Artist Journal 3-26-07

Artist’s Journal
Morton Brown
3.26.07

Details, details, details…from here on out, I suspect that I will be much involved in the details of this painting. I have continued to play around with placements of figures and their portraits, but now is the time to bring the details into focus.

I received a very nice picture of Florence Mattison-one of Conway’s most memorable public school educators, and have decided to make her my third historical figure. This truly seems to work, now that I have Asa Robinson (founder of Conway), JJ Doyne (founder of UCA) and Mattison (instrumental figure of the Pine Street School, an African American public school from Conway’s past).

As you can see, I have made several adjustments to these figures. To date, I have kept them over to the lower right side of the painting-suggesting that they are sitting on a park bench and watching the children playing. I tried several poses, but was very limited by the very few photographs that I have of these characters. I finally decided that they look too awkward in that corner, and moved them over to the left side of the painting. I have decided to keep them in period clothing, so that they will remain points of conversation after the mural is complete, and not merely dismissed as “extras” in the cast. Besides, this painting is still very magical, even surrealistic at times, and could allow some ghostly figures standing about. The most difficult task remaining with these figures is to capture a likeness when the actual portrait is about an inch tall (and to imagine what JJ Doyne looks like smiling…he looks too creepy in this painting without at least a Mona Lisa smile…).

I have taken most of the week this time to work on the pixilation. I want the figure to pop out from the background, but I also wanted to connect the flying kid to the pixilation in some direct way. I chose to pixilated her in certain places, forming a pixel-edge that still allows her to step out of the background, but be integrated with it. I jumped back on the computer to study pixilation once again, and I noticed that while they don’t vary in size (in relation to one another) I could play within the painting and make some smaller pixels on the figure that may help pop her out. Would a mixture of small and large pixels work in a painting, though? It did-it is almost like there are two projections running over top one another. The smaller pixels on the edge of the flying kid make her stand above the larger pixels in the sky, and it doesn’t seem to confuse the painting.

I am looking for something to place in the lower right side. It is almost okay with it being sort of open-ended over there, but it seems a little bare for now. I did remove the airplane-flying kid to make room for the three figures…maybe he will resurface on the lower right side.

I will be getting some pictures from children of Conway Boys and Girls Club, in which they will be posed to resemble the kids in the painting. I hope to replace some of these characters with those models, keeping the costumes intact, of course. I am also going to place the Pine Street School and some sort of reference to the cotton industry for next week.

Thanks again for your continued participation and support, and I’ll talk to you again next week.

-Morton

Artist Journal 3-19-07

Artist’s Journal

Morton Brown

3.19.07

I chose to develop the flying kid more fully this week. As some of you may have noticed on the website’s blog, I had added the sunglasses on this figure in photoshop a couple of weeks ago as a touch of interest, to complete her costume, and as a means of an allusion to looking towards the future.

This week I decided to render it in paint on the design. I liked it very much, but it needed more in order to speak to the future. So, I brought back the pixilation in the clouds and sky around the figure’s head. I was very reticent to bring a “special effect” into this painting, because this design was always more of a traditional allegorical effort instead of the mixture of the flat, poster/design oriented endeavor of the first design. This is something I have attempted before-mixing the traditional figure-in-the –landscape with flat design-in my studio work, but never to this degree of full environment with flat devices.

I also developed the Arkansas Traveler quilt pattern, and found that I like the play between the pattern of the quilt, the pattern on her shirt, and the pixilation in the sky. It is almost too much, but balances nicely while creating some interesting energy and rhythm. To the left of the flying kid, I have placed Col. Asa Robinson, founder of Conway standing behind the park bench where James John Doyne, founder of UCA sits. I have made a sketch-note that one of the prominent female Conway public school teachers will be sitting between Robinson and Doyne (as soon as I figure out who this should be, and I ask your opinion on this…).

