This week I decided to add some of my earlier projects to my blog.

It started out innocently enough as I scanned old newspaper articles and posted them.

Then as I was writing this blog post, I realized this mural has so much more significance for today than I first realized. 

and then I got on my high horse.

1996...was the year of the mural. 

220 years earlier July 4th, 1776 ---

this happened:  

The colonies signed the declaration of Independence.

Freedom.

About this mural project

I painted this mural on a wall on a blank boring cinder -block wall in front of the library at an elementary school where the kids stood for a long period of time each day waiting to go to lunch and bathroom.  I transformed the space with color and tiny stories, painted a castle wall which consisted of a collection of story book themes, little mice, and story creatures as well as life size figures.  Jack In The Bean Stalk climbed a vine that went 12 foot up and over the door, and I painted a big window that you could look in and see a life size Grandfather reading to his grand kids. It was innocent,  colorful and professional and I donated the paint and all my time, it was 1996. The new kindergarten kids and parents each fall would turn the corner and look up to see the height of it for the first time and pause to talk and smile. 

The newspaper came and took a photo of me at the door of the library. I called this mural:                                   

   "Guarding Knowledge" 

Guarding books, ideas, thoughts and learning.

Yes

 I painted a women guard at the library door. She had a gun, she also had a book. Back then every high school farmer kid had a gun rack in the cab of his truck on the school campus in the parking lot.

But it was 1996 so no one was bothered that there was a guard at the library door, guarding the books, and our rights to them, our rights to protect and believe what we choose to believe. 

The mural stayed on the walls of that elementary school and looked as fresh as the day I painted it for twenty five years. One summer day the teachers called me in a panic to tell me that the new principal, fresh out of college, wanted the mural covered with a coat of  institution beige.  The teachers wanted me to intervene. I listened to their concerns and said  "Look, I am pleased the mural stayed on the wall as long as it did, but I will talk to her." I made an appointment with the small young principal to ask if there was anything I could do to the mural to please her. I did not mention "The Guard" and she did not either but I suspected that "The Guard" was the problem.  I volunteered to paint what ever she wanted. I volunteered to create something, anything, for the children so they could experience art. 

 She said, " No, I don't want anything on the walls."

 I want to paint the walls beige.

 I said, "Okay." 

The books, ideas, thoughts, creativity and learning that the library represented 

are not protected now. 

There is no Guard.

She covered the colors. The stories and ideas.

The walls are institutional beige.

The school is a prison with no guards.

It is the opinion of this artist that "The Guards" are necessary, and some things need to be guarded. 

____________________________

Our children's minds should be guarded, they should be allowed freedom of thought, freedom to choose and follow a religion,  freedom from being taught by government institutions what to say, think, or do.

Freedom from "thought police" word laws,  research and internet censorship.

Freedom to know history as it was in truth, not as it is being rewritten with falsehoods.

Access to the news and events of today with facts only, not opinions. 

Love Peace Goodness

This was a mural done for a home for battered women. The youth in the community also came with me that day and put together beds and moved furniture.    

Non Profit Ministry Project Summer 2012

Tammy uses art in the community in order to reach out to drug addicted youth with destructive habits such as self-mutilation, alcoholism, and drug use. She has had success in rehabilitating and restoring them to a life that is productive and effective contributing members of society. Her nonprofit, Hosanna Covenant Ministries -Art for Transforming" completed a 20x 60 community mural in the summer of 2012 to offer youth an opportunity to express themselves and create something beautiful.

The Entrance: Large Trompe-l'œil Mural

Tiger Alcove Large Trompe-l'œil Wall Mural

This is a 4x8 foot mural painted on a wood panel with canvas.

Mural in Little Boys Room

Mural Based On The Book :  "Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream"

Greensboro Apartment Mural

This is a Mural that I did for  a exercise room in an apartment comples in Greensboro. It is totally Faux painting to "fool the eye" because I painted it  to look as if the fountain and the pots were sitting on the floor, when in actuality they are on the wall. The black exercise mat is the real floor.

Mural Painted At Wakefield Home

Space Mural for Childs Play Room

This mural was very complicated. It was painted in a very large closte area that the children used as a play area. It had no windows so it was a perfect space to creat a room with black light and glow in the dark effects. There was a large black light installed. The mural was also painted with some features that glowed int the dark.. so when absolutely no light was on in the room the moon and the stars were the only thing you could see and they glowed.

This is the way the room looked when the black light was turned on.

The tow younger brothers were twins and so they are depicted here as space men.

This is the way the rocket ship looked when the kids turned the blacklight on.

This is the way the rocket ship looked in normal light with the black light turned off. The Older brother is depicted here as the driver of the space ship!

Sky Under Normal Light

Sky With Black Light Turned On!

Large Mural 4x 8 on a Board

Portions of Mural for Quad Apartments in Willmington NC

This Mural went down a flight of stairs leading to the Quad apartment exercise room. It was impossible to get a good photo of the effects because the stair way was narrow. The suffer and the Mascot owl are surfing a large wave coming down from the stair steps an the girl on the beach is on the top landing.

Baby's Room Mural

Volunteer Work

Best I remember I was so exhausted, and I felt fat that day. :)