Making of a Mural Archives - EGD

The Making of a Mural: Swallow-tailed kite Wings

Erica Group Kiel — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 21:53:27 +0000

Well, here we are! The end of a chapter. This morning was bittersweet as I unveiled the last installment in the Wing Of The West Series. The 6th and final set of wings reside at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge in DeLeon Springs. This location was the perfect setting to wrap up the series. I have always LOVED taking walks with my best friends on the refuge. One of my first dates with my now husband was a cool winter walk around the preserve. Needless to say, Lake Woodruff holds a special place in my heart. The idea of my artwork living in such a special place is pretty unbelievable.

Candice Stevenson, the manager at the refuge, contacted West Volusia Tourism after seeing some of the other wings I had created and asked to be considered as a location. Georgia Turner and I were thrilled at the opportunity and felt it was a great fit for us. We scheduled a meeting with Candice and got a VIP tour around the refuge in one of the few vehicles allowed on the property. We all agreed the two giant oak trees would make the perfect shaded canopy to house the wings. If you’ve ever been out there, you know they provide the only bit of shade on the loop. We stood in the future location of the wings and knew it was the perfect fit. The backdrop could not be more picturesque!

The construction of these wings was much like the last two sets. I drew each wing on a large piece of marine-grade plywood and my dad cut them out with a jigsaw. Next, sanding and priming to prep the surface for paint. (My dad also helped a lot with this since I am 6 months pregnant). I laid down a base coat of gradation from white to black and then had fun adding the detail. Believe it or not, the cheap little chip brushes gave me the texture and stroke I was looking for. They perfectly feathered the white into the deep gray just how I was hoping.

As with the rest of the wings, it was very important to me that the wings blend into their new environment seamlessly. Volunteers at Lake Woodruff installed four posts in the ground to anchor the wings.

My dad and I brought the wings in the back of his truck, along with some tools for mounting and a basket of touch up paint on the day of installation. Many hands made light work and we hung them in no time. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was perfectly cool and the trees protected us from the glare of the sun. A little bit of time spent touching up spots from transportation and they were ready for the big reveal! We, of course, had to stop at Danny’s Ice Cream on the way home. It felt like the perfect way to celebrate.

And so, the Wings of the West series is complete! I am thrilled to see it all come together and to now promote the Wing Trail. It is our hope that people will tour around our awesome county and collect photos with the wings along the way. Creating this series has truly been a dream come true. I am so grateful to Georgia Turner of West Volusia Tourism and Michael Benedict of Benedict Advertising for dreaming up this series and allowing me to create it.

Life is sweet.

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The Making of a Mural – Part 4 – Scrub Jay Wings

Erica Group Kiel — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:18:15 +0000

My fourth Wings of the West instalment has officially been unveiled! You can find the massive scrub jay wings at the Lyonia Preserve in Deltona (2150 Eustace Ave.) They are on the North side of the amphitheater in front of the pollinator garden. Imagine, standing on the path in the pollinator garden taking a picture of someone in front of the wings and butterflies are fluttering around you.

Let’s back up…a couple months ago, Georgia Turner and I met with Sandra Falcon (Manager Lyonia Environmental Center) and Ann Collins (Deltona Library) to look at the proposed location for the wings. We all agreed this wall adjacent to the pollinator garden was the perfect spot. It seems to be a common thread that the walls I select for these murals are challenging for painting. This wall was no exception. The top half of the wall is stucco with deep ridges dividing it into thirds. The bottom half of the wall is a very textured concrete brick. We all agreed the best way to create this would be to mimic the process I used for the fairy wings in Cassadaga.

I sketched a design, researched color and began “construction”. I drew the outline of the wings on two large sheets of marine-grade plywood and my husband cut out the pattern with a jigsaw. Filling, sanding and priming were necessary to prep the wings for color. I grabbed a brush and my grey paint and began creating the outlines for the added detail. The first bit of color on the plain white surface is always a bit nerve-wracking. Once that first stroke has been made though, it’s full steam ahead! I referenced my sketch and the images of scrub jays provided by Lyonia and dove right in. Two hours later, I was starting to see the results I was hoping for. I took a break to rest my hands and mind and returned with a fresh set of eyes. I added the shading and highlights and a few small details a called it a day. The next step wouldn’t be as fun…I cautiously painted the edges and gave both wings a solid clear coat to protect them from the elements.
Yesterday was installation day! Rusty and Chad of the Volusia County Library team generously offered to pick up the wings from my parent’s shop where I constructed and painted them. We met at the preserve and discussed our plan for installation. They were incredibly patient, diligent and hard working. They took such care in transporting and handling the wings. They cautiously hung the wings and took all necessary measures to hide signs of the hardware used in mounting. They truly went above and beyond to make sure everything was just how I wanted it. I can’t compliment their efforts enough!!!

