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Last Henpeck Mural Completed!

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Henpeck Park Public Mural Ribbon Cutting: 10am, September 17th

Why the 17th? It’s the Friday before the World Canal Conference, hosted in Rochester, NY this year. Check out the schedule – there are lots of events happening on Sunday that are open to the public. Our goal was to have the murals installed in time for the Conference. We have plenty of time to spare, so be sure to swing by Henpeck Park after September 1st to check out the murals under the bridge. Let me know what you think!

For the sake of maintaining an element of surprise, I’m going to wait until after the ribbon cutting to post pictures of the entire murals. Here’s a detail of the last one! The boat is definitely my favorite part.

Monday was spent tweaking a few details on the third and last panel for Henpeck park. It was such a relief to finish the painting within the deadline. Then I spent most of today waiting for the threat of rain to pass so I could get on with the process of clear coating. Golden’s MSA Varnish requires an isolation coat of Soft Gel Medium. The medium dries to a moderate gloss and creates a permanent barrier to protect the painting in case the varnish must be removed. Little raindrops would not be a welcome addition at this stage!

The Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario, with the Niagara Peninsula in between, create some interesting weather effects. Sorta like big parallel stripes of clouds and clear skies that arch right over my house. It’s pretty neat! Today the very edge of the rain clouds hovered over the mural until 2pm, with clear blue skies to the North! Couldn’t the rain move just a LITTLE South? It worked out alright since I had plenty of time to take care of a few other things, and finished the day by clear coating in the cool air and beautiful colors of twilight.

Tags: Barge, Canal History, Community Mural, Erie Canal, Greece Mural, Henpeck Park, Public Art, Rochester NY, WNY, World Canal Conference
Posted in Community, Erie Canal, Event, Greece Mural, In Progress, Murals, Painting, Public Art, WNY | 1 Comment »

Getting Close!

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Check out the article in the Democrat and Chronicle today! It features the Greece Mural, which will be installed as of the beginning of September. I love how they tied in Mural Mania and existing works along the canal. It gives readers a view of the vast picture of community art that this mural fits into.

Sally and Henry, from the completed second painting.
She’s a good ol’ worker an’ a good ol’ pal…..

This week I’m finishing up the last panel of the Henpeck Park public mural. Below is a reference photo of Junction Lock I’m using for part of the painting. Grainy old photos always make the details challenging to render!

Painting is going well and I’m definitely amped up about the installation! Transporting the nine finished sections of three 8′ x 12′ murals – to install on a barge over the canal! – will be the most exciting and nerve-wracking of my career to date. (I get giddy and paranoid just moving them into storage!) I will be so happy to see them permanently hanging in their new home under the Elmgrove Road bridge. I cannot way to see the final effect with all three sections working together.

I wonder what my next public art project will be? There are so many small towns along the canal with empty walls and piles of history. I would love to create another Treasures project like the one we just finished in Holley – art that illustrates a town by exhibiting historical and current points of interest, then provides them with an easy way to find all of that interesting stuff! All art has a function, but when you can really make it work for you – that’s even better.

19th century scene from the completed second painting.

Looking for something to do this weekend? The Rose Lummis is taking passengers on a scenic tour of the canal. I went last summer and it was a beautiful trip. I learned a lot about the canal, including what sort of creatures are swimming around in there. Tickets must be purchased in advance. I hope they have some left!

Painting is going well this week and I’m definitely amped up about the installation!

Tags: Barge, Canal History, Canal Mules, Erie Canal, Greece Mural, Henpeck Park, Public Art
Posted in Erie Canal, Greece Mural, In Progress, Murals, Public Art, WNY | No Comments »

Mural for Greece, NY

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Back in January I shared the news of this public mural commission for Greece, including an image of the sketch for this panel. Comparing the two is a good example of how a mural can evolve from sketch to finish!

Today a few representatives from Greece came by to check it out and give the thumbs up before I apply the clearcoat. Now that we have the all clear, I thought I’d share a few photos real quick. Unfortunately you can see a little gap between the second and third panels. That won’t be there when it’s installed. Hopefully it doesn’t disrupt your viewing experience! This section is 12′ x 8′. Click on the images for a larger view.

One of the biggest challenges for this commission is making sure that the painting is readable from 80 feet away. That’s where most people will be viewing it from, since it will be installed under a canal bridge on the other side of the canal! Of course, boaters will be able to see the brushwork.

Any comments, suggestions and criticism are most welcome! Thanks for looking.

