40 feet of fun is the best way to describe my experience in painting this mural for Hot Tomatoes in Hartford, CT. Located at 1 union Place in Hartford, CT and attached to the train station, what could be a better location to have a restaurant! I fortunately got the call to create a unique mural to hang over the bar on a long 40 foot wall. The owner Chris Calvenese and his wife trusted me to come of with something really unique and fun. As an artist I end up going above and beyond when a client gives me the freedom to paint my vision with out micro-management. This was the grand daddy of and awesome project and I planned to live it up. First off I called in my friends and my buddy’s friends to pose for the mural. We ordered food and provided beverages as we lit and photographed our models for this mural. Over 18 people in unique positions were added into the painting all interacting with each other creating a fun atmosphere. With over 200 pictures taken I knew I had plenty of shots to use. The canvas used covered all of the walls in my Durham, CT studio. It is always fun to see my studio before I start a mural. All that white square footage of canvas just waiting to become something. It is kinda neat to see it transform over the next 3 weeks into something that many would see after it is hung in the Hot Tomatoes restaurant. This was one of the greatest experiences I have had working at a restaurant. The owner, his wife and his son were great to work for and this would be one of the projects that I would miss after it was done. Once open we had all of the models in for a meal to show our appreciation and to give them a chance to see the mural in its final location.
