Step by step story of bookstore mural--III--unfinished?

From this on Friday morning: That's a big daunting wall. After taping off the wall, the sky is first.

To this on Saturday evening--a long two days--that may be a little "unfinished" yet.

What you see are photos of my West Texas mural for Burrowing Owl Bookstore's "Back 40" children's reading area in the second store, in Amarillo, which opened this past week.

I learned a lot doing this two-day painting, especially on mixing colors and processes. Someday when I get back, I'd like to improve a few items. First, the bison are too small, and needed to be bigger. And perhaps the vultures too. There might be a burrowing owl added, but that's up to my Daughter Dallas' approval. I also think the yuccas, and shadows could be bettered.  The Texas flag needs to have a little blue and red added at the bottom. Picky, picky.

As you get through these photos, you'll notice some details that changed as I went along.

Since my grid was originally for an 8-foot tall wall, not 10, we just painted the bottom two more green because there would be chairs or tables or something in front.

You can barely see the grid at first, so I went over it with brown paint which shows near the bottom of the wall later.

Even though this was opaque paint, I couldn't have done it without my experience in the process of watercolor painting, and that influence shows.

At the end of both days, about 9 to 6, I was pooped. And sore, from stooping to mix and climbing up and down that ladder.

• There is a lot of green. Dallas wanted it more colorful. Color always win, and West Texas needs the rain!
• The road was a mistake, so I painted it over. I thought it was too light, but Todd said it looks just like caliche. Yep.
•  I was going to paint the cloud first, but ran into real trouble getting a good gray. It was one of last things painted, other than the white outline. Dallas' advice helped a lot on color mixing. The gray in the finished cloud, and lots of other shadow work were among the last subjects painted.
•  Notice all the mixing trays, and colors. What an experiment.
• Notice all the post it notes. Those were my notes to myself the second day, of things to do to finish up.
• Lots of those were the details, like barb wire, windows flowers and the  windmill, the "calligraphy," as I've heard artists talk about the last steps.
• I spent most of a morning on the iconic  Lighthouse in Palo Duro canyon. It still tilts a bit, but not as much as earlier. Maybe there was an earthquake?

Story of a bookstore mural--II

14' x 8' mural for Burrowing Owl Books, Amarillo, after two -plus days' work

How do you paint something this big, I wondered, as I traveled to Amarillo on a mid-September Thursday? In watercolor, I think in terms of inches of paper size, not feet.

"The Back 40," Burrowing Owl Books, Amarillo

Daughter and son-in-law Dallas and Todd Bell have just opened Burrowing Owl Bookstores' second location, in Amarillo, and wanted a West Texas mural for the children's reading area. The store in a busy shopping center is twice the size of the Canyon store, which I believe is a work of art in itself.
My answers to my questions, always open to failure, are planning, and step-by-step attempts. 
Watercolor experience with paint helped, but at least I could cover up mistakes with new paint. 

This is what Burrowing Owl looked like in mid-September

People had asked if I had a projector for the sketch, and obviously I didn't. This meant the project would change as I went along, rather than being meticulously executed as the pros do it. 
In addition to using acrylic wall paint, when I arrived I discovered the wall was 14 feet wide and 10 feet tall.

That's a daunting big wall, and Lighthouse sketch.

First adjustment--Thursday afternoon the grid was expanded and  sketched with pencil.
Although most of the composition was made up, the main eye-catcher was not--it had to be a fairly accurate rendition of the iconic "lighthouse" formation in nearby Palo Duro canyon. I used my watercolor card as a guide. 
Then to look at the paint and supplies Dallas had purchased and get a few more.
Next post: step by step photos of two days "progress."

West Texas challenged--Story of a bookstore mural-I

 10" x 8" tentative color study for tentative mural, gridded to match 10 foot wall

In late August,  when my daughter called on the phone from West Texas, I answered immediately.
"Dad, would you paint a mural for us?" Dallas asked, laughing.
"I don't paint murals," said I, somewhat taken aback.
"Yes you do. Remember the crucifixion mural on the class wall at church?"
"Oh, long time ago."
"We want a mural in the children's section of our new store in Amarillo," she explained, about adding a branch of Burrowing Owl Books in Canyon. Having bought out the  stock of a another store, they've moved to a new location  and were busy renovating the place.
"How big is the wall, when, what?" I started rattling off questions.
"About 10 feet long, hopefully this month, and a West Texas scene with some of Palo Duro Canyon," she answered.

Work on Amarillo Burrowing Owl Books underway

No, they're not leaving Canyon, where Burrowing Owl books is on the courthouse square, new and used books, the only independent bookstore in the Panhandle, and a popular success.
"Let me think about it. Call you tomorrow and see if I can figure it out, and the calendar." (She knows a chance to go see grandkids, and she and Todd, is a "yes.")
I've never done anything like this. I've painted the iconic "Lighthouse" in the canyon for them, and they have cards for sale in their store, and a bison, since the Buffalos are the mascot of West Texas A&M in Canyon. 
But those are small--inches, not feet.
And when? By October, she said. No pressure, but that meant only a couple of possible weekends, hoping for a two-day job.

