When CREATE Portage County reached out last summer about a mural to brighten up downtown Steven’s Point, WI, we jumped at the chance.The mission statement of CREATE Portage County is, "CREATE Portage County accelerates creativity, connection, and collaboration to advance vibrant and welcoming communities." By creating this mural we were able to check all these boxes.
Not only did this offer the opportunity to add our color story to a brand-new space, but it also offered the chance to add to the enrichment of the lives of the residents of Steven’s Point, an already vibrant community. Being able to educate people in the community through art is always an awesome feeling, and this one was a little special for me. But more on that in a minute. First, let’s talk about how this came to be.
The Request
On the corner of Main St. and 3rd St. in Steven’s Point, Wisconsin, is Bound to Happen Books and Process, a Low Waste Shop. While these shops fill their customers hearts with love from the books and decorative home goods they sell, the outside of their building left a little something to be desired. Namely the roughly 1,000 square foot brick wall which had fallen into rough shape.
This is where CREATE Portage County decided they needed a nice, big, burst of color. They were in luck because we love color here at Brick and Beauty. It was going to be no easy task, but with the right vision we knew we could transform the space.
The Pitch
What we pitched was an inspiring story about knowing the local plants native to the Steven’s Point area. The surrounding area of Steven’s Point is home to some great natural habitats, wildlife, and parks. We wanted to capture that in this mural while educating the public about some of the cool plants that grow up all around them.
In this mural we pitched to paint six native Wisconsin plants that would be incorporated with visual puns as a reminder to the plant’s names. We included Goat’s Beard, Cardinal Flower, Dandelion, Fox Glove, Bee’s Balm, and Hen of the Woods. You can guess how the visual puns can be paired with these different plants. To our delight, everyone loved the idea, and it was time for the painting to begin.
The Process Before the Paint
Before the painting could actually begin though we had to scrape off all the old paint and prime the wall. After that battle we started to make the first layers and bold statements. The plants were to be set against an impressionistic sunset with a red blood moon.
Next step was to add a pair of hands to hold some of the plants. First the outlines, and because this is a slightly surreal type of mural, we made the hands blue with pink fingernails. Again, we love us some color.
We primed the wall with a dark green, pastel blue, teal, and pale-yellow spray paint to make the backdrop a velvety pastel colored sunset. With the wall primed we were ready to get to work.
First Layers and Shaping Flowers
First layers are my favorite. It’s common thing you’ll find me saying if you hang around long enough. Before the outlines ever start is where the real magic happens. More pastel spray paints covered the primer to make the dreamlike atmosphere that would serve as the backdrop to the whole mural.
Soon it was time to make the outlines and let the creatures and flowers come to life. As the bees, lions, and chickens started to come to life I could tell the community was loving the interaction of learning about the flowers and visual puns. Some days it was hard to get work done with so many people asking me questions! But the people of Stevens Point are lovely and encouraged me to capture the spirit of the city.
A Special Flower
Finally, it came time for the last flower. I made this one special. It’s a Cardinal Flower and I saved the best for last because it’s very special for me. My grandmother passed away on 8/29/2020 and cardinals were her favorite birds. She would often give us grandkids cardinals themed gifts around the holidays. I wanted to include this flower and the bird as an homage to my grandmother. I’d like to think that she is looking down and laughing about all the people she gets to educate and entertain, enriching the lives of others through public art.
Conclusion
I’d like to thank CREATE Portage County for giving me the opportunity to brighten up this old wall that was desperately in need of a new pop of color. I think we delivered a bold new vision and redefined the color story of this little corner of Stevens Point.
I’d also like to thank the residents of the Stevens Point for their hospitality and welcoming grace. It was a pleasure to add a brighten the landscape of downtown Stevens Point and I hope I’ll get to do it again someday.
If you’re looking for a piece of public art, remember to visit our contact page and let us know what you need!