Kate Luffman, who paints The Rock, stands in front of one of her favorite pieces from this year. Courtesy of Kate Luffman
The Rock painter reflects on past legacy, makes her own Cat Trieu
Staff Writer The Rock serves as a palette for students to highlight how UT rocks, especially on game days. When former painter of UT’s The Rock Peyton Miller graduated and left for medical school in Virginia, Miller’s legacy fell into the hands of Kaitlynn Luffman, sophomore in journalism and electronic media. Although Luffman may have big shoes to fill, she expressed confidence that she could live up to the legacy in her own way thanks to her background in drawing, painting and photography. “I’ve always had an art background,” Luffman said. “I love what art does and what it does to the community.” Luffman first became interested in The Rock as a freshman last year after watching Miller paint. Soon, it became a routine for Luffman to go out and watch Miller paint before games.
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“It was very cool for me to see somebody out there doing these huge murals, especially when I found out it was in spray paint,” Luffman said. When word got out that Miller was looking for a freshman protégé, Luffman was ready to step up. Although she had never used spray paint before, Luffman soon learned that it’s “about the control of the can.” Luffman’s first mural on The Rock was Smokey the Bear, which she painted after the Gatlinburg wildfires in November 2016. She didn’t intend for it to become as well-known as it would; instead, she saw The Rock as a “message board” to show support for Gatlinburg. Nevertheless, the day after she painted it, her mural was all over social media. It stayed untouched for the next two weeks. Impressed, Luffman realized that she wanted to continue painting The Rock. “I love doing this,” Luffman said. “I want to put my art up there and it have an impact on people.” To that end, Luffman also decided to use her
murals to raise school spirit during the Vols’ discouraging football season. “I want to show that Vol Nation cares,” Luffman said. “That’s what The Rock means to me.” While Luffman enjoys being the painter for The Rock, she admitted it could be difficult sometimes. Luffman said The Rock’s surface could be a difficult canvas and that natural conditions, like rain, can cause the paint to wear. Along with the difficult painting process, as a student and a part-time employee at AutoZone, Luffman also worries about the time and money that goes into each mural. Luffman buys her own spray cans and other paint supplies while also making her rent each month. Luffman described the process as “major budgeting—” not only of her money but also of her time. Luffman said she has spent up to 12 hours on painting murals for football games. “People think that the school pays me to paint The Rock,” Luffman said. “The school doesn’t pay me; I am dedicating my time and my money
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to the school.” Along with time and money, Luffman faces comments comparing her to her predecessor. “I know I’m not Peyton Miller,” Luffman said. “I’m a different artist.” While Miller’s art had a more realistic style, Luffman describes her own style as “fun and spontaneous” and likes to incorporate a cartoon aspect. Justin Buescher, junior in advertising and friend of Luffman, said that her most recent painting, made in honor of the Homecoming game, demonstrated that she is exploring her style. “She has her own style of painting,” Buescher said. “Though she has not gone for super realistic yet, this most recent Rock painting has allowed herself to know she can do more.” Despite the time, money and spotlight, Luffman said the effort is worth it because of her love for painting and UT. “I love hearing people’s reaction’s when I’m finished,” Luffman said. “It blows my mind.”
Monday, November 20, 2017