This is a mural that I want to share and remember, partially because the amount of time I spent near this historic bus yard were among my first years living as an artist in Boston. Also because it was a cool part of Boston's growth and historic change to be a part of.
Here is a link to the facebook page of this particular event....
https://www.facebook.com/pg/BartlettEvents/photos/?tab=album&album_id=465029996906704
This piece was done from a sketch, there was a natural grid on the surface itself, it was a metal door with 9 panels, I photocopied my small 10"10" inch sketch and used a light box to create stencils, I enlarged the sketch 1200%.
Here is an image of my original sketch, still have it, sectioned into panels and everything. It is great to keep original sketches should I ever want to recreate, or rework this mural in a different location.
In May of 2013 I arrived at Bartlett Yard, stencil, painters tape, vinyl acrylics and a few large brushes, I outlined general shapes with a small brush. I wanted the silver metal to show through so did a very simple black paint mixed with purple
Bartlett Yard is just up the road from Dudley Station, a place that I did several paintings of... here are a few from 2008-2010
These paintings are of building's next to Dudley Station, Behind Dudley Station and of Dudley Station itself. I have so many paintings of this area, I loved sitting outside painting! These are observational pieces.
Pictured Below, This Keyshop burned down in 2016, five years after I painted it, like so many buildings, this building disappeared.
Ferdinand's Furniture was also abandoned and has since been remodeled, saving the original architecture but making this space functional and breathing new life into this building.
Just up the street from buzzing Dudley Square this bus yard was derelict for years (I am not exactly sure how many decades, but am pretty sure, more than three)
Here it is before the painting began!
This is the interior of the station which remained unpainted particularly because it was a safety issue to have people working in this space, but it was pretty cool to explore...
Here I am with two Fellow artists I worked with on this site, there were so many of us.
In 2013 was to be taken down and turned into a mixed use development with retail and residential space. And to celebrate, it was going to have one last shining celebration where it would become an outdoor gallery for artists, including myself. By the end of the Summer of 2013, the walls and doors and more were adorned with loads of awesome artwork.
Here is a link to the project page and another artists' rendering of what this space was going to turn into.
https://www.barrfoundation.org/blog/from-urban-wasteland-to-great-neighborhood
This particular time was special because I was painting outside, but rather than painting images of the abandoned buildings, I was adorning the abandoned building itself.
The subject matter of what I was painting, a map, and the surface of an abandoned building combines two subject matters I embrace. Mysterious buildings and cartography united!
It was so awesome to be a part of this project, The area is changing so fast I learned to cherish older historic architecture.
For a summer, this entire bus yard became an outdoor gallery where over 50 artists showcased their styles and I am truly grateful that I got to be a part of this outdoor art festival that took over and celebrated a once forgotten space.