Canyon Wallflowers

Some quick flowers in the night.

Sometime is doesn't matter where you are, as long as you know where you are going.

Still viewable on Boulder Creek Path, just west of Boulder City Limits

"Canyon Wallflowers" 8' x 8' Spraypaint on wall

Mike's Flowers

Now this one was an experience. I spent two nights under the bridge, the second night, in the rain and snow. Tiptoeing on the few rocks, I managed to stay dry until the inevitable slip hours later. In the end, I refined multiple new techniques, so now I'm faster.

Still viewable at Boulder Creek Path & 6th Street

"MIke's Flowers" 8' x30' Spraypaint on wall

Flowers for The Man

Late one spring evening, as the homeless slept on the river banks and the raccoons watched from the sewers, a great work of art was done along the Boulder Creek Path. Two artists transformed nearly 80 feet of blank, barren wall into a varying display of inspiration, wonder, and intrigue. One, following the resonant lines of vibration that emanated from her abstract character, while the other working in more vibrant colors, fading from one to the other.

A few days later, a majority of the work had been buffed over, but strangely, one section of wall, designated from the rest, remained alone and untouched. This particular section remained on display for a little over a month and then was finally buffed over a few days before this posting.

The inevitable question remains, why were the flowers not buffed earlier along with the rest of the work? Was there a choice to leave it? To appreciate it? Or was there just a lack of gray paint available? Could it be that someone was moved by this form of art? Could it be that this is actually art?

What is art?

"Flowers for The Man" ~6' x 10' Spraypaint on wall

I lika da fade.

A place to settle.

The realization of an idea I came up with long ago, painted in the once glorious 10th Block Gallery, it is now covered over poorly with a faded color of paint.

There was supposed to be a flap of paper hanging off the left side, where the wall was peeled back to reveal the settlement.

Well...

"Settling" 6' x 10' Spraypaint on wall

A few random bits.

Of course, all this refinement in art process is balanced with plenty of exploration of Boulder's streets. This is a small sampling of some themes I've been broadcasting.

We must endure.

Yet another piece that started as a study in painting something that I had previously drawn. It sat around for a while, but I eventually worked it through to completion and it gained a life of its own and compelled me to venture out into the night.

This tall, lonely wall in Boulder needs something fabulous on it don't you think?

"Life's tough... you must endure."

"Endure 2" 8' x 6 " Spraypaint on COMO paper (wheatpasted)

"Well, that's just like your opinion man."

A study in line.

Another great piece that started simply as a study in refining lines.

The hand was first, refined multiple times until I was happy with it. Then the bird, the background, the triangles, the man, the face, and then, wheatpaste!

"The Black Hand" 7' x 4' Spraypaint on COMO sketch paper

The first of many "fishbulb flowers".

This is a great concrete pipe I found, standing up like a column, waiting for some attention.

I wish I could move it downtown.

The strength of this piece sort of came together all on its own. It certainly has it's flaws, but it was a great study in different effects and applications. Learning so much on these early paintings.

"Flower Column" 10' x 4' Spray paint on concrete tube

More random exploration.

More documentation of art from last spring.
Some shots from the old studio (ah... a tear). The "child" is based on the the buddhist analogy of the hungry ghost. This was my first piece trying to follow something I had drawn beforehand.

The last photo is of my first wheatpasting. I pasted newspaper down first, to practice, but also to help the white paper standout on a white wall

The old studio.

Hit the streets!

Some documentation of early escapades into the night.
All pieces painted last spring (April 2011)

Simple stuff, mostly spontaneous, looking over my shoulder, holding my breath.

"fishbulb face"

"Paint flowers."

"Random tree"

"Blobman"