"Lighthouse," watercolor, inches, not feet

Ok, I agree, then the planning started: 

• Preliminary sketches and composition, with Dallas' approval. Then thinking about colors, and orientation of room, etc.
• I needed  a 2-foot-square grid on the wall, so I can transfer my smaller sketches to it and paint pretty quickly. 
• Supplies and acrylic paint  listed and forwarded.
• Three sketches: general small ink, value sketch, and today, gridded to scale with 10 foot wall, with colors washed on it--not on watercolor paper but enough to get an idea.

First sketch,  5" x 4"

Eventually, I'll pack up and go, shooting for a two-day completion. 
First the sky, and work forward, letting paint dry  one step at a time on the landscape, with plenty of paint left over for covering my mistakes.
And, some of the mural was open to, and will change, as it goes along, like the progress of the store. M.D./carpenter Son-in-law Todd is building the shelves, and answering lots of questions from people eager for the opening.

10" x 8" value sketch, notes

What you see here are the first three tentative sketches on a rough grid. I hoped, once it was done, there would be a completed mural to show for it.
If not, and it was a failure and I got "fired," I'd show you a nice repainted blank wall.
I didn't get fired. Next, see part for the story of the results and first stages.

There be Owls, and Books, there

Reflecting the county courthouse

How many owls can you count?
If you enter Burrowing Owl Bookstore in Canyon, Texas, I bet you'll lose count.
Not live ones (that's against the law), but models and stuffed toy types.
Why do I know? Because that's the bookstore of my daughter and son-in-law, Dallas and Todd Bell, which just celebrated its second anniversary in business.
With more than 21,000 new and used books on the shelves, it's the only independent bookstore in the Texas Panhandle, and probably the only one between Oklahoma City and Albuquerque and Santa Fe, 
So yes, I'm proud and bragging. 

Lots of local authors, and owls

Owls? I lost count too, and it changes, but not counting the signs, I'd estimate about 40 on my last trip this month, scattered throughout the store.
It's located on the east side of the square across from the stately Randall County county courthouse, about 10 miles south of Amarillo. The courthouse is vacant, after refurbishing funds ran out, but the exterior is in great shape, and every hour the bells chime from the clock tower.

The door is usually open, because Dallas says they get more traffic that way. When I was there Saturday morning,  people of all ages came in, buying books, asking about books, talking, browsing, even reading to their children.
Step inside and you'll find new books and stuff up front, and then used books all the way to the back where the children's section is--fiction on one side, non-fiction on the other. Those wooden bookshelves?--all build by Todd.

The first things you see will be the regional books, new and used, in cooperation with West Texas A & M University's Center for the Study of the American West.New local authors and books and displays of gifts and stuff are next.

Wardrobe entry to children's, plus an owl

In the children's section, you can walk through a wardrobe (also built by Todd), and find seating, toys and, obviously books. This is where "Granny Gray," one of Dallas' employees, comes to read to the children every week. The shop has also hosted local authors and poetry readings.
The square is no longer just the home of antique shops, victim to the strip and Walmart. Canyon bills it as the "Dining District," and there's an Asian restaurant next to the book shop, a Mexican restaurant, a new bar and grill, and a hip 1950's themed soda fountain and cafe, as well as an independent coffee shop, all walkable. The newspaper, the offices of the Palo Duro Canyon  "Texas" musical, a barber shop and other offices are also there.

One of the neatest things in the store are the "Wrapped Books." Dallas and some  employees put duplicate books  in brown wrapping paper. Then her employee Emily Hinds, an English major at West Texas, copies the first line of the book, and draws a simple image on the front. They sell for $6.50 and are in constant demand. I bought one for Susan, and she won't unwrap it, keeping it on a shelf as a work of art.
Dallas actively promotes the shop on social media, has eight employees, including occasional help from her three children who are also super active in school, my grandchildren Erin, Abby and Max. The store is closed Sundays, and early Wednesday for church.
Independent bookstores are coming back, but they are a labor of love and lots of commitment. I don't buy from A...(the name which should not be spoken for books), unless not available from independents. We're fortunate to have four good ones here. I do my best to buy my books at Edmond Best of Books since it is close, but also at Full Circle Books (terrific poetry section), and a few at Commonplace Books. Literati is new  in Paseo. I do buy used art books elsewhere.
You should too. Go browse, discover, touch, read--you can't do that on line.

https://www.burrowingowlbookstore.com/

Owls? More photos.

