biomimi

So this past Saturday May 7th there was an open house at the Bowery Mission where you could have saw my 2 murals (this one and my Stain Glass Mural) in person. It was featured as part of the New Museum‘s Sustainable Cities theme during the Festival of Ideas. These murals are to an addition/promotion to their new green roof. Here’s an article on the event! http://inhabitat.com/nyc/photos-the-bowery-mission-inaugurates-its-rooftop-farm-during-the-festival-of-ideas/

Base coat

Stenciling the words

Finished Fruit and Veggy Mural

“Someone’s going to take a bite of that wall one day. They’re going to bite into that strawberry thinking it’s real.”

To be honest I don’t know how I got that strawberry to look so realistic. I wasn’t thinking really when painting it. It was sort of instinctive and the fastest I’ve ever painted anything this size. Only took 2 days.

Complete with Verse

I gave The Bowery the honor of picking what it would say below and they chose this appropriate and inspiration verse about overcoming hardship from Mark 4:8.

I want to especially thank Matt Krivich from the Bowery Mission for giving me this amazing opportunity. And I hope that The Bowery enjoy my little gift of art through the years!

I just finished my stain glass styled mural! The mural is painted at the Downtown NYC, Bowery Mission on their metal door at the top of the stairs leading out to the roof.

“When I first saw it, I looked up and thought the door was open and someone had already planted the garden on the roof.” -Peter from Bowery Mission.

…which was exactly my concept behind the mural and I was so happy to hear that several people were fooled, thinking it was open or that it was glass.

Click Here for the Stain Glass Mural- Progress entry.

Door before

Door After

My Concept/ First Impression coming up stairs..

Stain Glass Mural from bottom of stairs

If you wanted to see my brush strokes..

Stain Glass Mural Close Up of Top

Stain Glass Mural Close up of Bottom

Here’s a little teaser of the second mural I’m working on for the Bowery Mission.

Fruit and Veggy Mural Teaser

Click for finished Fruit and Veggy Mural

Hi Everyone!

I’m working on another mural now. This time it’s at the Bowery Mission. It’s the doorway on the top of the stairway opening out to the roof. The idea behind it is that as you walk up the stairs it appears as if you are looking out into the sky and planted roofs, in hopes to bring inspiration to the residents of the homeless shelter.

The Bowery Mission is expecting an installation of a green roof soon that may be featured as part of The New Museum’s Festival of Ideas in May where my murals (yes, a second one coming soon too) and the green roof will be featured as part of the Sustainable Cities theme.

stain glass mural sketch

Week 1

Week 2

This is the current state. Almost done!! :)

Click to see finished mural.

I want to talk about something that most New Yorkers face, something that I call the “New Yorker’s Dilemma.” I have spent 4 years of my college life fighting it and I must say I’m losing terribly. Many people deal with it their whole lives.. either (a) without knowing it (b) they have no choice (c) they can’t get out of this vicious cycle (d) all of the above <<that’s me!

Symptoms:

• fatigue
• addiction to work
• anxiety and stress
• lack of life
• ulcers
• panda eyes
• frustration
• loss of friends/social life
• depression
• loss of hair

If you are a victim or know one, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Art students,  business owners, architects, wall street employees, ivy league students, commuters. We work too hard and have no life! It’s the cost of working in a city like New York. Yes it’s the city of great opportunity, but too many people I know get sucked into it, trying to get to the top of the money ladder because it’s seemingly possible here. But that money goes to high rents or long commutes anyways.

Our choice: work hard > pay rent > work harder > pay more rent> work to death?

Then what? I’m frustrated and I don’t even make money yet! All of my friends and family work like this and so do I. All because I choose to be an overachiever and do the impossible.. 5 year double major with the two most intense and demanding programs in my school, Architecture and Environmental Studies… spending at least 18 hours a day on school work and on top of that running a non-profit. Great!.. why am I complaining? I realize this isn’t a happy healthy life for any of us, so I present the cure.

Cure:

…I wish I knew. Please, if you know, please leave it in the comment box. Thanks!

P.S. Had to change blog so you will need to resubscribe to my blog by clicking the little orange RSS icon. Sorry. Thanks!