The last two weeks have been a whirlwind and a ton of fun! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and exhausted myself. I’m going to miss painting the piano, but I’m also ready to dive back into some other projects.
Tag Archives: micahrichardson
Piano Deadline is Just Around the Corner
I took Saturday off from piano painting to enjoy a sour beer festival, but was right back at it again today. The weather was hot, but under the shade of the canopy, life was good. I met more great folks and was entertained by a really fun bluegrass band, Blue Grama, who was playing as a part of Streetmosphere.
The piano is nearing finished. A bit of color here and some touching up there -is about all that is left to be done.
I got a little help on Friday.
Photo Credit: Mary Fleming
Day 8 of Piano Painting
Day 8
Piano painting for the City of Fort Collins’ Art in Public Places – Pianos About Town Program continues to be a delight! I have quite a bit of work to do, but feel like the deadline of Tuesday is completely doable.
I thought I’d share one of the more humorous and interesting conversations I’ve had while painting. It went something like this:
Girl: Do you happen to know where any dispensaries [marijuana] are?
Me: No. I actually don’t think there are any up and running yet because the city is still working to figure out some of the logistics. But I really don’t know for sure.
Guy: Wow. We looked at your painting and thought for sure you would know about all of that.
Day Six of Piano Making
Day Six: Front of Piano
This week is a busy one! Piano painting, First Friday Galley Walk, guests, meetings, deadlines – all fun stuff.
Day 6 back
Day Three of Piano Painting
Work in progress: Day 3
I think I’ve enjoyed chatting with people who stop by as I paint almost as much as I’ve enjoyed painting. Over the course of 3 days I’ve met folks from Canada, Chicago, Texas, Arkansas, California and who knows where else. My ears have had the joy of listening to incredible pianists and I’ve been lucky enough to have had a young apprentice named Mirabella do a little painting for me today. Two gentlemen sat and talked with me on day two for a long time and now I have new acquaintances! So far this experience has been pretty great!
My new acquaintances, Mike and David
Priming a Piano and Drawing on Walls
The next few weeks are going to be full of piano painting! The City of Fort Collins’ implements their Pianos About Town program to promote art and music around the city. They hire local artists to work on donated pianos for a two week chunk of time. The pianos are then placed around town for people to play.
Yesterday I was able to get my piano fully primed (the pink and mint green won’t stay) and ready to go. I must admit I felt a smidge guilty about painting over such lovely wood, but the brightly colored pianos really do liven up downtown.
On another note:
Before heading out to start on my piano yesterday, I made some art on the studio’s bathroom wall. I kept imaging a little man’s head in the black chalk bubble and so decided to draw the guy out.
I’ll call him my art for yesterday.
Reminiscing and Abstracting
11 x 14″ Ink and watercolor on paper
This weekend my mom gave me two postcards and a letter that I had written to my grandma while living in Poland my senior year of high school. Mom had found them while sorting through my grandma’s stuff after she passed away this past winter. The letters were nothing very exciting – pretty everyday even. In them I told her about plans I had and what I had been up to and let her know I missed her.
I think reading those old letters made me think about the painting I did for my grandma a long time ago, that I recently added ink to. I pulled the piece out again. While it wasn’t as bad as it started, it still wasn’t great and it definitely needed some more attention. I think I can safely say it is done now and I am very happy with it.
Sketching With Family
Ink on paper (sketchbook)
It’s been a fun-filled weekend spent with family. We’ve planted flowers, hiked, jogged – it’s been an all around good time. The card game Pinochle has also been played quite a bit around here. My family has always been pretty gung-ho about the game, while I, on the other hand, have not. This works out just fine though, as I get some good chunks of time to sketch while they are busy bidding and trumping across the room.
On another note, today happens to be my parents 45th anniversary! Amazing.
Trails
8 x 10″ ink, watercolor and acrylic on paper
I have some incredible folks in my life who are beyond supportive of my art making. As a way to thank them, I decided I would give away some small pieces of art. One of my friends really liked a larger piece I had done, called Paths, and so I told her I would make a smaller piece with a similar feel and send it her way. I’m hoping this little guy will do the trick!
Birds Flying Bike
18 x 30″ acrylic on canvas
What good was a unicycle with no pedals? Not much to most, but the two young birds flying overhead were certainly not most. They saw adventure and entertainment in the one-wheeled contraption – it had more than just ground potential.
They took to the sky, unicycle in tow. Diving and spinning, heaving and whipping the little cycle moved like a gyroscope through a glorious afternoon sky.
Micah Richardson 