I recently completed a commission for the JLL office in Buckhead. The piece is part of a large canvas wall with 18 different works representing neighborhoods throughout the city. Reynoldstown was the neighborhood given to me and I created a piece using natural pigments that speak to its history as one of the first African-American neighborhoods in Atlanta and central location along the rail lines.
Reynoldstown Mural
Isaiah P. Reynolds store on Wylie. The Sidewalk along the train yard
My painting practice often sources materials found from the earth to create my own oil paint; a grounding process that helps me reconnect with the landscape. In order to make paint, I find rocks that I break down into small particles and mix the pigments into oil (read more about the process here). The materials I used for this piece consisted of Georgia clay, brick particles gathered along Atlanta’s railroads and dirt directly from Lang-Carson Park.
The initial sketch
As part of the commission process, I sent a proposed sketch, for which I used clay, ash and brick that I gathered from Atlanta in 2020. The painting started as an abstract interpretation of the feeling I get when I drive back home and through the Reynoldstown neighborhood. As I began painting, I kept seeing a clearing of trees in a forest and a low setting sun (or moon). My ultimate goal was to capture a spirit of rebirth that I feel the area exudes and tie that spirit with my own nostalgic memories of Atlanta and the south.