Thank you to everyone for your interest, curiosity and support in creating the mural at SUNY Albany’s Hillel. This was a labor of love for me and everyone involved, especially in getting the opportunity to beautify sacred space. I’m definitely looking for more murals to work on, so please keep me in mind if you have some blank wall space that needs beautifying.
My biggest thanks go to Tobi Kahn for connecting me to the project, to Arts on the Move and Jackie Miller for funding and incredible support, and to Aviva Snyder for incredible on site support, humor and painting assistance.
I’ve gotten lots of questions from folks about how the mural was conceived of and the process for painting it, so I’ll try to answer those here.
Where can I see photos of the mural, the painting process, and the evolution of the idea?
I’ve got lots of photos on flickr, here are a few to begin with -
How was the project conceived of and structured?
In December of 2007 I was had the honor of being selected by Arts on the Move to work with the SUNY Albany Hillel community do design and create a mural for their sanctuary space. The space was interesting – a Christian church has its sanctuary next door, and a sliding back wall can open either space to a multi-purpose room behind. There there were two and a half walls that were available for painting, the others are a lovely light wood. There is a small skylight in the upper corner of the main wall, and beautiful drop lighting (reminds me of Christian Boltansky), but it was fairly plain.
The idea of the project was to get students really involved – from design through painting. You’ll see below their involvement in the design process, and you can see in the photos their involvement in the painting process.
How long did it take?
On my end, at least, planning and studies began December 2007, I went to the site and met with the students at the end of January, 2008 (where we completely revised the project, see below), and I went up and painted for five days straight (intense!) the first week in April.
Who painted it and how?
[The first three photos are student volunteers, the last is me up on a ladder doing detailing on the flames].
The central idea was to have a really collaborative process that the students could be involved with from start to finish – so I tried to design as many big shapes as I could that they could work on. Jackie was with us for the first two days, Aviva work on it an incredible amount, I lived in that room for five days, and a bunch of really great kids came in and out to help out throughout the week. A special thank you to Joann for giving so much of her time and skill – the wax part of the havdalah candle is really her baby (you have no idea how many coats of “dark clear” white that piece took in cleanup! thanks for rallying with us Joann!).
What’s the story with the abstract silkscreens in the hallway?
The amazing thing about art is it is all about process and change. When I first got the commission, my only instructions in terms of content were, ‘we like what you do, and we want something bright and lively’ – so I did a bunch of studies in my style of abstract work, keeping in mind that we wanted large shapes so students who weren’t painters (i.e. – all of them really), could be involved in painting the mural. Those are the studies you see hanging in the hallways.
The adults involved in the project really like the studies; when I went up at the end of January to meet with and talk to the students, it was clear they didn’t resonate for them. We had a full day of conversation, with suggestions going back and forth – it was a really collaborative process.
For more details, here’s my blogging from the painting week:
Day 1 – Sunday
So incredibly happy and excited to have completed day one of the mural here in sunny Albany (sunny, but cold). Aviva and her husband have been lovely hosts (I’m typing this on their computer after they fed me a great, home-cooked meal); Aviva, Jackie and I spent the day in the sanctuary getting supplies set up, getting about 80% of the drawing done, and getting started on the painting!! Definitely happy with how much progress we made today.
The color for the flames was interesting – I ordered this dark burgundy, but it’s closer to a fuschia… turns out that one coat of that with one coat of a light orange over it gives a great effect. I wish we’d done that with the text (shalom salaam peace – if not now, when?) but we started with an orange, so I’m going to see how it looks tomorrow with an orangy yellow over top. When the letters and flames are done, both will get gold leafing…
I can’t believe that with all this prep time we’re finally painting – so much fun!!! Wheeee 
I will take pics starting tomorrow and hopefully post them soon (they’re putting me up in a hotel after tonight so I don’t know what my computer access will be, will post the pics when I get back to NYC if I can’t post sooner…). Wish me luck!!
Day 2 – Monday
OMG! Does life get any better than this?!?!? Spending all day painting a huge mural – this is so much fun I really don’t have any words to describe it!!! wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! (so much for that professional artist voice eh?) wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
Today I’ve had help from the amazing Jackie, a couple of lovely Israeli students who stopped by (unplanned) and a great student Yael, many thanks for all those extra hands! So we’ve got the hamsa sketched in with a first coat of paint, a second coat on about half the text, the background finished for the tree of life, the tree and heron sketched in and the trunk and branches painted (first coat), and the havdallah candle about 1/2 painted in for a first coat. I’m hoping this pace holds up, but we’re making really good time right now.
It’s just such a joy to be painting all day – I haven’t had this since I graduated and wow have I missed it. And there’s just something so much freaking fun about painting a mural – having a whole wall (actually two and a half walls, but who is counting?) to play with! Off to rest these weary bones, more tomorrow
Day 3 – Tuesday
Hard to believe, but Tuesday is over, day three is down, two days left to paint up a storm! It’s going great – I don’t think I could have asked for things to go any more smoothly. The tree is now in, the hamsa has a second coat, more of the flames are in (and more that were in yesterday have second, or third coats, or detailing), the letters are getting cleaned up, and the havdallah candle is really coming together.
Had to quit early tonight because one of the other groups is using the communal space, but that’s ok, I’m getting a little fried, we’re making good time, I can deal with cutting out a little early tonight
Aviva just sent me some pictures from yesterday, they’re now live on Flickr. Off to go scavange up some food for dinner!
Day 4 – Wednesday
Yesterday (day 4) was incredible – the havdallah candle came to life and is almost finished, the hamsah totally came together, we finished the flames (at least the ones drawn in, I’m thinking there might need to be one or two more up top), the heron went in (and is one of my favorite parts now), and the tree of life is coming along – still having some problems trying to get it to settle down – I designed it as a papercut, which made lots of sense on paper, but on the wall it’s been fighting me a little bit…. Today (day 5) is my last working day so I’m off to to touch ups, layer in more layers on the really transparent colors, and try to get the gilding to work (wasn’t going great yesterday, hopefully we can get it to come together today). Don’t know if I’ll be able to post again before I’m back in NYC tomorrow, but I’ll have lots of pics to post then…
Beautiful sliver of a moon out as I drove in early this morning; walked into the sanctuary – it was pitch black out and only the ner tamid was lit – it’s been a crazy race to get this done in five days, but it was a really still, pure, holy moment. I feel so incredibly blessed to be doing this work and to be doing it in sacred space. Sending love and blessings out to everybody who has written with support and enthusiasm – thank you all. The sun is starting to rise – pale pinks and blues are starting to show over the trees – I’m off to paint
Day 5 – Thursday
Thursday was a long day of gilding and cleanup. Since we were (unfortunately) working with the wall white, which was, as Aviva put it so well, dark clear, it took 4 or 5 coats to actually clean up anything… And the gilding – it looks really beautiful done – that’s what I’m focusing on… Wow I don’t think I’m going to plan on gilding that much any time soon – it looks great, but a lot of work.
We crashed out around 9 – I just couldn’t see straight anymore or climb up that ladder one more time; finished up the last hour or two of work first thing in the morning on Friday, and I got on a train at noon and came back home to NYC and an amazing Romemu service. Life is good!
