Blog
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What kind of paints to use for outside mural?
For my 8 x 32 foot exterior mural, “Dance of Two Cultures” in Brunswick, Maine I used Golden heavy body acrylics. These paints are wonderful. This mural is now 6 and a half years old on an exterior, West facing wall in Maine. There is a small eve at the roof but nothing that shelters this mural in the least. So this means the paint has been exposed to 6+ years of Maine weather 365 days a year. The wall bakes hot in the summer and endures typical winter temperatures 10 degrees Fahrenheit or below . Blizzards, snow flurries, torrential thunderstorms and hot summer suns, Maine weather can be extreme… and the paint shows no signs of fading.
I used a palette of 9 or 10 colors. Golden has many technical sheets about their products on their site and they rate paints for exterior use. This palette has the highest light fast ratings, and I can now say I agree completely.
The mural was painted, indoors, over the winter of 2007-08. The paints had rich pigmentation making painting easy and a joy. Opaques easily painted over contrasting value and colors.
The color is just as rich today as day one six years ago. Thanks Golden. And nope, I am not getting paid to say this. It’s just great paint.
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Ghost Story Bookcover
This is another bookcover illustration, watercolor on paper. This one for a book of seacoast ghost stories.
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the pier on the Kennebec
The work on figure studies for the Kennebec Courthouse mural continues. This woman is for the crowd scene on the pier. There will be ships and cargo behind and other pier activity pertinent to life on the Kennebec.
The mural encompasses many centuries, the history of the river from earliest days to perhaps mid 20th century. There is a lot of research in clothing styles and details of the setting…even down to ways people moved, gestures and such. Different clothing restricts you in different ways.
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Mural Plan for the Kennebec County Courthouse
The finished full color mural will be called “The River Road” and will be a journey through time and travel on the river. It will be 14 x 30 feet, and will feature boats and people of the Kennebec. For more information and the artist’s thoughts on this ongoing project, click here.
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Brunswick Mural upkeep
My “Dance of Two Cultures” mural in Brunswick, Maine is 6 and half years old this fall.
Yesterday I was down in Brunswick doing a little upkeep before winter. It is an outside mural, year round in all weather but it needed surprisingly little maintenance. The paint is very tough and the entire mural has a protective varnish as well. It did need a little repair in a few small spots and along a few seams.
First I removed the protective varnish, which is why I am wearing the gloves, BTW. Then I moved on to fixing a few seams where the paint had cracked a tad. I used the red oxide color just so I can remember where the repairs were. On the next warmish day I will head back down to restore the original brushwork.
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Halloween Parade Poster
A new poster designed for the Hallowell Board of Trade to advertise the fabulous 2014 Hallowell Halloween Parade.
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The Mural has begun!
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Work for my public mural for the new Kennebec County Courthouse in Augusta, Maine is well underway. I was commissioned to paint a 14 x 30 foot mural depicting the rich maritime history of the Kennebec River, our major thoroughfare for many centuries for the fur trade, granite industry, ice cutting as well as bringing food and people from away.
Part of the work is becoming familiar with the type of gestures and movements people make while doing types of work.
- What tools do they use?
- How do they hold those tools?
- What is their body gesture?
- What period of time is it and what would they be wearing?
Once I get all that firmly in mind I can set up the scene as I wish with the real feel of movement.[/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”2359″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In From Left” img_link_large=”yes” img_link_target=”_self”][vc_column_text]
This is the original concept sketch. The mural is developing from this rough start. Miles to go before I sleep.
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Harbor Square Gallery Featured Artist
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[vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Rockland, Maine gallery Harbor Square is situated next to the Farnsworth Art Museum in the heart of Rockland’s busy gallery district. Its compelling roster of artists include Imero Gobbato, Serge Hollerbach, Leo Osborne and Cabot Lyford. The Muir Garden For Contemporary Sculpture is located on the gallery roof, and offers stunning views of the Rockland skyline. Christopher Cart has been named Harbor Square’s featured artist for the month of October, 2014. Also this month be sure to see work in gold and precious stones by several noted jewelers including Thomas O’Donovan.
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a watercolor study for Entrouage. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Black & White Ball
This is a logo and poster I designed for a fancy dress, black and white ball back in 2012.
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Crows
The Pemaquid Lighthouse in Maine looms through dreamy streamers of fog as the dramatic black shapes of crows swoop through the salt laden air. On the left glows the deep pink of beach roses. One of Christopher Cart’s homages to his beloved Maine, “Crows” has a slight air of the otherworldly that adds to its beauty. Although sold to a private collection, it is available as a print in our print shop.
