I love murals: David Guinn

Several of the murals on the Mural Mile tour are by David Guinn.

Springtime, 13th and Pine

I love the pixelated effects. Shapes of color help blend the colors from afar, but make the painting easier.

"The concept is very simple...extend the flowering trees that are on either side of the wall across the wall." DQ

The process:
Before...initial design...after.

Springtime

Close-up...just squares

Squares of color

Gimme Shelter, 1236 Lombard, on the side of the Morris Animal Refuse.

"A big backyard, with all these pets waiting for you to come home" DQ

All the pets are real people's pets, with names, the artist came to know.

Gimme Shelter

Close-up

 

Circles this time

Credits

Crystal Snowscape, 10th and Bainbridge

"I wanted to create the relationship of the surrounding neighborhood with mural...something that would resonate with the neighbors." DQ

The artist says he is the skier in the center, moving toward the light of his art and a bright future of a mural artist.

Crystal Snowscape (pieced photo)

Love the shapes

Credits

 Autumn, 9th and Bainbridge (now gone), built over after a long community fight to save it.

"The feeling of hikes in the fall...completely out of my imagination." The residents loved the trees in the city where trees are scarce.

Townhouse imperils Autumn mural
Farewell Autumn
Bella Vista neighbors work to prevent development
Autumn's final days

 

A new "Autumn" planned for Catherine street

http://davidguinn.com/Autumn-Revisited

Biography

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I love murals: Philadelphia Muses

The Philadelphia Muses can be found at 13th and Locust, a block away from the Avenue of the Arts. Each of the nine classical Greek muses of the arts is represented. The Arts machine is shown at bottom right.

This is one of the largest murals in Philadelphia and was created with special fabric called Parachute cloth and is similar to a dryer sheet. The panels can be painted at a table, indoors, all year-round so more people can participate than in the days of scaffolding and painting directly on the wall. The cloth is adhered to the wall with an acrylic gel.

Each figure was modeled after a real Philadelphian:
The woman in the center is the Director of Marketing at the Opera Company,
the man at left works at the Philadelphia orchestra.

Artist Meg Saligman, "A mural is a piece of artwork that is integral with its surrounding architecture."

My favorite part

Woman in green dress is the muse of Performance. The woman in the globe is the muse of Spirit.

Man in the coat is the muse of Word, and the dancer in front is the muse of Movement

See how vibrant the colors were when it was new.

More here:
City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
MegSaligman.com

I love murals: Garden of Delight

The Garden of Delight can be found at 203 S. Sartain Street, in Philadelphia.

An empty lot full of chunks of concrete became a community garden and work of art, transforming the entire neighborhood.

Artist David Quinn, "I love watercolor painting and wanted this have a flowing fantasy-like effect."

Brush strokes close-up

Both garden plots and mural were inspiring.

I love the idea of neighbors in a big city, getting together to grow food,
enjoy gardening and create a spot of beauty in their city.

"Murals are nourishing to the neighborhood."

And, oh by the way, the city doesn't want you diving in their pools. ;-)

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I love murals: Building the City

You're at 12th and Moravian and this is "Building the City" on the side of the Beasley historic building. It's a tribute to the Philadelphia architecture and art.

Building the City

The owner and his daughter are looking at the plans and looking out over the horizon and into the future. Michael Webb is the artist and can be seen sitting on the steps sketching. He wanted to include sculptures, familiar in the city.

William Penn's head is on the left and his feet and shins in the foundry on the left wall perpendicular to the main mural. Sculptures from Logan Square Fountain and civil war memorial figures

William Penn's head for the sculpture atop City Hall, with feet and shins in background.

Foundry

Logan Square fountain sculpture

Civil war memorial

Close-up

Michael Webb: "The artist helps the world by taking truths and giving them form, so they can seen and affirm the best of the world."

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I love murals: Finding Home

This mural is called Finding Home and was created by and for the homeless. It is located at  21 S. 13th in Philadelphia.

Again I love the varying experiences when far away to up close.

And the meaning imbued by it's creators.

This is the front and around the corner is much more. The large letters at top say IN, as in Invisible.

Eww, what's this? It's lumpy and odd.

Oh cool, it's woven, then painted.

Listen to the artist and she will tell you that the homeless wrote their stories on each strip of fabric before it was woven in. "I carries the spirit, the message, the hope, of all the creators." Not my favorite treatment but very meaningful. 

On the side it says visible...

...and dignity. Being seen and visible gives dignity to humans.

All coming together to make things grow. I am someone, you are...

...are me together. Finding Hope.

Finding love

Finding family

Up close on one of the many black and white photos of family life

Bracelet up close. Prisoners helped create this mural.

It's what the homeless feel.

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I love murals

The reason I love murals so much is that they are two experiences in one...the traveling-quickly-catch-a-glance experience and the up-close-and-personal-with-the-artist one. They almost always have several levels of messages and they are free art for everyone.

My daughter and I recently walked the Philadelphia Mural Arts "Mural Mile" walking tour (with those gigantic museum cell phones for punching in codes to listen to descriptions). It was more like 3 or 4 miles, with detours for ice cream, drinks of water and resting our feet. We were tourists in our own city on Memorial day weekend when everyone else was at the shore. It was kinda nice to "have the place to ourselves".

We learned that there are 3,000+ murals in the city, both private- and public-sponsored, produced over the last 25 years. There are books to buy but seeing them in person is an experience like no other and we got to listen to the stories too.

First we stopped to get tickets at the Gallery shopping mall and learn a little of how murals are made

 

It starts out like paint-by-numbers for the undercoat.
The grid was used to enlarge and transfer the design from a smaller version, just like you learned in school.

Then the artist blends and creates the painting.

Another example partially finished.

Then we were on our way. It was like a treasure hunt with a map. Of course, my photos cannot give you the same experience as in-person on foot, but here's a go at it.

This one at 13th and Market is called "The Tree of Knowledge" by Michael Webb.
I love how it blends with the building above. All those bricks are painted to look like the bricks above.

Murals usually have social, political or historical messages.

This gives the idea of scale. Like I said, it's a different experience from afar than...

...the experience close up.

Being a tourist in your own town is a must. We do it all the time. Don't miss what's in your own backyard.

I have many more to share in upcoming blog posts. In the mean time enjoy these resources:

Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
...on Facebook too
National Museum on Murals and Mosaics
MuralFarm.org - search the database of 1,757 Philadelphia murals
Other views of the Tree of Knowledge

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