Artist Journal by Raelyn Lawson, UCA student

I originally signed up to work on the mural because I wanted to learn the process. Now that this project is nearing its completion, I can say that this experience has largely been a positive one, but I can also say that I don’t see myself becoming a muralist professionally –at least not an outdoor one. While I love painting large, painting outdoors has its extra challenges. In the beginning of the semester, the heat made work hours considerably uncomfortable. At times, the sun’s brightness could be overwhelming and made it difficult to see, and of course, there was always the threat of rain, which would prevent us from working and cause wet paint to run down the wall. An outdoor muralist also has the challenge of ensuring that the mural is of high enough quality that it will not be damaged by weather in the years to come. Overall, I enjoyed working on the mural. I love the idea of public art and the idea of knowing that I participated in something that will last as long as city hall. I like doing collaborative projects with other artists. However, despite all the positives, I have to say that if I ever paint another mural, I can say for certain that it won’t contain lots of small, extraordinarily detailed buildings.

Raelyn Lawson, UCA student