I have also decided on some of the characters of the playing kids. The main figure placing the railroad tracks is dressed up in a costume that resembles a business suit from the 1940’s, but was actually taken from a photograph of a Conway railroad dispatcher from around 1905. I also added the figure of a ballerina to symbolize-not just dance-but the proliferation of culture in general: the arts that are brought to the community largely by the efforts of the universities. If you look very closely, the ballerina is playing with a farm tractor, a horse and a couple of sheep, which speaks to the agricultural history of Conway.

Also, note the buildings that have been added. Directly in front of the ballerina is Central Baptist College, as its main building looks today (with its back to the viewer). Closer to the railroad tracks-the two smaller buildings on either side of the tracks are the train depots that resided at the mural site location, as seen from around 1905. Further in the back and atop the knoll is the more developed main building of Hendrix college from the 1890’s. I have also added a Ward bus that can be seen placed between CBC and Hendrix.

For next week, I will be developing these characters, buildings and adding references to the cotton industry. I would appreciate any help or advice on the public school teacher that will sit on the park bench, and any other comments on the direction of the final design. Also-I feel that it is interesting to have some of the founders located around the park bench, but am of two minds as to how to represent them. In their current state, they are represented in period clothing-almost like ghosts-but also sort of echoing the “playing dress up” theme of the rest of the characters. I like this, but it also seems a little weird. I could diminish the period clothing, and re-dress them in more modern clothing or just sort of make the clothing nondescript as to any sort of time period (for instance, Doyne could simply wear a white button-down Oxford-type shirt without a tie and suit).

Please let me know your thoughts, and I am looking forward to bringing the design towards completion!

PS: As of this Friday, March 23^rd, I will no longer be available at the morton@sproutfund.org email address.

Please make any future emails out to bromorton@gmail.com.

Sincerely.

Morton

Reference Images 3-13-07 (2)

Here are some more reference images for your perusal.

From top to bottom:

1. Railroad station, c. 1952
   
2. Conway Depot Yard, c. 1928
   
3. Conway Depot, exterior, c. 1905
   
4. Conway Depot, interior, c. 1905
   
5. Cotton Market, Front Street, 1909
6. Colonel Asa Robinson, founder of Conway

Reference Images 3-13-07

Thanks to Sue Tebo, Slide Archivist at UCA, I have a wealth of reference images for potential use in the mural.

I have included these and my own photos for your perusal.

Enjoy!

Artist Journal 3-13-07

I am still searching for symbols to denote the future, technology, progression, etc...Just for fun, I played around in photoshop last night and added some glasses to the flying kid.

All of the children represent the future, but the flying kid is supposed to be heading off into a new day...the glasses seem to complete the costume, and adds a bit of humor with some realism of a kid at play...The glasses may not stay, but I thought I would share my investigation.

Your thoughts and suggestions are always welcome.

-Morton

Artist's Journal 3-12-07

Artist’s Journal

Morton Brown

3.12.07

I have made some progress on the design this week-special thanks to Sue Tebo and Toni Johnson for sending me some reference photos. I have found a model (my daughter, Lily) for the flying kid in the extreme foreground and-although the portrait is still unfinished-am working on bringing some life into that character.

I have also settled on a quilt pattern for her cape: The Arkansas Traveler. I gathered many patterns from my friends and relatives that are/were indigenous to Arkansas, but settled on this design as it was most interesting visually, but also had a nice sort of connotation to Arkansas history. The colors that currently exist in the quilt of the design are not final-I merely used some arbitrary colors to spec out the pattern and get my bearings. I will be receiving some actual quilt images and swatches from my relatives that will better inform the final piece (gingham and other fabric swatches will replace the flat diamonds and squares).

Note that I have begun placing some other portraits in the piece. In the lower right corner of the painting, James John Doyne (founder of UCA, aka The Arkansas Normal School, 1907) is now sitting on the park bench watching the children play, returning the gaze of the viewer, and I imagine will be greeting pedestrians and drivers coming down Oak Street. To the left of the flying kid, notice that I have developed the “teacher” a bit more. I still don’t have a good idea for reference, but I have placed her in a mock-period costume from around the turn of the century for now. She is presenting a lesson to some of her favorite PBS television characters. I will be looking at some of the more prominent female educators of Conway for inspiration.