We had a great turn out at the unveiling this morning and the big reveal when we released the tarp was as “dramatic” as I was hoping! Thank you to EVERYONE who has supported this project and all the hands that were involved in making this such a success. If you haven’t visited the Lyonia Environmental Center, please do! You won’t be disappointed. It’s both educational and beautiful. We are heading into some beautiful weather, so get out there and enjoy the trails and experience the beauty of the scrub jays!

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The Making of a Mural – Part 3 – Fairy Wings

Erica Group Kiel — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:09:28 +0000

My third wings of the west instalment has officially been unveiled! They are located at the end of a whimsical, winding fairy trail in Cassadaga. The trailhead starts at the corner of Chauncey and Seneca St. This set of wings is unique in many ways, but one big difference is the fact that they are not painted on an existing wall or structure like my previous murals. Why? Well, they really are in the woods!

When I did the first site visit, I looked at several options along the fairy trail. The chosen location was a hands down, no brainer kind of decision. As I walked the trail with Georgia Turner and Dawn Medley, we were approaching what seemed to be the end of the trail. There was a large pine tree strattled above the trail that had likely wedged itself into place during one of our hurricanes. Beyond that was an even larger pine that had fallen directly onto the trail. A walkway sized “gap” was cut out of the larger fallen pine to allow foot traffic to continue down the path. To me, this was the perfect gateway into what would be the home of the life size fairy wings.

From there I began brainstorming and sketched an initial design. I knew I wanted them to be very whimsical and dainty. Since there was no existing structure, and I wanted them to feel organic, “floating” wings was the answer! Since they would be spending so much time with Mother Nature, special care was taken in selecting the materials for the wings. 4’x8’ sheets of marine grade plywood got the project started. I drew the outline of my design and my husband, Jeff cut out the pattern with a jigsaw. I primed and sealed the wood to prevent mildew and then it was time for the color!

Choosing the colors was a challenge, but in the end, I was very happy with how they all tied together. Fine glitter dust incorporated into the paint was a MUST! Fairy wings have to have fairy dust! I loved how sculptural the mural was and wanted to emphasize that with metal scroll details extending off each side. My dad is a welder and metal fabricator and happily turned this vision into reality. He also constructed support and mounting boards to the back of the wings to make install easier.

We planned an installation a couple days before the unveiling to leave room and time for any unforeseen hiccups. The in-house carpenter of Cassadaga, Bill, secured two posts into the ground prior to the scheduled installation. The wings were transported in the back of two trucks to the site. Our sparkly caravan delivered the wings unscathed and without any threat of rain. It was all hands on deck as they were hoisted into place against the pre-set poles. Minor adjustments were made; “up a little, no down a little…perfect!” and one at a time, the wings came to life. They fit into their setting just as I hoped…almost as if they grew right out of the ground.

Creating these wings brought me through a nostalgic journey down memory lane. Growing up, I had the joy of knowing a woman named Joan Powis. She was our next door neighbor for many years. A lovely English woman with a beautiful outlook on life and a vivacious soul. She left a special impression on me. She too was an artist. She taught me; to really notice the little things in life, that it’s never too late to learn how to play the piano, that a glass of wine can put you at peace with the world, that food can be described as gorgeous and to believe in fairies.

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The Making of a Mural – Part 2 – Peacock Wings

Erica Group Kiel — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:01:04 +0000

I’m proud to say I’ve completed the second set of wings in the Wings of the West series!

This set is tucked away in the Pioneer Art Settlement in Barberville.

Peacocks reside in the settlement and were the perfect muse for this set of wings. The scale of this set of wings falls somewhere between adult and child size to please the generations that frequent the settlement.

I was challenged by another uneven surface during this project. The texture of this wood structure makes the mural that much more authentic and therefore, worth every bump along the way.

I was especially excited to work with a range of metallic paint for this mural.

The gold made all the difference in the world in making the details pop. I was fortunate to have beautiful weather each day I worked on this mural!! It was so peaceful out there. Thank you to my sweet mom for keeping me company on my last long day of painting!

As many of you know, I just got married!! I’m proud to say I am Erica Kiel, now! I’ve decided to keep my maiden name for my artwork though, so you’ll see I will continue to sign everything as Erica Group.

– Until next time!

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The Making of a Mural – Part 1

Erica Group Kiel — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 15:54:52 +0000

I’ve begun the second set of the Wings of The West murals!

This time, I’m in Barberville at the Pioneer Settlement. Peacock tail feathers adorn the side of an old wood building. Another challenging surface, but I’ve practice from the bi-plane wings mural.

Much like the DeLand Wings, this set is also off the beaten path. I think the thrill of the hunt and the glory of the discovery is part of the fun! The scale of these wings fall between adult and child size to draw generations. I’ve so enjoyed choosing the paint for this project.

Iridescent and metallic details are making an appearance. The “eye” of the feathers are near completion.

Next up, the body and long feathers will finish the mural!

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