The Offhours #35: Dream Mural pt1
Thoughts on design, art and living life while being a creative human.
All a Dream
Speaking of community, almost a year ago, my alma mater, Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford, reached out and invited me to participate in an alumni show titled “Dream Murals.”
At first, the invitation seemed like a fantastic opportunity. But then reality set in.
Had I ever done a mural before? Nope.
Had I ever worked on a piece larger than 4ft x 2ft? Nope.
Was I going to let those things stop me? Not at all.
The mural was going to be massive—spanning 25ft x 10ft across five panels—and the subject matter was entirely up to me. The scope alone was overwhelming, and the idea of creating something so large was challenge within itself. But instead of shying away from it, I decided to embrace it. I wasn’t as worried about how the final image would look. What concerned me most was the process—scaling up, planning it out, and ensuring I could execute it successfully.
The exhibition, Dream Murals: Public Art with Hartford Art School Alumni, creates an opportunity for artists to share the transformative power of public art with the next generation of artists at the Hartford Art School.
I began by reaching out to a few friends who had experience with large-scale murals. I also bought some books and spent time reading blog posts from others who had tackled similar challenges. This helped me gain a clearer understanding of the logistics, tools, and techniques involved and as I gathered knowledge, my confidence grew. I wasn’t just relying on my intuition anymore; I had a solid theoretical foundation to build on. The rest would come down to trusting my instincts and being open to learning as I went.
For the past couple of years, I’ve been honing ideas for capital ‘A’ art—projects that are purely my own expression and storytelling, not commercial or client-driven. These ideas reflect deeper stories and ideals that matter to me. This mural became the perfect opportunity to bring that aspect of my practice to life.
In this post are some in-progress shots of the installation. The process was a blend of excitement, challenge, and discovery. Utilizing collage, lettering, and good ole drawing. The final reveal will come soon, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.
👋🏾 Hi, thanks for reading The Offhours, a newsletter on the creative experience outside of full time gigs, deadlines and self imposed schedules. You’re amazing, tell a friend. Stay Wonderful.
Ooooooh, so excited to see the final piece! Love that you are able to lean into more personal self expression on this. Congrats for embracing a project outside your comfort zone—a great reminder that I need to do that more.