Further to the left, the rest of the painting has been further developed. In the lower center, I have given the conductor a little more of a visage. He is now wearing coveralls and is starting to make me think of the legend of John Henry, steel-drivin’ man…Next to him is the kid sitting “Indian style”, wearing a Native American costume. Just above John Henry is the first of the model town toys to be placed in the picture. This is the Arkansas State Normal original building circa 1907, that later became Cordrey Science Building (UCA). The boy setting up the railroad tracks just next to this building will most likely represent Colonel Robinson who founded Conway by being given the land through his work with the railroad (although I am having a tough time coming up with a costume for this child, other than a period business suit…).

The other two buildings that I have merely roughed in at this point will most likely represent Hendrix and Central Baptist College that will be developed through-interestingly enough-some color post cards from an early period that was found through the UCA slide library (thanks again to Sue Tebo). The last building to the extreme left of the picture is not a church, but a rendering of Conway’s Little Green Building-the first public school in Conway circa 1879-80. I am still searching for characters and costumes to fill in these last two characters that remain unfinished. Like I said, the railroad-layer will most likely represent Asa Robinson, but I need some good pictures of him-hopefully at work, if possible…The kid with the airplane can remain anonymous, but it would be good to get an idea of an early pioneer in Conway’s transportation authority or airport.

For the next week, I will continue to bring this picture into focus, continue my research, place some school bus toys (Ward/International buses), horses and barnyard animals, Toad Suck Ferry(although our friend Kermit could stand in for the proverbial Toad Suck) and a cotton gin amidst the playset area. Adding all of these minute details may seem to be overkill, but I really want the piece to function on two levels, as I discussed last time: First, to grab your attention from a distance with a 22 foot tall figure of a kid in a quilt-cape, and secondly, with a lot of details and historical references that will make you want to stop, get out of your car, and linger and discuss upon closer inspection.

Please let me know your thoughts and keep sending me pictures and data. With the preliminary design presentation only about one month away, I will be bringing this design toward completion at a rapid pace.

Thanks again for your continued participation and support, and I’ll talk to you again next week.

-Morton

Artist's Journal 3-7-07

Artist’s Journal

Morton Brown

3.7.07

I decided to switch gears a little bit this week. From the couple of responses I received from the first design submission, I started thinking about alternate ways of depicting some of the themes of our mural. At any rate, I still have the previous design and may revisit it but I wanted to take a step to the left as I explore this project.

The design you see before you is about the future of Conway-symbolized by children at play. I plan to make subtle references to Conway’s history in the toys, costumes and actions of these children. For instance, the children that reside in the lower left corner of the painting are going to be playing inside a large model train diorama. I am planning to incorporate model buildings that represent the three main colleges in town, as well as some other historical landmarks such as the Conway Courthouse.

I also want the children to be playing dress up, and plan to have each of them wearing oversized costumes that will represent some of Conway’s founding figures and/or symbolize the passage of time through key archetypes from various important periods from Conway’s past: Currently, there is a kid in a train conductor’s hat in the lower middle of the picture who holds a model train. I plan to use actual markings from the old railroad company that frequented the area (need to research this).

To the conductor’s left, there is a kid in Native American garb. The two kids atop the knoll are undetermined at the moment, but I am thinking of making at least one of them symbolic of a prominent city planner. The kid just over the knoll between these two is playing with a toy airplane. The Conway airport may not be so important to the community that it needs to be represented in the mural, but I think that it is an important attribute to the community. I also just sort of placed it there as an interesting echo of the “flying child” in the extreme foreground.

