Miami mural, Southwest style!
Florida is not the sort of place that attracts wallflowers. From cars to portion sizes, everything is twice as big and twice as bold as you’d see back home, and the Miami crowd aren’t shy about using colour as I discovered when I took a family trip there in June 2017.
The most memorable part of the holiday for me was visiting Wynwood Walls Art Park, a famous area that’s absolutely filled with amazing graffiti art. From slick minimalism to riotous surrealism, every imaginable style is represented there. I lost my heart to this geometric design with it’s saturated colours, and wished I could transport it back home with me to Devon.
For over a year I daydreamed about having a mural in the studio. In my imagination, I saw myself leaning casually against my bespoke art work, sipping Cuban coffee Miami style before pausing to artfully compose a shot for my Instagram account. Staring out of my kitchen window at the white(ish) render of our courtyard wall, I just knew that the mural of my dreams would improve even the breakfast washing up.
Finally, last September, we bought the house and the attached studio - and that courtyard wall became ours to do with as we wished. I was ready to commission some art.
I put the call out on social media, asking friends if they knew anyone who could create a colourful geometric mural that would look great even without the bright Miami sunshine, and was quickly pointed to Paul Monster’s Instagram account. Bristol based Paul’s distinctive colour palette has just the right amount of contrast to pop on grey British days, a major plus for improving my kitchen window view. A few messages later, and the commission was arranged.
On a freezing day in mid January, Paul turned up with his metal ruler and huge box of spray paints and cracked straight on. The studio team came in throughout the day, making excuses to keep peering out of the big plate glass studio window as he worked his magic. Passers by heard the distinctive noise of spray cans being shaken and peeked through our gates to see what was going on, and Pip the pug was beside himself with excitement and paint fumes.
By the end of the day the wall had been transformed from dingy white to a patchwork of amazing colour.
I am now basking in the joy of life post-mural. Needless to say, my washing up is now 100% more exciting, and though I’ve yet to lounge against the wall sipping coffee, I have taken some great product shots, and am happy with my new status as a patron of the arts.
