**More Soon! |
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**MISC. |
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Please read to the end of the page and send your comments via our SWIFT ~ STUDIO e-Mail.
Many thanks. ... Giovanni
| The following set of photographs depict the students and the results of their efforts from the beginning of the project. They first began with a basic concept, later using original photographs of their fellow students as models, they utilized computers to design the early stages of the mural as a tangible print out document. The first four murals were based on the school's Jazz Musicians, Color Guards, Fashion Design and Culinary Arts. To better show their creative steps of development I have chosen several pictures in the order of progression per mural and have posted each mural in the same order as they were completed. |
~ COMPUTER CLASS ~
 In the computer class students began to ferment and develop their creative ideas to be shared with the rest of the class. A dialog continued while the sketches and renderings were scrutinized until a single mural theme was chosen. This basic process was repeated throughout the additional mural selections. |
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It is also fair to say that from the beginning the students had to overcome the obstacle of “thinking big” since their idea of big, meant poster size. In addition, the school faculty was also apprehensive to let us tackle any prominent wall on campus; and then there was the usual "funding" that became problematical when we needed art and paint supplies. The eventual donation from a local hardware store gave us a temporary solution when we received the desperately needed paint and brushes just as we were ready to tackle our first wall. Nonetheless, it was the students who made it all work by coming to class and absorb the large scale mural concept as I explained how it could be done based on my working experiences of nearly fifty years at my studio. The murals seen on this page were created for the most part due to the effort of the students who came on their own time to artistically create a unique work of art for their school and best of all, to be shared with the rest of the community. |
~ JAZZ IT UP! ~
| With this mural - our first on campus - we also began the buzz word that a few chosen students were to be "commemorated" in our murals. As we progressed, the onlookers grew as well as the volunteers who had never thought themselves as artist until now, and had the sudden urge to paint a mural! ...And they did. ...Please click on thumbnail 4 to view the size and scale in relation to the actual student model. |
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| There are many ways to execute murals while for this class I wanted to simplify the process even further and incorporate the use of a digital camera and computer. In essence the entire mural is first planned in every detail with a computer as a Photoshop item. Once the students have learned these basic concepts: chosing and composing a theme; how to use a digital camera to record all the subject matters within the theme; and finally use the computer to compose the final concept, and print it. This process renders their original idea into a tangible document to be shared with other artist or used to to be executed as a painting, stained glass windows or even a murals. |
~ COLOR GUARD ~
| In its simplicity this was the second mural designed by a student. He used the same simple steps as described above and once it was reproduced on the wall as a line drawing it became very easy for anyone to fill in the blank areas. Shading however, with such a large scale was at first intimidating, until gradually the students began to understand the beauty of the "Chiaro / Scuro" - light / dark - and were soon ready for the next mural. |
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At this point the students were like ducks taking to water and realized that painting murals in large scales, was to be a fun experience. Their next assignment was for each student to layout on paper an original mural rendering, the subject of the murals was to depict their fellow students while they attended class or school activities. Thus the first four murals represent Fashion Designing, Culinary Art, Music and Color Guards with a flag. Each of the now completed eleven murals are approximately 12Ft. high by 24 Ft. long; by the end of the school year - 2007/2008 - the Muralists have completed more than 100 yards of original art work. The models as they are seen in these school activity murals are the actual students and / or teachers at Santaluces High School. |
~ FASHION DESIGN ~
| By special permission one of the muralists visited the Fashion Design class and was able to snap several impressive photographs, one of these was in turn made into the third mural on campus. As one can easily see from the computerized line drawing, we used it as a guide and the end result is true to its form and original concept. |
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It was ironic how once the mural designs were sketched on the blank walls and seen by the rest of the school body, our class attendance increased. I then immediately used a different approach in my instructions saying that, "...when painting a mural it's as easy as painting in a child's coloring book,...and it's only the scale that becomes larger." This relation to an earlier simplified art experience removed any apprehension the new students to the project may have had and they soon picked up a brush and began painting. After a while they saw how well they had done and immediately one could also notice a sense of accomplishment in their faces and body language. Eventually, the blank spaces on the wall were being filled with various shades of basic color and later the Muralists stepped in to complete the mural by adding the shading and many fine details. Until now, the only problem we have experienced is caused by the texture of the wall itself. The wall is made of cement blocks with a coating of uneven rough pop-corn stucco finish, in some areas as deep and large as one half inch -- definitely not the ideal painting surface for young artists. |
~ CULINARY ART ~