The figure in the center of the knoll is representative of teaching/education. I envision her dressed up in a costume of one of our historical female educators. She has her toy animals aligned atop the knoll as her imaginary pupils. I feel that it’s very important to use this opportunity of scale, so I really pushed the size of the most prominent “flying” child. This child symbolizes the future, freedom, and the hopeful optimism of a bright tomorrow. Scale will be important.

The model railroad town will be so small in the design, that it will be hard to distinguish them. However, on the actual mural-rendered in 2 foot scale, these details will be something that can draw the viewer in for closer inspection. The large figure will make an impact and be graphically readable from a distance, then these smaller details will make people want to get out of their cars and stay a while-again, something we determined that was important for this mural to do.

I plan to make a subtle reference to southern culture in making his or her (this is not a finished portrait) cape a quilt from the area. I am researching many quilts from the area right now, searching for a nice pattern from around 1907. In the extreme background to the left of the flying child are a couple of figures that I plan to transform into portraits of either Donaghey or James John Doyne who was instrumental in founding the teacher’s college that would become UCA in 1907-again, to remind us of the contribution that education has made to the cultural and commercial climate of Conway.

Lastly, I just want to say that I think that this design needs a lot of work-especially on the portraits and choosing of appropriate founding figures. However, I am really interested in the way this design connects the mural to the site where it resides. The idea that these intermingling kid-symbols from all different time periods are playing “trains” on the very site of an old train depot where today stands a park-in the painting and in reality (Simon Park) greatly interests me, and I think that this type of approach will do everything that we wanted the mural to do: NOT being merely a literal depiction of historical items, symbolize a new and progressive Conway, depict as a family-oriented city, touch on education as key to Conway’s development, refer to the site specificity of the mural, and reference the past while speaking of the future.

I plan to ask the Boys and Girls Club of Conway to model and photograph some of their kids in the various poses of the painting so that I can use them as reference. I will also continue to get photos from UCA students and faculty of historical buildings and people so that I can derive costumes and places. I would also welcome anyone reading this to send me images of their children in these poses for potential use in the painting, as well as images of quilt patterns indigenous to Arkansas around 1907, images of some of the leaders of education and founders of Conway, and nice railroad pictures from days gone by in Conway.

I would encourage everyone to offer feedback to this and the previous design. I would like to hear from you. Thank you very much and I’ll talk to you again next week.

Morton

Artist's Journal 2-26-07

Art Nouveau poster ca. 1900-07

First Design iterations

I have begun work on the preliminary mural design this weekend. I have yet to secure any photographic reference, but after holding the brainstorming session on February 15, I had starting forming a composition for the piece in my mind. The mural site wall itself is 26 feet high by 36 feet wide, so I chose to make my design 26 by 36 inches. I had a vision of a group of central figures standing on a round surface-possibly the earth itself-arranged much like a poster from the 1936 World’s Fair. I have always been a fan of that old poster artwork, but for this piece I am going to need to step back a few years to 1907 if I want to relate to UCA’s Centennial.

The figures are completely made up-stand-ins, if you will for the actual persons mentioned in the brainstorming session. They are intentionally dark and silhouette-like right now, as they merely hold the place of actual portraits. I do, however, want the central figure to be a female teacher from Conway’s past. We talked about many past female teachers as we brainstormed, and it seemed that this was symbolic, but also a very concrete and important idea to include. I am going to do some more research, talk to some more Conway folks and figure out who these figures should be. I think that they should span the century, and I also may want to include a small child on the right side to further symbolize education, and the hope for the future. I like the central figure now, subtly holding a book (or lesson plans)…after the fact, her coloring, visage and stance is beginning to remind me of the Statue of Liberty…

In researching some old (pre-) art nouveau posters from around 1900, I found a lot of interesting filigree work that I was looking for—to add to the “earth” beneath the figures. This is my first stab at it, and I believe that I may pull some of the flowers that are sticking above back down to be contained inside the hemisphere, but I am really enjoying these connotations to past posters and advertisements (a bit of nostalgia), and the symbolism of new growth or rebirth sprouting from the past…

If you sort of squint your eyes, you may see that the hemisphere below the figures is replicated above them in the form of a separation in the clouds revealing a night sky filled with stars. I truly don’t know where this came from, but I was painting it right after the figures-before I went to anything else. I kept it because it also seems like a symbol of the future to me (space, the final frontier…) but also because the half-circle above and below together with the figure group almost seem to form the shape of an hourglass…which is also pretty interesting, as long as I don’t eventually deem it to be hokey, in which case I will remove it.