Tags: Canal History, Community Mural, Erie Canal, Greece Mural, Henpeck Park, Public Art, WNY
Posted in Art, Community, Erie Canal, Greece Mural, Murals, Painting, Public Art, WNY | 2 Comments »

Treasures of Holley Unveiling and LAUNCH!

Monday, May 31st, 2010

Away she goes!

The unveiling for Treasures of Holley is only days away. June 5th, at 11am, the mural installation in Holley’s Canal Park (map) will be unveiled.

I’m very happy to be tying this event in with Holley’s Junefest. Crafters, many garage sales, a car show, chicken bbq and other festival food, drum corp show, 5k race, fun for the kids, fireworks!…. and of course an awesome mural!! There are a lot of reasons to come to Holley on June 5th.

The mural kiosk under construction. You can see the lift bridge and the canal in the background - great location!

It doesn’t seem like it was a year ago that I met Joyce Ridley, then president of the Holley Rotary Club. Somewhere in that first conversation the subject of creating a mural in Holley came up. Before winter hit I had spoken with the rest of the club about partnering with them for a community project, then applied for and won a grant through GoArt to fund the project. This project was even more involved, with way more potential, then we first anticipated. And this is just the beginning!

After all the work of the past year, it will be really great for everyone involved to see how this will all function on Saturday. The murals themselves were very well received at the preview (an article in the Journal Register Register). That was a great night! We saw more people then we ever expected, and the response to Treasures of Holley was just wonderful. Now it’s the other half of the project, the walking tour/treasure hunt that remains to be proven. We’ve tested the route several times to get the kinks out, but you know something will be not quite right, come the final reckoning. We’ve done enough ground work and preparation for it all to go smoothly enough, but I’m curious to see what the public will think.

That’s the moment I’m most looking forward to… when the murals are unveiled, the maps are picked up and people head out to explore the town of Holley. It truly is a launch, like sending a new boat into the water for the first time. Should I bring a bottle of champagne to smash?

Tags: Canal Fun, Canal History, Community Mural, Holley NY, Public Art, Treasures of Holley, WNY
Posted in Art, Community, Erie Canal, Murals, Public Art, Treasures of Holley Mural Project, Uncategorized, WNY | No Comments »

Treasures of Holley Mural Preview!

Friday, April 9th, 2010

A detail from "The Old Canal Spur" mural panel, Treasures of Holley

Spring has been a whirlwind of activity so far… or maybe a thunder shower, or a series of snow flurries would be a more appropriate metaphor. This is Western New York after all, and while we’ve already seen temps in the eighties this month, today it snowed! So I reluctantly turned on the furnace, and spent the afternoon sending out promotional blurbs to local publications, announcing the ToH mural preview. I hope to see all of you there!

I eventually realized that the space I’ve been meaning to update for the longest time is still empty and waiting for some words. Sometimes it can really be a struggle to put the right words together! Sometimes it can be a struggle just to sit down and get close enough to this page to even begin thinking about finding the right words….But today, this is where the hard work and headache of composing press releases will pay off. Cut….and paste!

Treasures of Holley Mural Preview

On Saturday April 17th, from 4pm til 9pm, Marti’s on Main will be hosting an exhibit of all eight panels on April 17^th from 4pm to 9pm, the first exhibit in Marti’s brand new second floor gallery. This will be the last stop before the mural is permanently installed in Holley’s canal side park.

Enjoy live music and refreshments, while you learn about the purpose and intent of this interactive mural installation. Limited edition prints of the mural will be for sale. Meet the artist, ask questions, and learn about Treasures of Holley. All proceeds benefit this community mural project. Stop by for a sneak peak!

(I included a summary with the press releases as well. I’ll post it here just in case some of my readers are unfamiliar with the idea behind Treasures of Holley.)

About Treasures of Holley

This mural isn’t just a painting – it’s a Treasure Map!

This interactive mural installation designed for Holley’s Canal Park has been one year in the making. A collaboration between Holley’s Rotary Club, OCALS, and artist Stacey Kirby, Treasures of Holley is a community project that seeks to show people all that Holley has to offer. Eight mural panels illustrate a variety of interesting features of the town; historical architecture, natural beauty, interesting people – they’re all a part of Holley, waiting to be discovered.

After June 5^th, treasure maps can be found at the mural in Holley’s Canal Park. Use the map to explore the town of Holley, it will guide you to the different landmarks that are found in the paintings. Solve riddles, follow clues and answer questions as you go. The treasure hunt walking tour will be launched on June 5^th, with the unveiling of the mural installation.

