When Block Party relaunched in 2023, I was on the list to paint one of the canvas mural walls with a Texas ring-tail cat. Hosted by SprATX and Kick Punch Bite, the event took place at Clive Bar on Rainey Street.
This 8’x8′ canvas mural was painted entirely with aerosol paints in front of a live audience over 4 hours and 45 minutes. I chose a limited color palette of oranges, pinks, purples, and deep blue that many complimented throughout the night!
In partnership with Kick Punch Bite, this unmounted canvas is available at an incredible price.
Design Studio Process
This wasn’t my initial concept. I was going to paint my fae frog character fast asleep, drooling on a lily pad while a koi fish brought a snack. When we were told we’d have the opportunity to sell the canvas following the event, I knew I’d have to come up with something different within the four days before the event. Time to initiate a design studio methodology!
Through Facebook, I gathered some data on what types of art people would get in their homes at an 8’x8′ size, regardless of cost. From a swath of new artists and old masters, general suggestions of theme, and requests they would make directly from me, I found some trends in color palettes, subjects, and themes.
From there I created five different 2″ concept thumbnails, which were then voted on through a poll in my Instagram stories. This concept remained in the lead throughout the voting process. I did a quick color palette test of it in my backyard before the show.
The other concepts will be used or repurposed at a later date, but this was a delightful exercise in community involvement. It’s always neat to get to use my UX background in more artistic contexts.
I had so much fun at Block Party! It was super nice to have my old neighbors show up to cheer me on. I also made an extra presh teeny respirator for my needle felt alien cutie and took silly video clips for a reel.
Again, please visit Kick Punch Bite’s website, if you are interested in adding Ring-tail Around the Moon to your collection.