​Travis Gillan and myself were recently commissioned by the Fort Collins Mural Project to paint a very large (close to 1,000 sf) three sided mural. The wall is located directly behind Equinox Brewing in Old Town Fort Collins.
(40°35'10.8"N 105°04'34.4"W)
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First we started with a drawing session. During this time, we did many thumbnails and talked about general compositional ideas. Once we had a loose idea of a layout we began drawing the design in a free style manner. This process was a lot of fun and Travis ended up doing the inking and revisions to the drawing later. I did the initial coloring of the design then we worked it together and made the final tweaks. (see original sketch below)

We painted the entire piece with aerosol cans and without the use of any brushes or tape. I am very comfortable with cans and Travis had mainly used brushes in the past but he caught on quick like a true mark-maker. 

​The opacity of spray paint is part of what draws me to it. The combination of arching motions with the arm and delicate finger feathering is a dynamic combination of movements which make for an enjoyable experience using aerosol. Getting all the smells of the alleyways, talking with passerbys, and slightly sunburnt legs are just part of the amazing experience painting large scale murals. 

Follow Travis Gillan here:
​ www.instagram.com/travisgillan/

I started my weekend the right way by planning a trip to watch one of my favorite artists paint a mural. Peeta was the selected artist for a new projection overlay creative project located in Downtown Fort Collins. Plus, I always love an opportunity to visit one of my favorite places. So Anna and I made the trek. (car snacks included) 

Upon arriving to the mural, we find two men painting with brushes! They painted the entire large wall using just latex paint. (house paint) No generators or piles of spray cans, Peeta uses just 3 brushes on a mural that size (rollers to) He was very generous with his time explain his process and preparation with his mural work. He had a fellow artists, Luke, from their home country of Spain helping with the mural painting. 

I am super intrigued by how he blends the tasty ultramarine blue in with the rest of the color scheme. That little slice of white on the turquoise cube just feels right... He is a master at creating a coherent abstract form that is 100% believable. It's as if you believe you have seen these shapes in person, underwater, growing on coral. 
A little bit more info about the project:
Where is it located?
40°35'18.2"N 105°04'27.2"W
Or directly behind “Elliots Martini Bar’” in the pedestrian alley walkway
Who is Peeta?
Peeta is an artist from Spain who travels the globe making art. Being in such high demand, currently he spends more time traveling than he does at home. Aside from murals, he also creates fine art for galleries and sculptures of his signature style.
Who brought Peeta to Fort Collins?
A city funded project, AltEthos was awarded the contract. AltEthos is a creative company with focus on interactive visuals. They create active environments based on viewer interaction and are the installing and running the projections. AltEthos worked with a Denver based art curator, Ryan Connell, to facilitate the practicalities of securing Peeta as the artist for the project. 
What is the projection mapping aspect of the mural?
AltEthos is installing motion activated sensors to kick-start a projection mapping overlay at night. The project is part of a larger overhaul of the Downtown area by the City of Fort Collins. Located just a few steps from the new Curtis Hotel, this project is setting a new creative bar for what City planning can be.