Mural Proposal

[» BigD]

Greetings fellow dwellers of the Pod,
It is great to be back after spending countless eons in a parallell dimension. I wish to share my latest venture into the public art world. I submitted this proposal Friday to the City of Whittier, California and will find out in the next few weeks whether I advance to the next round or not. If that happens, I will be asked to submit a detailed mural plan to the City. I plan on posting photos of the mural site, studies for the wall and the work in progress as the project moves along. Feedback is welcome and desired.
Thanks
Big D



PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR NORTHEAST CORNER OF COLIMA ROAD AND WHITTIER BOULEVARD
Cover Letter
By Dennis McGonagle
July 2005

When I look at the retaining wall surrounding the parking lot on the northeast corner of Colima Road and Whittier Boulevard, I envision two separate murals converging and blending at the midpoint. These two murals will transform and energize the surrounding landscape and extol the beauty and history of our city.
The wall that runs north and south along Colima Road will become a magical panoramic landscape featuring our Whittier Hills. This format will give me the opportunity to combine my experience as a landscape painter and a muralist using the hills as a theme. In this mural, I will explore the hills from a variety of angles and viewpoints communicating the beauty and power of nature. The familiar skyline of the hills against a vast blue sky will unify the composition.
The wall that runs east to west along Whittier Boulevard, or El Camino Real, will become a time machine that reveals scenes of Whittier’s past, present, and future. This wall will be read from right to left, to mirror the flow of traffic along the Boulevard and will use the themes of transportation and architecture to gauge the movement across time. It will begin on the eastern edge of the wall with the first inhabitants coming into the area we now know as Whittier, then move through early Native American civilizations to the time of Spanish Colonization, followed by the Mexican Alta California period, the transition to U.S. rule, the coming of the Quakers, and the growth and development of Whittier in the twentieth century. When it reaches the corner of Colima and Whittier, the time line will culminate with a hopeful glimpse into a brilliant future. The passage of time will be symbolized by transportation and architecture. Figures will be shown moving in increasingly sophisticated modes of transportation as the scene progresses from right to left. Famous landmarks such as the Pio Pico Home, the Bailey House, Founder’s Hall, and the Whittier City School District Office will serve as a background for the moving figures.
All of my experience and education over the past three decades have prepared and qualified me for this project. Beginning in 1976, I have designed and painted more than thirty mural projects. In addition, I have assembled and directed teams of mural painters for monumental art projects measuring as large as seven hundred square feet.
As a fine arts major and Whittier Scholar at Whittier College. I formally researched mural painting and theory, traveling to Mexico where I studied first-hand the murals of Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros. As a result, my mural plans reflect a careful analysis of such factors as community awareness, viewing distance and speed, light fastness, and surface preparation.
Mural painting represents only one facet of my fine arts experience. I have had a long and successful career as a gallery artist exhibiting my urban landscapes for more than twenty-five years. For a complete list of exhibits and a look at my paintings, and public art projects, please visit my Website at: http://www.mcgonaglestudio.com/
One of my principal areas of focus in my artwork is the Whittier urban landscape. In fact, I painted scenes of Whittier for the cover of the local phone directories nearly every year from 1986 to 1997. I will draw upon these experiences when I draw up the plans for my proposed mural.
Finally, I will give the wall a finished look by installing a cap of Bullnose brick to the top of the entire length of the retaining wall. This will frame and protect the mural and give the wall a newer and more attractive look. The red bricks will match the existing brick planters of the parking lot and their Bullnose design will soften the sharp angle of the bricks. I will remove the weeds and trash that now fill the planters in front of the corner of the mural and landscape them with attractive boulders, native flowers and plants.
I will use a systematic approach to execute the mural. The first step will be to create a detailed scale plan for the entire mural. My plan will be a composite of numerous drawings, paintings, and photographs. This plan will be available for review and discussion with members of the City of Whittier Art In Public Places Committee.
The next step will be to thoroughly clean the wall using a water blaster wire brush, and TSP for a cleaning solution. I will then prime the surface with two coats of gesso. "Toning"" the second gesso coat to create a neutral background color to work from. The next step will be to "snap the wall" using a chalk line. In this way I can create a one-foot grid to correspond to the one-inch grid of my plans. I will transfer the mural design by sketching the line work onto the surface of the wall. When this process is completed, I will bring in a team of art students to paint in the big areas of color while I work back in with the details. To finish up the painting, I will apply two coats of Nova Color varnish to the completed mural. This will protect the paint from sunlight and weathering. It will also give the wall a clean bright appearance.
At that point I will have a contractor install a cap of Bullnose brick to the top of the mural and landscape the planter that extends from the front of the northeast corner of the mural with flowers, plants and decorative stone. This will give the planter area a more natural look. My working time to transform this grimy, unremarkable corner wall into a vital work of art from start to finish will be four months.
Careful and thorough surface preparation, high quality paint, and coating with protective varnish will guarantee a long life to the mural. Fortunately I live nearby the mural and will be able to watch over it if necessary.
In conclusion, my plan, with its blend of mural painting, architectural treatment, and landscaping, will greatly enhance the area in a unique and engaging manner. My themes of Whittier's history and hills are the perfect fit for this busy corner.

[» markscholey]

That's a pretty detailed plan! I'll be interested to see how this develops, good luck!

[» Scott]

Yea man! Good luck! That sounds like it could work ;D

I would definately want to see how this turns out!