| The school has a wonderful Culinary Art department which give the students the opportunity to receive instruction from superb chefs. I was the one who took this photograph and later made it into a computerized sketch for the class to use. The items / props were added later as needed to fill the space once it was laid out on the wall. The challenge for this mural was in lettering the menu on such a rough surface. |
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We had projected to complete the remainder of the murals by the end of the school year and send these final up-dates by the early part of summer. These predictions came to fruition as planned, thanks in part to the devoted students who came voluntarily each week and accomplished what they themselves at first thought impossible. It is however fair to say, that the Muralists had become so confident in the task at hand that at times it seemed we were not painting fast enough while looking forward to our next mural to begin. |
~ BRAKE TIME and HIGHLIGHTS ~
From left to right: 1-2- During one of our afternoon cappuccino breaks; 3- I am also please to note that the school newspaper, the Tomahawk Times published a feature article about our project and you can read it in this section below. Recently we have also learned that the Muralists will be mentioned in the current school year book.; 4- "The Muralists" school up-date flyer; 5- Our very own, original hallway light shade; 6- Honorable mention in this year's last issue of the school newspaper, the Tomahawk Times; 7- Last day of school celebrating with a few 2007 / 2008 Muralists. *- In addition, our local newspaper, the Palm Beach Post, came to the school in May to interview for an article about our project which included a short video clip of the "students in action" on the wall. The video is perhaps still available here >>  |
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~ LITTLE CHIEFS ~ DAY CARE ~
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~ CHORUS ~
| The chorus mural was designed by using two separate settings on campus. The curved platform on the upper left is actually part of the cement benches in the school's central court yard; the chorus teacher at the keyboard with the coral group was captured during a rehersal session in the classroom. We had also decided to elevate the platform as if on pillars with intertwined school colors thus rendering this mural with conflicting perspectives. Incidentally, the banner as you may have noticed, is intended to be a repeating theme throughout the lenght of the murals to better hold the viewer focused from one mural vignette to the next. |
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~ BAND ~
| As you can see from these next pictures, this marching band was out of uniform! ...Yes, the initial pictures was taken during rehearsal and the drummer was the only one who had time to dress in full regalia. This of course meant that the Muralists had at some point paint in the uniforms once we had sketched the mural on the wall. With this set of pictures you can also see the standard transformation from the original picture to a digital sketch and the various other steps once the drawing is on the wall. |
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~ SIGN-IN WALL ~
| I designed this mural and it was appropriately named, "Sign-in Wall." Later due to the question about where should everyone sign their name I thought it best to devote an entire mural panel to those who unselfishly contributed their talents. I then decided that since we were the modern personification of the prehistoric artists who once practiced their art in caves, we too should leave the imprint of our hand on the wall. Shortly thereafter once the muralist made an imprint of their hand, the rest of the students who had worked on the murals came forward to do the same. Here below in this mural the original six muralists have posed, sketched and painted themselves on the wall. The newspaper they are holding is a copy of 'The Tomahawk Times,' their school newspaper. |
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~ SPORTS ~
| We wanted to do this mural ever since January, yet it wasn't until mid May when we were able to schedule a photo session all at once with the needed athletes. By now the school year was nearly ending and the seniors had to be recalled for this one occasion and be part of the mural. Fortunately once we had made all the basic preparations the work on the wall moved rather quickly and we were able to finish with excellent results. I hasten to add that these athletes represent truly the best in their fields, including the basketball players who came to visited during our last painting session. I was able then to snap a picture of the actual athletes in front of the sport mural with their likeness. See item number six. |
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~ EXIT DOORS TO THE BEACH,...??? ~
| This project became the last mural we executed this year and as we had done earlier we attempted once again to fool the eye -- trompe-l'oeil – as the french say it. In this instant our challenge was to transform two sets of double steel doors into yet again, another illusion. We began by actually sketching our ideas directly on the doors and later carefully added the details. It was truly an improvised mural with the input from everyone. When it came to do the pelican we were momentarily at a loss without a reference picture until one of the muralists flipped out his cell phone and said," I think I may have a picture of a pelican,... still availble on my memory cell!" He was on the mark and by using the picture of the brown pelican on his cell phone screen, he was able to sketch the pelican on the spot! |
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I hope you have enjoyed this brief presentation of the "Muralists" updates at Santaluces High School, Lantana, Florida. Both Emily and I have immensely enjoyed this past school year and will forever remain grateful for having had the opportunity to work with such creative and delightfully bright young people. They will never be forgotten.
Many thanks, ... Giovanni |
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Embroiled |
This web site was designed and copyrighted
by Giovanni. It is constantly under 
construction and unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited.
