The artist at work on Wednesday: Eileen Hinckle took advantage of dry weather to add to her mural on Second Avenue.
With the general election mercifully over, let’s meet Eileen Hinckle, the Corvallis artist, as she continues working on her mural on Second Avenue in Albany.
I wrote about this new piece of Albany wall art on Nov. 1, and I invite you to look up the story, which has background on how this mural came about.
Hinckle was not working on the piece at the time. She was waiting for dry weather, which arrived this week.
On Wednesday she let me know she had resumed painting, and on my afternoon bike ride I stopped to visit with her for a few minutes.
She figures she has about four or five days of work left on this project, which covers the windowless south wall of a concrete brick storage building in the 700 block of Southeast Second Avenue.
With separate university degrees in psychology and visual communication, Hinckle has been painting murals for about 12 years, in Latin America, Spain, and here in her home area of the Willamette Valley.
Painting murals is the main part of her work. She also has a part-time job with a Corvallis screen-printing shop.
You can find out more about her background on her website here.
As we were chatting, a guy in ragged clothes shambled by, lugging a bag of empty cans and bottles. He looked at the mural and gave her a thumbs-up.
Eileen has done two or three other wall paintings in Albany. She thinks there’s room for more in and around downtown.
She doesn’t have anything else currently scheduled in Albany, but she’s willing to consider requests. If you’re interested, there’s a contact form on her website.
While we were talking, she kept working on the painting. No time to waste. It was cold, windy, and noisy from the traffic, but sunny and dry. And who knew how long the weather would hold? (hh)
Eileen was mixing paint when I got there on the bike and stopped for this shot.
Bright sun and plenty of paint in cans and tubes. She also uses spray paint.
The artist was addding images of greenery to the bottom of the scene when I left.
It shows that you don’t have to spend money on “art” from the other side of the country. Keep our tax money local and support artists like Eileen Hinckle.
Great story Hasso! Beautiful work Eileen!
Your photo showing the artist sitting on the sidewalk in front of the mural reminded me of the Civil War Dioramas where the artist painted himself into the picture, sometimes leaning against a tree or other object as an interested observer. Great photo of a great artist and mural.
Anyone who doesn’t click the link to her website is missing a real treat!
If Eileen’s street art is painted with permission or commission by a private owner, I have no problem with it. She’s very, very talented.
If any of her street art involves a “public” space, however, the tyrant in me demands that she first get permission from the Albany Arts Commission and the City Council.
Only they decide what acceptable “art” is in the public arena.
Like the weird $80,000 metal wildflower sculptures funded by the 1% for art ordinance.
“With the general election mercifully over,….”
LOL.
At this time stamp….
finally able to meet the artist
Thank you Hasso
NIIICE