A Mazed Artist

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Part of my "same-old, same-old" was my most recent mural in the Buckeye State.  But, even it wasn't really a same-old kind of experience.  Let me tell you how things happen in my life.

When I last painted overseas, in Mexico, I traded services with a dentist.  I painted a mural for a deserving grandson while she took care of a root canal and crown.  Who won in that exchange?  It's my feeling that everyone did, especially the very lucky grandson.  But, I knew it was one of those wonderful experiences that only happen outside of the borders of the good old US of A and never inside those borders.

Or so I thought.

My pastor connected me with a chiropractor in need of an artist.  The name of his practice had "Back Pain" mentioned in it.  In passing conversation, I said, "I wish you took care of feet."  Sometimes, it's not good to get what you wish for.  Other times, things just fall into place.  This  was one of those "fall into place moments".

The chiropractor was willing to exchange services.  I received treatment that helped my feet and a local church received a community mural for a newly finished Sunday School classroom.  Everyone won, especially a collection of children around six to nine years old.  You can read the full story here.  If you want the rest of my a-maze-ing tale, you'll have to read on.

Networking is not high on my skills list.  I have lots of talent.  Networking just isn't one of them.  It doesn't stop me from trying.  I have contacted every United States Embassy to tell them about my community murals.  Closer to home, I have written to nearly every school in the neighboring five or so counties.  And, in Columbus, I've contacted all of the neighborhood area commissions to introduce what I do.  It's my conclusion that most people simply delete anonymous, unsolicited emails like mine. Most of this networking has done nothing for me.  Like I said, it's not one of my skills.

Now, if I can get my foot in the door and share what I do, that is a completely different experience.  And, I got my foot into Netcare, a 24/7 organization that provides mental health and substance abuse crisis and assessment services where I live.  My connection was Allan, who heard me present my murals at an area commission a few years ago.  He kept my business card and remembered me.

Netcare didn't exactly want a mural.  They wanted an a-maze-ing labyrinth where people who strolled their courtyard could peacefully wander.  And, when they finally reached the drainage grill in the center, they could throw their worries down the drain.  So, I met with a few people at Netcare.  I told them I had absolutely no experience with what they wanted.  (Sometimes, you just have to be honest.)  However, I wasn't afraid of paint.  And, I assured them that everything would be touched up before I said it was finished.  When they saw the quality of my murals and heard some of my travel stories from Africa, the deal was sealed.

A-maze-ingly, I was going to paint a maze.

It is much, much easier said than done.  The maze came with a diagram and around 80 numbered rectangles of a stencil pattern that needed to be adhered perfectly on the cement surface.  It would have been easier if four two-person teams assembled the stencils.  There were just two of us.  Now, if there were four working teams, of course, something could have gone wrong.  The stencil patterns might not have aligned perfectly.  Nobody would really know who made the mistake.  However, everyone could sit back and blame problems on another group.  When there's only one team working, it better be perfect.

It took an entire day to get the 80 stencils applied with a-maze-ing perfection to the concrete surface.  It was, unfortunately, the sunniest and warmest day we've had in Ohio all year.  I'm not usually one to complain about glorious weather, but it was hard to line up the pattern in the glaring sunlight.  And, when the day was done, I was a mazed artist.  In case you aren't sure, that's not really a good thing.  The job required crawling all over concrete.  I used gloves to protect and cushion my hands.  It helped.  Allan had knee pads, but said they hurt as much as they helped.  I crawled around with a pillow to cushion my knees.  It barely helped at all.  By the end of the day, I ached everywhere.  It was a-maze-ing how many new places could hurt.  And, it was equally a-maze-ing how long everything hurt.  Allan and I both agreed that the stencil should have been applied by a bunch of twenty-something artists from the Columbus College of Art and Design.  They probably wouldn't have ached at all. 

 I certainly hurt the following day when we applied the paint.  And, I hurt the next day as I started touching up the edges.

I'm used to touching up projects.  All murals require touching up and that's when I shine as the invaluable artist to finish off the work.  I knew all along that I would need to touch up this a-maze-ing maze  I just didn't realize how a-maze-ing I would have to be.  The seal for the adhesive stencil patterns probably would have worked just fine on a gym floor.  We didn't paint one of those.  It was concrete and just as bumpy as you would expect it to be.  The adhesive wasn't meant for that kind of surface.  Paint seeped under the stencil.  I had to go back and touch up the entire border of the maze.  So very fortunately for me, we had several days of rain in the Buckeye State.  I stayed home until the following week and it gave me time for my muscles to recover.

I felt wonderful.  And, as you may expect, a mazed artist completed the task and it simply looks a-maze-ing.

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One a-maze-ing labyrinth patiently waiting for a dozen huge potted plants and several new park benches