Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Today I cleaned up our good brotherly monks and sprayed on the varnish to protect the paint.  The weather was rather frigid, so please excuse my numerous and baggy layers of sweatshirts.  

Here's the view of the courtyard coming down from the steps.  One man told me he watched the Wizard of Oz the previous night and when he saw this afterwards thought it was the Yellow Brick Road -- which is decidedly this piece's title.  Thanks to all the guys and Linda who dropped by when I was painting to keep me company, share conversation, and throw in a couple jokes.  It always means a lot, and I don't forget it!  You made the process a lot of fun.  Keep warm and enjoy the Holidays!

Sanctuary

For the past two days I've been working at Sanctuary -- one of Bethesda Project's homeless shelters.  In the shelter's private courtyard, I've been working on creating an illusion of a 3D archway with a garden statue representing the shelter's theme of brotherhood.  This is what I did the first day:

Despite the cold, the process was quite pleasant.  Linda made me a cup of coffee and some of the residents came by to chat.  One man named Happy started a philosophical conversation with me about the nature and difference between knowing and understanding.  When I told him I might want to be a lawyer, he asked, "JD, how do you bring justice to a world of injustice?  How do you bring unity to a world divided?"  I was basically stumped for words the entire time, but I found his questions intriguing and plan spend some more time thinking about them.  He later informed me I would need to learn martial arts for my future and said, "Don't be afraid, JD.  Embrace the talents your Maker has given you."  At that point, I felt like a ninja turtle meeting my Splinter.  

Today when I came by, another kind man informed me that he put these pumpkins in front of the mural to enhance it's 3D nature.  I really like the effect they have; and in the summer when the roses grow over the arch the final look will be complete.  The same resident sat and talked with me about younger days when he used to fish with his father.  The man also joked that I should add spiderman and a tidal wave to the mural.  The proposition was tempting, but I had to pass.  I don't know if Father Dominic would have approved the wild departure from the sketch.  

I added flowers to the flower pot and started the garden statue of the two monks.  It doesn't look too bad from far away, but it needs a lot of detail work which I'll do tomorrow if I don't get rained out.  

Another Game Plan

Bethesda Site No. 2

As we wait for city approval of the first site design, Clare and I decided to go ahead and tackle another Bethesda location looking an extra touch of color.  She sent me to Bethesda's 20th Street location (called Sanctuary) in Philly.  I was greeted by Linda Green, the Program Coordinator of Sanctuary, who eagerly supported the idea.  Linda showed me around Sanctuary's house -- where men can stay up to two years while recovering from addictions, preparing themselves for the job market, or getting the education they need to support themselves.  Linda bustled about, turning on lights, enthusiastically greeting and introducing me to several of the residents.  Everyone, myself included, seemed to immediately trust Linda.  Gentlemen checked in with her to grab their medicines, wash their dishes, or just say hello.  The next man who walked by was a Haitian gentleman who used to be a lawyer in Haiti before he came the United States.  

"God bless you," I said in Creole.  

"Hello," he said while shaking my hand with a small, polite smile.

"Sak pase?" I tried next (slang for what's up?). 

He responded to this more enthusiastically with a, "N'ap boule!" (slang for, not much, but translates more literally as 'I'm burning up')

"What I love about Bethesda," Linda said afterwards, "is that we are allowed to be family here.  We take care of the professional aspects, but after that, we can be compassionate.  I love the human to human interaction I have here."  Clare too had mentioned this familial, warm climate encouraged by Bethesda's various programs.  Both women were right, I felt right at home.  

My goal for this project is to extend the feeling of homey warmth, possibility, and brotherhood that I felt in Sanctuary.  Linda and I decided that the wall in the back courtyard would be the perfect place to add a mural.  

I want to create two optical illusions in this mural: 1) paint a garden statue of two men arm in arm encouraging one another that looks 3D and made of marble 2) make it look like the brick wall turns into an archway covered in wisteria that leads into a peaceful garden scene beyond.

Once housing gives us the go ahead, I'll get to work!  Thanks to Linda for her openness and cheer and to Clare who has been sending numerous emails to make these murals get the permission to live on the walls of Philadelphia!

Proposal for Bethesda

 Today I rode a bright red electric bike through the streets of Philly to one of my next mural sites.  Despite my efficient and energy saving steed, I couldn’t locate 907 Hamilton Street -- home to the Bethesda Project who's goal is uplift the poor and abandoned in Philadelphia.  Some kind gentlemen on the corner of the street noticed me riding about obviously lost.  They stopped to talk to me first about the bike, “Is that electric?” and then about what I was doing in the area.  Not only did they subsequently lead me in the right direction to 907 (turned out I was right in front of it), but also one of the men carried my rather heavy bike up the stairs to the main office.  When I thanked him, he said, “Well, it’s no problem.  I would want someone would do this for my girls.” 

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all helped each other up the stairs?  This moment led to the inspiration for the mural proposal that will go before the city of Philadelphia.  Since the city owns the building, we'll have to wait and see if it gets approved.  Still, I figured I'd share the idea with you all.

The wall:

The sketch sans color:

The sketch with some rough coloring in photoshop:

People from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities help each other up a set of stairs symbolizing the various stages and troubles of life.  The mural emphasizes the benefits of community, friendship, hard work, teamwork, and ambitious dreams.  The words around the scene say, “I dream of a day when every man and woman in brotherhood live as one another’s angels.  How far we could go together up life’s staircase.”