Friday, May 29, 2009

Oaks Bottom Mural, update


After being commissioned by the Urban Greenspaces Institute to document the historic painting in October, we're starting to shoot again now that the Summer weather has arrived.  

Yes, even if you weren't thinking it: 50,000 square-feet is a kinda large for a painting. While most large murals are being made using printed vinyl sheets, the mural at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge is being hand-painted. Much of the artwork is created using broad brushstrokes, but you  can't tell this while looking across the Bottoms. A couple surprises are included for avid birdwatchers, like the red tail hawk near the center. The giant bird is completed in fine detail down to the feather. 


Hauling and hanging aluminum scaffolding isn't in most artists' vocabulary. And judging from the Portland cafes I drop into, the closest most artists come to this is in carrying around their MacBooks. Artists Dan Cohen and Shane Bennet spending time with aluminum, below. 


If the ground looks funny, that's because it's the roof of Portland Memorial. Photos from the 8th floor coming soon. We set up a few cameras around the roof; this one has just been set up to capture a time-lapse of the West Wall being completed.
-Andrew

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