Town of Bergen/Byron-Bergen Library building. This is the first large scale, outdoor mural I've ever done, and it was a great learning experience and a tremendous amount of fun! (Photos are below).
Painting on a concrete block surface was a little tedious at times, but I also learned to make use of the unique texture of the wall and go with the roughness of the surface in some areas. The original paint job was just applied last year when the new parking lot was put in, so the surface was in good shape to begin with. The wall faces east, with a decent overhang of the roof, so the mural will be protected pretty well from the elements of Western New York, and should last a long time. I used a combination of exterior acrylic enamel and a few specialized colors of Nova Brand outdoor mural paints.
It took me a little less that 3 weeks to complete the mural. I got started a little later than I had originally hoped, because of the rain and cold temperatures of early May, but the weather of the last few weeks has been pretty much perfect for painting! It's still a little hard for me to realize the project is finished! I really had a great time working on this thing, and I got to meet and talk with all kinds of wonderful people while doing it. Thanks to everyone for all the nice comments.
I'd also like to thank the Bergen Town Board and the Library Trustees for their comments and feedback during the planning and approval process for the mural. I especially liked the idea they had to give the generic older woman reading to the 2 kids in my initial design the face of Tally Almquist, who was the Bergen Library Manager for many, many years, as well as Village Historian, and who passed away just a few years ago. Thank you also to Tally's daughter, Vicki Almquist, for finding a photo I could use.
And I'm very grateful to Nancy Bailey, our current Library Manager for many years, for giving me the idea for doing this mural when I was thinking about applying for an individual artist's grant (Ripple Grant) through the Genesee/Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) last August. Without her encouragement and Gregory Halleck at GO ART!, I would never have had this amazing opportunity.
My intention for this mural was to illustrate some of the many resources and programs that our library has to offer (besides just books), as well as it's integration with the Byron-Bergen community, history and environment (like the Bergen Swamp). This library has been a hub of education, community programs, entertainment and socialization for my family for many years, and I hope this mural conveys a feeling of what a valuable resource it is for all the residents of this area.
In conclusion, I really had a blast doing this, so if anyone has any interest in commissioning your own mural (indoor or out), please let me know.
Support your local Libraries. Support the Arts!
Peace.
Related Links:
http://www.westsidenewsny.com/news/2017-07-10/byron-bergen-public-library-mural-dedication-completed/
http://www.thebatavian.com/maria-pericozzi/mural-being-painted-on-byron-bergen-library/288438
This project was made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART! in Batavia, NY.
The Cummings Family Farm Mural
I just finished an indoor mural for the Cummings family in Bergen, NY on September 22nd, 2017.
The mural is in their refurbished barn, which was once the home of cows many years ago, and now is where food is
served for the biannual community parties. The mural includes images of their beautiful property and a little family history, showing the original old farmhouse and barn from 1979, as well as a representation of the family band!
I had a great time working on the mural and spending time with John & Chris. It took about two and a half weeks to
complete, just in time for the Autumn Party. The last photo is from the night of the party when everyone was outside
listening to the band.
The mural is in their refurbished barn, which was once the home of cows many years ago, and now is where food is
served for the biannual community parties. The mural includes images of their beautiful property and a little family history, showing the original old farmhouse and barn from 1979, as well as a representation of the family band!
I had a great time working on the mural and spending time with John & Chris. It took about two and a half weeks to
complete, just in time for the Autumn Party. The last photo is from the night of the party when everyone was outside
listening to the band.
