Presti's Mural, Process and Unveiling

This project kicked off by a phone call from Presti's owner Claudia Dibartolo. I was elated she thought of me for this project. Claudia's prerequisite for the west wall of the bakery entailed "Something bright, colorful and expressive." She called the right artist, that's what I do. She talked about wanting a piece of art that resembled a window looking out at the neighborhood. After several rounds of sketches, she picked a layout of several Little Italy neighborhood scenes fused as a 3-panel triptych graphic-art series held together with a wood-frame built into the wainscot paneled wall. 

The process was straightforward and seamless, I was pleased with it. It didn't cause any major hiccups leading to "Murphy's Law of making art," catastrophes that could have happened easily if I didn't have a plan for how the work would be implemented. Part of that success was due to the stops along the way an artist/muralist needs to keep the client aware of the steps required to create such a colossal work. Also, having discussions periodically on sketches vs. final art process. After the work started to come together and all the different hierarchies of passer-by figures within the various scenes were coming along, Claudia wanted these figures to resemble real faces of her family, co-workers, and friends. So now we start getting into portraiture and likeness' which is another level of artistry. I needed to study and sketch "her people" separately on paper. I took photos of certain people she wanted painted from the kitchen, and she gave me photos of her family. I took photos of her family. One of the most challenging figures–– the original owners of the bakery, her parents. Charles and Jean Presti. I was starting to feel pressure but knew I could pull it off. This is probably why she hired me, Because I draw people. The challenge revealed itself in a fine line between caricature vs. illustration. But somehow in my style of art there needed to be a real likeness. After several sketches of her father, she approved the drawing, and I pulled it off! Her being happy was the most important thing for me. Also, that the artwork looked great to me, otherwise it would bug me for years to come. The unveiling ceremony was exciting. All of my family and friends attended and my children (Lauren, Patrick and Oscar) pulled the veil off of the mural after Joe Marinucci gave a speech about the neighborhood and how murals are important for the community.