Children's section

Burrowing Owls and old books

Behind checkout, and yes, my watercolor of Palo Duro's "Lighthouse"

Seasonal owl

Genre Sign

Up to date owl

The door is open

Books, and owls

An owl's eye view

A year ago, Erin, Max, Abby and granddad at Burrowing Owl

The best book I've read in years

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll get hungry.
I read a lot of books, usually more that 20 a year, but this year has been slow, as I've changed along with this blog. I usually post about the books I've read as the year goes along, but not this year.

 There's only been about six or seven so far, and the most recent one...well, you read the headline.
When I saw that Rick Bragg had a new book out, I ordered it immediately. (From Best of Books in Edmond) You should too...but don't get a digital version, and don't buy from the big boys. This book deserves to be purchased from an independent bookstore, any independent bookstore. Why? Read the book and you'll know.
Just as the book is about real people and real food and real storytelling, it deserves a real bookstore and real ink and paper.
Bragg, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, is a master storyteller and writer.
His writing and storytelling are as delicious as his Momma's recipes.
His mother Margaret Bragg, now in her 90s, learned to cook  from stories and watching...no cookbook-still; no measuring cups or thermometers, no recipes. More than 70,000 meals in 80 years.

"Good stuff always has a story," she says. 

Each of the 35 chapters of the book, and don't dare skip the prologue, come with stories of generations of the  poor Alabama family, beginning in the 1920s or before and coming up through last year. Also seasoned with black and white photos of family members.
The stories all come with recipes of real Southern cooking, as he gets his mother to estimate ingredients and portions, not just the ingredients-"What you will need"--but directions on cooking.
Fried chicken--one that recently had its neck wrung. . Biscuits and gravy.  Cobbler. Ham and beans. Pies. Cornbread. Crappie. Fresh vegetables.
The list and stories go on and on. And most of them have to do with iron skillets and lots of lard or bacon grease. 
Me, this weekend, I'm going to try the recipe for stewed summer squash and sweet onions from near the end of the book. We have the vegetables from the farmer's market--and yes, you need a slice of bacon.
Opening line: "Since she was eleven years old, even if all she had to work with was neck bones, peppergrass, or poke salad, she put good food on a plate."
Buy the book. Bragg will make you laugh, cry, get hungry, and enjoy great storytelling and writing.
I'll let you know how my squash and onions turn out. And yes, all in all, it is the best book I've read in years.

Authors and books

Louise Farmer Smith chatting with book lovers today at Full Circle Bookstore.

The books and authors of the past year came more alive today when I got to meet and chat with Louise Farmer Smith at Full Circle Bookstore. www.fullcirclebooks.com/
She was here for a reading and signing of  her book 100 Years of Marriage, which arrived on my doorstep last year and I reviewed here, an unexpected book and new friend indeed. See this article from June:
http://clarkcoffee.blogspot.com/2012/06/why-did-your-mother-say-yes.html
A native Okie and award-winning author living in Washington D.C., met a large crowd and took her time to converse with each person, writing  in the books, and then blowing the ink dry, the old-fashioned way.
I already had the book, signed by her,--one of 12 I read in the first half of last year-- but she inscribed it personally to me, happy that I showed her how marked up some of the pages were. Important books always deserve to have words and original phrases underlined or checked so I can find them again.
She's the fifth author who enlivened my reading and autographed books for me last year. Craig Varbajedian and his photo book Landscape Dreams, A New Mexico Portrait and Jimmy Santiago Baca's The Lucia Poems came from our trip to Santa Fe. Here's that post: http://clarkcoffee.blogspot.com/2012/10/an-oasis-for-spirit-in-lifes-desert.html
Before that I received the landmark poetry and watercolor book, The River White, by Ada poet Ken Hada and his brother Duane, published by friend Jeanetta Calhoun Mish of Mongrel Empire Press mongrelempire.org in January.  http://clarkcoffee.blogspot.com/2012/01/rhythm-of-water-review.html   Later in the year, Ken signed the book for me at the First Sunday Poetry Reading  at Beans&Leaves,  organized by poet Dorothy Alexander. http://www.facebook.com/BeansandLeaves
Most recently, friend and author Kent Anderson signed his latest novel  to Susan and I, The Silver Cross, another suspense thriller set in Oklahoma and Texas. We bought it at Best of Books in Edmond. www.bestofbooksedmond.com/
Kent's was the last book I read this year, the seventh in the last six months, which included Varbajedian and Baca.
Others that rounded out the year were Austin Kleon's Steal Like and Artist, and Newspaper Blackout--books found by mistake that helped my creativity.
Two spiritual books included The Evolution Angel by Dr. Todd Michael, was an emergency physician's lessons from death and the divine, and Dr. Doris Cohen's Repetition, a clinical psychologist's take on past lives, death, life and rebirth.
Reading is so much more than picking up a book.