It started with me seeing a simple call for submissions on Instagram, which resulted in me marching up to Mike and saying “Hey! I want to paint the wall!” I work at a flower shop in the City Market, where Gomez BBQ is located. I eat there often. Mike & I are, what I considered, buds. So, I was maybe offended that I didn’t just pop into Mike’s mind as the ideal candidate for the mural he was commissioning. And since I didn’t, I reached out and made it clear that I was interested, sketched out some ideas, and presented them! He interviewed a few other artists, we chatted about cost, made some design changes, and finally, I became the chosen one. I am so, so thankful for the opportunity that Mike gave to me, and the joy it was to work with him. Don’t worry, we’re still buds. Since this is my first mural, I thought I’d write a bit about the experience. It was a bit of a challenge to work on. If you’ve ever been to the City Market, you know how crowded those halls can get, especially between 11a-2p on a weekday! Since I didn’t want to risk a load of spilled paint, I would only work on the mural during closed hours- namely, Sunday afternoon. This meant oddly interrupted work hours for me, and it took over a month to complete (thanks for your patience, Gomez!). Not to mention the challenge of working on a 90 degree, vertical surface, instead of the slight angled easel I’m used to! My arms were achey after every session, but it was so. much. fun. Blasting my music, hanging out in a space that felt “off limits,” and painting on a wall tickled my rebellious inner spirit. The resulting mural, while simple, is exactly what Gomez & I both wanted. A graphic, black & white depiction of local landmarks mixed with BBQ-ed whimsy. It even features his very own smoker! Since the full mural can’t be viewed 100% straight on, the simplicity lends itself to the angles you can see it from, and gives you just enough information to grasp the concept. Be sure to stop by Gomez BBQ, grab a sandwich, and check out the mural!
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