Hello from a very tired yet elated Madeleine! I’m a bit incoherent with the enormity of this task, so I won’t write much! But I thought you might like to see photos of the progress, now that painting has started at last, after months of planning!
As you know, I did an IPAF course back in October 2022. This is when I learned to use a cherry picker and scissor lift and all the safety requirements. My friend Colin (above) also did the same course.
Work began on Monday 24th April. Not very glamorous - scrubbing the wall with wire brushes to get rid of any loose bits, mould, etc.
We then used a special primer/stain killer on problem areas (the white patches) then proceeded to paint the violet from the top down. It was very scary up there, a bit like being on a roller coaster! But we chatted to each other as we painted and this helped calm our nerves.
We’ve gotten to know some lovely residents of Pansy Street in just two days. They’ve been interested, chatty and very helpful!..A bucket of water, a cup of tea…a tool for putting together safety fencing! They’ve been fab.
Part of what makes life meaningful is the spontaneous interactions and chance meetings between people. Unplanned conversations, chance encounters.
I met Colin and my other lovely volunteer Joyce through an art class that I teach on a weekly basis. Joyce’s grandmother grew up on Daisy Street and she’s been really enthusiastic and supportive about this project. She’s turned up these past two days with a gorgeous smile on her face that has helped remind me what this is all about. And she’s been very practically helpful to me, passing me things I’ve forgotten and keeping my car safe, mixing paint and chatting to passers-by. She got involved painting today too at ground-level!
I just couldn’t do this project without Colin and Joyce. Their practical input and moral support is just beyond words. It’s a very physically demanding task to cover such a surface area in two days. The wall is quite bumpy and it’s not the same as painting a nice sheet of MDF.
Today we applied the deeper shade of purple to the outer walls and then a second coat to the violet. I also laid out a “doodle grid” which is one method of scaling up a design. Many mural artists use it and although I had considered templates and other ideas, I thought this one was the best one for me. It’s basically making a number of shapes or symbols - which don’t mean anything - on the wall area where you want your design to go. Then you take a photo of it. Then it can be reduced in opacity and laid over top of a photo of your design, which you can then use as a reference to make your work massive but in proportion.
Marking out the pansy petals will be the next task, and I will finally be able to focus more on the archway. I need to prioritise upper work at the beginning so I don’t need to rent the cherry picker for too long!
For those of you wondering, the correct way to cherry picker overnight is to extend the boom/arms upwards and assemble the pictured fencing.
I hope you’re all enjoying the beautiful springtime. Liverpool is full of beautiful blossoms which bring joy to the heart!
Madeleine xx
First Mural - Pansy Street
Madeleine, this is totally awesome! Learning to drive a forklift, too?! WOW. It's a joy to see your talent being expressed in such a beautiful project. Looking forward to the completed masterpiece.
All the best from Italy.
Yayyy! 🌼 🌸 🌻 🌹 🏵