You won't get all that old paint off...

What they don't teach you in art school is how to network while being a common introverted creative type. Through my dislike of interacting with people to sell myself, essentially, I've made some great connections. It's funny how it happens right before your eyes. I've been blessed with a hardworking self employed father in the real estate industry. One of his properties in Danville, IN happens to house a yoga studio owned and ran by a very peaceful and inspirational woman appropriately donning her studios "Peace Through Yoga". As a practicing yogi myself, I have found such happiness and incredibly benefits to my mental and creative state, so I was floored when I realized how more of my passions can align.

The yogis enter the studio from the back door after walking down a brick lined narrow path between the studio and its neighboring building. The neighboring building has six windows boarded up and framed in with old, old wood. They are coated with a cool grey paint to match the equally old siding. One boarded up window with the same color paint rests on the studio's brick wall. Seven windows total. Seven chakras in yoga. This is where my mural for Peace Through Yoga begins.

Day One: "You won't get all that old paint off."

Oh but I can.

First day was spent prepping the seven boarded up, painted over, unaligned, and different shaped windows on the building next to the studio. My mission is to create a beautiful peaceful journey along the narrow path between the two buildings leading to the yogis' entrance to begin their practice inside.

Three hours of scraping off the cool grey lead paint from the frames and sanding. And sanding. And more sanding until I knew my arms and wrists were going to scream at me the next day for making them work so vigorously. I hadn't planned on taking every last scrap of paint off the wooden frames. They were going to get slapped with a coat of fresh paint so the focus can fall on the intricate designs on the wooden surface inside the frames.

As I began the scraping to just get off the loose paint, the wooden frames looked so beautiful. They were warped, rotted, and scattered with deep gashes. But they were none the less beautiful, organic, natural, and it seemed to make sense with the journey down the narrow path. But this meant every last piece of paint had to be scraped off.

Day One wrap up:

7 windows scrapped all loose paint off

7 frames scrapped all loose paint off

4 hours of work

3 windows power sanded

2 frames power sanded

2 frames all paint completely gone (Victory!)

1 Beehive Caramel Latte consumed