“People from all over the country and all over the world travel the canal, and they love stopping in Holley’s beautiful Canal Park to eat lunch, relax and rest. Until now, there hasn’t been anything to draw them into the town itself, where their business would be very welcome. Treasures of Holley is a solution to that problem. The colorful murals show visitors what Holley has to offer, but that’s just a taste. With the treasure hunt walking tour, they can see the sites first hand and learn all sorts of interesting facts about Holley. This is great for people traveling the canal that are looking for a new activity, people from the area that would like to discover Holley’s hidden treasures, and even people that live here in town. It’s free, educational and it gets people active outdoors.” – artist Stacey Kirby

Treasures of Holley

This mural isn’t just a painting – it’s a Treasure Map!

After June 5^th Treasure maps can be found at the mural in Holley’s Canal Park. Use the map to explore the of Holley, it will guide you to the different landmarks that are found in the paintings. Solve riddles, follow clues and answer questions as you go. The treasure hunt walking tour will be launched on June 5^th, with the unveiling of the mural installation.

Treasures of Holley is a solution to that problem. The colorful murals show visitors what Holley has to offer, but that’s just a taste. With the treasure hunt walking tour, they can see the sites first hand and learn all sorts of interesting facts about Holley. This is great for people traveling the canal that are looking for a new activity, people from the area that would like to discover Holley’s hidden treasures, and even people that live here in town. It’s free, educational and it gets people active outdoors.” – artist Stacey Kirby

Tags: Canal Fun, Canal History, Community Mural, Holley NY, Public Art, Treasures of Holley, WNY
Posted in Art, Community, Erie Canal, Murals, Painting, Public Art, Treasures of Holley Mural Project, Uncategorized, WNY | No Comments »

A Public Mural for Greece, NY

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

It’s difficult to know where to start, when so much time has passed! I have plenty of paintings to share, but I don’t have time to write ten or twelve posts at the moment, so I’ll just skip right to the big news and fill in the gaps later.

Over the next six months or so, I will be working on a public mural for Henpeck Park, in Greece NY. After a period of negotiations, the contract has been signed, the panels are ordered – it’s offical!

Panel 1 : Constuction of the Erie Canal through Greece, NY

Panel 1 : Construction of the Erie Canal in Greece, NY

Click here to read the rest of this post.>> (more…)

Posted in Erie Canal, In Progress, Murals, Public Art, Uncategorized, WNY | 1 Comment »

A mural in Clyde

Friday, September 11th, 2009

gfinch

Over the past year I’ve been working on a public mural for the town of Clyde, NY. Most of the year was taken up by a prolonged planning process, with painting beginning just this past August. It’s a releif to have the mural finished and in place – done! Here’s a map to the location so you can see it for yourself.

The owner of the building requested a trompe l’oeil mural featuring a nineteenth century hardware store, to represent the business that has existed there since the late 1800’s.

Mr. & Mrs. Roberts purchased the hardware store over twenty years ago. It came with a pretty good selection of antique and vintage items, a collection that the Roberts added to over the years in the hopes of someday opening a museum. When Mr. Roberts passed away, his collection was gradually sold off. What was left proved to be a treasure trove of photo reference, a fascinating look into the past that would become part of the mural.

Arthur and I, after finishing up on the last day. Arthur Barnes assisted me on site by painting the brickwork to match the wal. All full color work was done on site by me.

Mr. Roberts is memorialized in the painting, taking the place of a 19th century store clerk. I think that would have made him happy!

mrRoberts

The most challenging element of this painting was the window frame, one of the areas that I thought would be the simplest to accomplish. It’s just a bunch of vertical lines, right? But those narrow bands of color are solely responsible for creating the depth of the window. In the end, pairing a bright warm edge with a cool purple interior and highlighting the sides provided enough contrast.

scooter

This pristine, never-used red scooter gives a good dose of nostalgia as well as a shot of brilliant color. A wooden pulley, fiesta ware, wrenches and snaffle bits are a nice cross section of what you might have purchased at Clyde Hardware in 1858, or 1962…. and it’s not too different from what you’ll find there today. Housewares, tools, paint… not much has changed!

fiestaware

This Tuesday I added the finishing touches. Two trompe goldfinches, two trompe Red Admirals, and a few cast shadows on the wall. Overall, the mural is effective. My best moment was standing across the road to evaluate the shadow of the flying goldfinch, and experiencing the effect that the bird was floating away from the wall – success!

flight

This mural is just one of a series of murals being installed in Clyde this summer, done by various artists. Clyde, NY is a canal town experiencing the same economic cycle as so many others in NY. Huge prosperity followed by a slow decline with passionate bursts of rejuvenation. As I am fond of saying, public art is one of the very best ways to show the world that a community is thriving and loving their town no matter what the economy is doing. As a muralist, I love being part of these passionate bursts that are occurring in so many places along the canal. There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm. The murals of Clyde will be part of the Muralmania trail as well, a project that is turning the Erie Canal into the longest mural trail in the world!