I have also begun playing with the pixilation idea from the brainstorming session-on the right side of the mural. I am going to make them differentiate further in size, but wanted to start with larger blocks. Again, this is symbolic of the present and/or future but I am hoping that it will also allow me to insert “screens” within the grid, possibly adding portraits or pictures of some prominent figures and symbols. Conversely, on the left side I am going to try to mimic the pixel-grid with some form of fabric swatch from around 1907. It will most likely be of the same yellow-orange of the sky, but I am working on finding some fabric that is reminiscent of southern culture, maybe grid, quilt or gingham-like that may also allow me to insert old photographs from the area, much like the screens within the pixels. My only fear is that these additions will complicate the design too much, but that is why I will digitize my design and play on the computer before resuming painting.

I like the fabric, hourglass, filigree, gradient sky and the pixilation thus far because I am trying to destroy the regular rectangle of the wall. I have often chosen to push the boundaries of the wall itself and with the push and pull of the light and dark of the canvas make the wall seem as if it is another shape-or no regular shape at all. I think this will make the piece even more striking as the viewer approaches by car or on foot, but will also make the piece “breathe” a little…I want the finished piece to feel light-weight, not heavy at all-but still retain the various layers that I am planning on adding.

Morton Brown, 2-26-07

About The Conway Community Mural Project

Conway Community Mural Project

In January, 2007, the University of Central Arkansas engaged Morton Brown in an Artist Residency in which he would lead a community mural process, much like the one outlined in this packet. The goal is to create a mural that celebrates the centennial of UCA, but includes a collaborative community process that also informs the finished work. Following is a descriptive timeline of that process:

January-February: Announcing the Project

UCA mural project committee, led by Gayle Seymour, announced the plans for the UCA Centennial Mural Project in January, 2007. The announcement was in regard to the advent of the mural, the artist in residence, and the need to garner community stakeholders for the upcoming community brainstorm session in February.

Media press releases, postcards, targeted email blasts, UCA newsletters and students placing flyers door to door worked in tandem to raise the awareness and the maximum amount of participation from the community.

February 15^th:

On February 15^th, at 6pm, a community brainstorming session was held at the Don Owen Sports Center in Conway. The room was filled to capacity with over sixty attendees from all walks of life, age and interests. Students, teachers and community members came together and spoke about the past, present and hopes for the future of Conway from their very different perspectives—and reached consensus on many topics.

The top 10 idea headings generated at the brainstorming session were:

• Importance/Influence of Education on Community: Historical & Present

• Mix of Technology & History-Visual Cues for Mural

• Site Specificity/Relate mural to its site

• Transition/Transformation of the community

• Family-Oriented city

• Industries/Past and Present

• Progression of Culture in Conway

• Growing Diversity

• Natural Amenities

• The Future

February-Mid April:

The Artist will work collaboratively with students and community members to gather images of historical figures, architecture and events that were noted in brainstorming

Artist, UCA students, and faculty will work with local public schools, creating and managing curriculum units that will allow school groups to add a lesson on mural-making and potentially connect them to the UCA Centennial Mural

Artist and UCA faculty will create and manage an interactive website that will post the community brainstorming ideas, regularly updated preliminary sketch iterations and journal notes from the artist, comments from community members, and other information regarding upcoming events around the mural project

Mid-Late April:

Presentation of preliminary mural design to community group (time and place TBD): All interested community members are invited for open discussion

May-July (as needed):

Artist makes any final modifications to design, sends it to UCA faculty for presentation and distribution

July-August:

Announcement of the final design: A media blast will occur at this point, announcing and presenting the final mural design and plans for the mural kickoff event. The UCA mural committee (and UCA students) will facilitate raising awareness of the final design and the advent of the mural by producing media press releases, postcards, targeted email blasts, UCA newsletters and students placing flyers door to door.

