This has been a fantastic day. We had a team of volunteers on site dealing with technical issues on access and safety. But much more important, the paint mob arrived. The site is now a sky-blue and light cloud colour. That will make a fantastic background for the main artwork.
We have no more than seven days to complete the full mural. This is an inclusive project. If you can help, join us!
Just three weeks ago last Thursday, I met the new owner of the former supermarket site on Upper Galdeford (was Gateway, Somerfield, Co-op, Budgens). I asked the owner if we could paint a mural. He said yes without hesitation. He also said he would fund the scaffolding, fencing and basic materials. I did not tell him that this was an idea dreamed up over a pint and amid a Facebook brainstorm.
You don’t get an offer that that very often, so we have got on with the job.
Scaffolding and fencing were erected on Thursday. The paint was delivered on Friday.
Yesterday, the mural team met again to agree the artwork. We have built a consensus on the theme for the main mural. We also have an outline plan for the young zone (the old entrance and exit to the store).
We are not closing any shutters on ideas. Throw them at us.
The boards across the windows and doors of the former supermarket were painted with weatherproof black a couple of weeks ago. Our initial plan was to paint all the boards white. When you are a collective of likeminded people other ideas emerge. One artist suggested that if the background looks like the sky, everything else is much easier to paint.
That was just right. Today the boards have been painted with a blue white sky theme. It’s a superb base for the artwork.
Over the next few days, we will have artists sketching out the outline theme. The main “paint-in” will be Friday to Sunday 7-9 September. After Sunday, we will tidy up any details and cover the mural with a layer of anti-graffiti lacquer.
I somehow ended up with a lot of paint on me today but I did not lift a brush. Neither did I resolve the issues with safety, scaffolding and fencing. None of these are my forte. What we have is an incredible team that is getting on with the job.
We have seven days to go. The mural project gets better by the day. Join us! Watch us!
We aim to have young people on the site to paint on Saturday and Sunday, 8-9 September. More details on this in the next couple of days.
I am so excited by this project. I love its pace – just five weeks from conception to completion. I love the contribution of the local artists and people who fix problems. I love the absolute support from the site owner. Above all, I love the enthusiasm of everyone I talk to about the mural.
This is a community project. We want to engage as many people as we can. If you want to take part, contact us through our Facebook page. Or just drop by.
Seven days from now may sound an impossible timescale. But it’s the time we have. Let’s get on with it!