Painting the shadow cast by a butterfly.

Posted in Art, Blogroll, Community, Erie Canal, Murals, Public Art, WNY | 6 Comments »

This (First) Friday 8-7-09!

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

One of Connie's photo-transfer paintings.

As you know, the Artist’s Alliance of Orleans County participates in Albion’s First Friday event. Every first friday of the month, a new selection of work is on display at Marti’s on Main.

This Friday we’re celebrating Connie Mosher’s solo show at Salih Studio and Arthur Barne’s solo show at Elsewhere, along with our monthly First Friday event at Marti’s. I admire the distinctive style and personal expression of both artists, (plus they’re just great people) so I’m very happy for this opportunity to promote their work.

If you haven’t been able to make it to an AAOC First Friday, I would definitely encourage you to try for this one. As always, Marti’s on Main will be full of a great variety of work by AAOC members, including my recently finished mural panel “Origins” and a few of my plein air paintings. I’ll be there on the porch, working on the next mural panel…unless I’ve wandered over to Salih Studio or Elsewhere!

I know it will be a beautiful night – strolling by the canal as the sky turns orange and pink, night breezes cooling the air, streetlights highlighting little tableuas of concrete and steel in green and blue. And hey, if none of that can get you there, I promise that there will be some fabulous peach cake in the refreshment area, made by yours truly. How can you resist?

Posted in Community, Erie Canal, In Progress, Murals, Painting, Public Art, Shows, Treasures of Holley Mural Project, WNY | No Comments »

I Like Libraries

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

This evening I did my first ToH presentation at the Holley Community Library. But… I neglected to promote the event. Since no one knew about it, no one was there! The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity from all directions, distracting me from things such as marketing. Luckily I have Theresa Fischette to remind me of the importance of promotion: by the beginning of next week we’ll have event schedules posted around town. Just in time for my next demonstration at the Library on July 22nd!

This is my favorite part of a commission I completed last winter. I love how the light rolls across the golden grasses in the middleground.

I enjoyed hanging out at the library even though the event did not go according to plan. Originally I intended to set up the current panel and paint for a little while, after summarizing the project for my audience. Instead I read cookbooks and chatted with a few friendly library patrons about ToH. It was very pleasant. There’s something about a room full of books. Not just a library- any room that has a decent quantity of books is filled with an aura of expectation. Books are like doors… each one presents a world of knowledge and when you open it – a huge amount of new possibilities are available to you.

OCALS (Orleans County Adult Learning Services) is a local organization that was instrumental in helping Treasures of Holley receive funding through GoArt. It’s a young organization that’s just starting to integrate with the community, from my understanding. Their primary objective is to increase literacy in the area. There are a lot of adults, young adults and children that will benefit from their services. My own experience at the library today, and my general passion for books, has refreshed my perspective on literacy. Imagine being unable to access all of that wonderful information, all of the stories, the history, the knowledge…. If you know anyone that needs a little help or guidance in learning to read, please call OCALS at (585) 638-7180. I know the people there are very friendly and helpful! And if you feel inspired to volunteer your time or make a contribution I’m sure they would be happy to talk with you.

Posted in Art, Community, Erie Canal, Murals, Treasures of Holley Mural Project, WNY | No Comments »

ToH: Article in the Paper

Monday, April 20th, 2009

This is one of the many images I'll be referencing for the mural. An early settlement in "Saltport".

Here’s a link to a nice article that was printed recently in the Medina Journal. Various papers and newsletters have expressed an interest in publishing articles about the project, so it looks like this will be the first of many. The more the merrier! Each publication informs a new group of people, which leads to more participants in Treasures of Holley – which will make all of our efforts that much more successful!

With large projects like this, everything seems to take just a little longer to organize then expected. If you’re wondering when the workshops and demonstrations will be, don’t worry they’ll be scheduled throughout the summer so there will be plenty of opportunities to watch the murals develop, and participate in the process. The first one will be in May, but we’re still ironing out a few details so I’m not sure of the exact date.

If you’re interested in painting, please send me an email or post a comment. That way we can start compiling a list of people to contact with detailed information.

Posted in Art, Community, Erie Canal, In Progress, Murals, Public Art, Treasures of Holley Mural Project | No Comments »

The Studios of Stacey Kirby