Nearing the end of her second year of work on The Clarkston News building mural, City Council’s patience is wearing thin.
“The major bone of contention for all of us, I think, is the fact there are two signs up all the time,” said Clarkston Council member Kristy Ottman at their July 28 meeting. “We have businesses paying high rent, lots of money, not allowed to put up sandwich boards.”
City Manager Dennis Ritter spoke with James Sherman Sr., owner of 5 S. Main St., and artist Michelle Tynan on July 31 to share the council’s concerns, and also complaints made to him about the mural by the public.
“We’ve had significant complaints,” Ritter said. “A lot of people think it’s an eyesore ? it’s not a life-or-death situation, obviously, but it’s a concern.”
Sherman responded with a letter to council, explaining his and Tynan’s point of view and concern about city interference.
“It seems, as usual, negative voices are being listened to above the positive,” Sherman wrote. “Yes, she is into her third year. Yes, I would like to see it completed. Yes, too, she would like it competed. But, artists are generally not a type to hurry. And, I doubt a fast completion would be as pleasing.”
Allowing the public to park in the building’s private lot has been one way he demonstrates his commitment to the community, he said.
Tynan asks the public to enjoy the process as much as they will the final product.
“It’s the journey,” she said.
Her goal is to paint a colorful, whimsical scene incorporating Clarkston history, she said.
“I set a high standard for myself, to do my best and educate people on what I’m doing, ” she said.
She said she underestimated the size and complexity of the project, and is open to help from the community.
“I didn’t accurately project how much equipment I would need to move around the 3,600-square-foot wall and now we are grossly falling short,” she said. “My productivity has waned considerably this season since I had to take on other contract work.”
Donations of scaffolding, paint, volunteers, and tools would be a great help, she said.
“Be a part of something that is in fact a positive experience for the community and will ultimately bring favor to Clarkston from surrounding communities for it’s contribution to the arts,” Tynan said.
“Please help if you have the means and would like to support The Clarkston News Building mural project by donating scaffolding and equipment for me to use until the weather gets colder.”
Sherman and Tynan met with Clarkston City Council about the mural in July 2006. Work began late August 2006.
The projected completion date for the mural was first November 2006, then August 2007.
“I think that it is unfortunate that many in the community who are represented by the city manager condemn my efforts and my client’s efforts, to create a painting on a building wall that is nearly 3,600 square feet for the Village of Clarkston,” Tynan said.
“Since I understand why many people may feel the way they do concerning an estimated date of completion, as I am also very eager to see it completed, I think it is very important for people who criticize it to understand the challenges that exist as well.”
Scaffolding has been a major challenge, she said.
Her tower is about 5-by-7 feet, and 20 feet high.
“My range of motion would be substantially increased if I would have projected using 10 to 15 towers, 30 feet high.”
The building is 30 feet high and more than 100 feet long. A full scaffolding of 30 towers, two deep, would be ideal, she said.
“It would allow me to back away from the wall at higher levels – over 5 feet and up to 10 feet – and would increase my range of motion on the wall and allow me to use pole extensions on brushes,” she said. “At higher levels, I can back away from the wall up to two feet and my range of motion is as far as I can reach. I often describe the access I have to any section of the wall like being a bug on the wall.”
Another challenge has been moving planks of the scaffolding to various levels.
“Many times I have felt exhausted about how frequently my positions change on the wall and how necessary it is to move the planks regularly to higher and lower levels,” she said.
“By avoiding changing my reach frequently, I got in the bad habit of squatting on my knees on each plank. Abusing my knees in this way had created a big physical challenge for me as I experienced an ACL injury for the first time.”
Weather restrictions ? the wall must be dry and above 55 degrees for painting ? has limited the project, she said.
“To date, time in on the project – around the seasons – is about 10 months,” she said.
Design changes have added more work and time, she said.
“But they really go with the territory of composing and creating art,” she said.
“There really has to be some allowance for this in order to fully appreciate the great effort involved in scaling a large wall to paint a vision.”
The blue grid over work sketched last season is necessary as more layers and content are added to the picture, she said.
“At any stage of the painting, it may be necessary to paint reference lines and measurements over previously painted images. They are easily erased and help me to understand spatial relationships,” she said.
“I am not a graffiti artist or an airbrush artist like many popular artists who paint gigantic murals quickly in many cities ? what I am creating is a frescoe style history painting in the rich tradition of Renaissance techniques, and very old and tradition.”
With Ritter’s assistance, Tynan scheduled a hearing with the Clarkston Zoning Board of Appeals about her signs. The meeting is set for Aug. 21.

Art demos set
for Saturdays

To help inform the public on her mural project, Michelle Tynan will be demonstrating faux techniques learned while working on the film ‘Youth In Revolt,? 4 p.m., Saturdays this summer, at the Clarkston News Building mural work site in Clarkston.
She will demonstrate how to create a flaky, enamel rust texture on a wrought iron gate she sketched using acrylic paint, glue, newspaper, and molding compound. Also, she will demonstrate creating cracked concrete and moss on a staircase drawn in the picture.
Bring something to paint on and brushes and wear painting clothes.

Mural makes people mad

Complaints and concerns have been regularly received by the Village of th City of Clarkston, as well as The Clarkston News. This one was written in poetic form:
The paint is drying
The wall is crumbling
The residents are watching
And many are mumbling
A sign is posted
Where not to park
We need another
To stop the lark
Be paid and begone
With scaffolding folded
It’s time to stop
Being needlessly jolted
Return our corner
To its original state
Please open the lot
And close the gate
? J. Prucher
Clarkston