{"id":4107,"date":"2015-05-08T12:38:01","date_gmt":"2015-05-08T19:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/egallery\/?p=4107"},"modified":"2015-05-08T22:54:44","modified_gmt":"2015-05-09T05:54:44","slug":"big-mural-for-alaska","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/egallery\/2015\/05\/08\/big-mural-for-alaska\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Mural for Alaska"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was my fourth or fifth trip to Anchorage. This time it was to deliver a painting, actually nine paintings, that would become one big mural. It was for a new youth center, part of an active effort by Muldoon Community Assembly Church to confront the quicksand of negative\u00a0influences all around.<\/p>\n

\"Anchorage-1300\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Click for larger view.<\/span><\/h6>\n

Here’s the spot where many high-end homes were lost in the still well-remembered earthquake of 1964. In the distance is the end of the Rocky Mountains.\u00a0<\/span>Looking at the majestic landscape you wouldn’t think there are any negative influences to address. But a closer look shows another side.<\/p>\n

\"Ecuador-Children-in-studio\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I opted to paint in\u00a0acrylic on unprimed canvas. As my studio wall is just 9 ft. and the canvases 12 ft., I rolled the canvas up on a stick as I went.<\/h6>\n

It was just six or eight weeks earlier\u00a0that I got the call. A new building was about to be finished and they thought a big piece of art would be fitting . . . if I had any ideas. I didn’t until then, but all one needs is a challenge to get the mind working. My challenge, however, was nothing compared to what Pastor Kent Redfearn and his staff are trying to address in racially diverse and beautiful but crime-prone east Anchorage where they are.<\/p>\n

\"Nigeria-Children-in-studio\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A\u00a0challenge in painting this way was the canvas wrinkling, to be\u00a0solved later.<\/h6>\n

The idea was to paint children from many cultures. I researched and and gathered about four times as many images as I’d use. Many overlap with nationalities found at the church. There are Nigerians in the church, for example, even if they don’t dress like those in Africa (above).<\/p>\n

\"Drawings-w-Ladders\"<\/a><\/p>\n

All nine of the pieces started out this way, drawn in charcoal, then rolled up and brought back to the studio.<\/h6>\n

Though I could paint in my studio, a section at a time, I needed another place to make the drawings. I got use of a school gym in the evenings (or once, 2:00 a.m. until dawn). Sorry, I have no photo of me here to show the scale, but I was working alone (something wife Anne worried about as I was up on those 10 ft. ladders with makeshift scaffold).<\/p>\n

\"Rolled-Canvases-and-Bars\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It was a big job just making the stretcher bars (the “inner frame) for this project.<\/h6>\n

A primary reason to paint on unstretched canvas was to be able to ship inexpensively (relatively speaking). Here are the nine canvases as they came out of the box at the other end, along with one of the stretcher bar units, prepared by staff there.<\/p>\n

\"Unrolling-canvas\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Note those wrinkles, which had to go.<\/h6>\n

Here is a painting being unrolled for positioning. Afterward it was turned over and worked on from the reverse side.<\/p>\n

\"Stretching-Canvas\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Canvas stretching pliers, staple guns, and lots of arm and finger strength is all it takes. And a good sense of humor.<\/h6>\n

It was an all day job, with some six people participating at one time or another, to get the pieces stretched. As we’d finish each one we’d congratulate ourselves on how good it looked . . . not the art, but how flat and taut the canvas was. (For any parts not so, we’d redo.)<\/p>\n

\"Muldoon-Eskimo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Eskimo Child<\/em>, 12’x5.5′.<\/h6>\n

As the name implies, The\u00a0East Anchorage Development Center\u00a0<\/em>is not just church related. It’s for the community, with high school age kids in mind particularly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Muldoon-Tibet-Duo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Tibetan Duo<\/em>, 12’x7′.<\/h6>\n

It’s a multi-cultured area. Within two miles of the church in each direction are two of the most ethnically diverse high schools in the nation.<\/p>\n

\"Muldoon-El-Salvador-Bike\"<\/a><\/p>\n

El Salvadorian Boys and Bike,<\/em> 12’x7′.<\/h6>\n

One of the goals of the youth center is to reduce the attractiveness of gang participation and membership. Having more options for kids is part of it, and community.<\/p>\n

\"Muldoon-Nigeria-Threesome\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Nigerian Threesome<\/em>, 12’x7′.<\/h6>\n

Statistics show the east Anchorage area as having the highest sex crime rate per capita in the United States. It’s another\u00a0reason to focus on young people, to bring positive influence and care.<\/p>\n

\"Muldoon-Laos-Duo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Laos Duo<\/em>, 12’x7′.<\/h6>\n

Another problem is dropping out of high school. One of the goals of the center is to use many means to positively affect the trend.<\/p>\n

\"Muldoon-Nepal-Boys\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Nepal Boys,<\/em> 12’x7′.<\/h6>\n

The after school programs to be held at the center are yet to begin, the building just now reaching completion. The big mural was literally the final touch.<\/p>\n

\"Muldoon-Thai-Soccer-Boys\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Thai Soccer Boys,<\/em> 12’x7′.<\/h6>\n

Soccer, a world-wide sport, is just one of the connections between people of every age. With the center there will be more.<\/p>\n

\"Muldoon-Siberia-Girls\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Siberia Girls,<\/em> 12’x7′.<\/h6>\n

I couldn’t help but be drawn to a couple races from the cold climates, being a painting in Alaska. But there are warmer regions represented too.<\/p>\n

\"Muldoon-Ecuador-Siblings\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ecuadorian Siblings,<\/em> 12’x5.5′.<\/h6>\n

Here’s the far right panel, the only one I signed, not all nine. That indicates (at least to me) that this is all one painting.<\/p>\n

\"Mural-leaning-on-wall\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Where’s Waldo?<\/h6>\n

Here’s the piece, almost finished, leaning against the opposite wall from where it will hang, before I painted in a “horizon line” to draw it all together. The two end pieces were ultimately switched to better accommodate a heating duct.<\/p>\n

\"Installing\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I was grateful for the precision care of the crew mounting the separate pieces to the wall.<\/h6>\n

Every space should have a soul. Perhaps the painting of all the children from around the world will remind those using the room they are not alone, that racial diversity is God-authored, and though people can be poor, they can be happy.<\/p>\n

\"Touching-Up-Install\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fixing a spot.<\/h6>\n

I brought my paints just in case, for the sake of final touches here and there.<\/p>\n

\"Final-with-artist-1300\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The final mural, 12 feet\u00a0tall by 57 feet wide. (Click to enlarge.)<\/h6>\n

It’s safe to say this is my largest painting yet. You’ve seen paintings done on three canvases. That’s called a triptych<\/em>. When it’s on more, it’s\u00a0a polyptych, or,\u00a0<\/em>as this one is\u00a0on nine canvas, that should make this\u00a0a triple triptych<\/em> (which I think is a whole new concept).<\/p>\n

In the end, Pastor Kent named it, Jesus Loves the Little Children.<\/em>\u00a0Good title. I know a lot of love went into its making, and I trust a lot will show through as it shines down on everybody that uses that room for many years to come.<\/p>\n

Here’s a time lapse of the installation. (Click on the little arrows to enlarge.)<\/p>\n