Prints of the design could also be displayed at this time in local shops and offices along the business district, as well as student unions and appropriate venues in local universities and schools.

September-October:

Mural painting period: Before the mural painting begins, a kickoff event will be held at or near the mural site in order to help raise awareness and generate enthusiasm about the mural. UCA faculty an students, civic leaders, and the community at large are invited to attend and speak where appropriate.

The mural will then be painted over the course of a 4 to 6 week period. Actual duration of the mural painting period might be affected by weather and other unforeseen delays.

UCA students will be engaged as much as possible in the mural painting period. The artist will make a presentation to students about archival mural paint and practices, design transferal techniques, and rudimentary scaffolding uses.

A group of UCA students will assist the artist in the actual mural painting. Duties of the students (supervised by the artist) will include pressure washing the mural surface, priming the surface, gridding and limited sketching the design, some painting of the design, and applying the clear varnish over the completed mural.

The Artist will also engage other school groups in leading on-site discussions and some on-site work when feasible

Late October:

Mural Dedication Ceremony: A dedication ceremony will occur upon the completion of the mural, and will offer an opportunity for the artist, the students and the UCA mural committee to formally present the mural to the Conway community.

A final media blast will occur as in the other two stages of the process. As in the kickoff event, local civic leaders, the artist and UCA representatives are invited to attend and speak to the public at large.

Get Involved With the Conway Community Mural Project!

We invite you to get your students and/or clients involved in our process, as we plan to hold discussions and demonstrations at the site itself while the painting process unfolds. You are welcome to schedule a field trip to the site and learn about the mural painting process first hand.

Also, we are actively seeking input from students at any level for the mural design. One way to engage students would be to ask them to draw or paint pictures that could be transferred into the mural design. Integrating youth drawings into a mural is visually interesting, but also can symbolize the hope for the future.

Ask your students to draw pictures of “An Image of what they wish to be when they grow up”, or have them depict “A futuristic scene of Conway”. Allow them to let their imaginations run wild—the more fantastic, the better. We could allow this process to run a couple of weeks, then we would need to collect them from you or receive them via email if you are able to provide digital pictures of them.

We would also like to receive nominations for a small child (age 5-10), male or female for inclusion in the mural. If you have a child that you think would make a great “actor” as a portrait of the “future of Conway”, please get permission from his or her parents and send that image, along with a brief description or bio of the child to the email address below.

Any questions, concerns, suggestions or information can be sent to:

Morton Brown
Artist in Residence
University of Central Arkansas
(412) 901-1546 cell
bromorton@gmail.com

Contacts/Resources

For more information, process examples, images of murals and mural-making, please visit or contact some of the persons or organizations listed below.

Gayle Seymour

Professor of Art History

Interim Associate Dean

College of Fine Arts & Communication

University of Central Arkansas

(501) 450-3295 tel

gayles@uca.edu

Sprout Public Art

4920 Penn Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15224

(412) 325-0646 tel

(412) 325-0647 fax

www.publicart.sproutfund.org

Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

1729 Mount Vernon Street

Philadelphia, PA 19130
215.685.0750 tel
215.685.0757 fax

www.muralarts.org

SPARC

Social And Public Art Resource Center

685 Venice Blvd

Venice, CA 90291

310.822.9560 tel

www.sparcmurals.org

Nova Color Paint

5894 Blackwelder Street

Culver City, CA 90232-7304

(310) 204-6900 tel

www.novacolorpaint.com