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Balancing Life & Scaffolding for Art's Sake “It’s an exhausting job, but so gratifying.”
by Linda A. Thornton
Sarah Blankenship’s days have their ups and downs – literally, and few people have a voicemail message that reminds callers, “I’m often on scaffolding and can’t get to my phone.” But for this well-known muralist and sign painter, the physical demands, continual test of creativity, and required patience are all worth it. We asked Sarah to share the ins and outs of muraling and what it takes to bring her works of art to life.
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What is the difference between painting on canvas or paper compared to a building wall? Setting: For canvas/paper, you can execute in the comfort of your home studio. You can also control the temperature, where you sit/stand, and who is around you. For wall murals, the location and surrounding environment change all the time. For exterior wall murals, expect changing weather conditions, visibility constraints of daylight hours, and standing for hours at a time. Surface texture: Canvas is stretched across a wood frame and there isn't a solid surface behind it, which creates some movement when you paint. Walls are a solid surface, which requires less of a delicate brush stroke. The paint that adheres best can vary on different wall textures/materials and the approach to painting can differ. Subject matter: For a wall mural, my goal is to help achieve the vision of the business or homeowner, not necessarily mine. There is a lot more flexibility to simply create what you like as an artist on canvas/paper.
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Does painting on buildings require different skills or techniques?
If you can paint small, you can learn how to paint big. The biggest difference is scale, speed, brush size, and ladders/scaffolding. You have to cover a lot more ground in a quick amount of time. A roller or a larger brush — the kind you use to paint house trim — is often needed to cover a large expanse, rather than small detail brushes more common in canvas painting.
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A R T, M U S I C & F E S T I VA L S 2023
Photos courtesy Sarah Blankenship & Anthony Blankenship