Artist Academy Andrea Ehrhardt

This week for a special May Mural Month episode I decided to bring back an interview I did 5 years ago with a muralist I started out working under. Melvin Lovejoy and I met on the job site of Bass Pro Shops.

The very first memory that pops into my head when I think of Melvin is when we were working together at a store near Vancouver, British Columbia. A really big wall needed to be painted with an underwater scene, and he suggested I do it. I quickly shot the opportunity back at him, assuring him that I in fact did not need to paint that large of a wall and that he could tackle it easily. He tossed it right back at me, assuring me that I could in fact paint this wall myself. 

I remember the feeling of panic setting in as I prepped to start painting the largest wall I had yet to tackle. It took a couple of days to get going, and a couple of weeks to complete, but I more than surprised myself with being able to complete the large underwater scene on my own. My confidence grew exponentially with a big thanks to Melvin for the push. 

Melvin later mentored me on a variety of painting techniques. He shared with me what he was earning per hour while painting and suggested I ask for a raise in my contract. I learned so much just being on the job site around artists like Melvin who had been painting for years longer than I had. It was both extremely intimidating and a great learning experience that I feel so fortunate to have experienced. 

When I started this podcast series over 5 years ago, I started out with the intent to just tell artist’s stories. It turned into more of a business podcast with tips on pricing and hustling to get those first jobs, but back then it was more just a chat about art life and how artists made their way into this creative industry. I hope you’ll enjoy this journey back in time with Melvin and hear all about how he got his start as a muralist. Mural Pricing Training: www.artistacademy.co/pricingguide Mural Supply List: www.artistacademy.co/supplyJoin us for a Mural Meetup: www.artistacademy.co/meetup

This week’s episode features international street artist Peachzz (aka Megan Russell). You’ll hear Megan tell her story of how she got started with murals (using spray paint) with a theme of birds and wildlife. Her style evolved into also painting the human form, and fast forward to today with one that blends into both human and nature.

Megan got her start by applying to mural/street art festivals and shares with us her tips on how to put your best foot forward when sending in an application. She has a template that she uses and, in this interview, goes over it page by page to give you a better idea of what kind of effort is needed to land these high-competition jobs.

Megan inspires me to create more of what I want to create, as opposed to just leaning into commissioned work, and apply for bigger opportunities. I think every artist will get something from this interview, no matter if you’re a muralist or not. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Peachzz (Megan Russell).Mural Pricing Training: www.artistacademy.co/pricingguideMural Supply List: www.artistacademy.co/supply Join us for a Mural Meetup: www.artistacademy.co/meetup 

This week for a special May Mural Month episode I decided to bring back an interview I did 5 years ago with a muralist I started out working under. Susan Watkins is an Alaskan artist who paints beautiful nature scenes. We met on the job site of Bass Pro Shops and the memory pops in my head first is one where Susan and I were sharing a small lift while painting waves on an extremely tall wall. She showed me what colors to use when painting water and how making X and Z shapes will quickly make those top watermarks that indicate movement.

I learned so much just being on the job site around artists like Susan who had been painting for years longer than I had. It was both extremely intimidating and a great learning experience that I feel so fortunate to have experienced.

When I started this podcast series over 5 years ago, I started out with the intent to just tell artist’s stories. It turned into more of a business podcast with tips on pricing and hustling to get those first jobs, but back then it was more just a chat about art life and how artists made their way into this creative industry. I hope you’ll enjoy this journey back into time with Susan and I to hear all about how she got her start as a muralist.

Mural Pricing Training: www.artistacademy.co/pricingguide

Mural Supply List: www.artistacademy.co/supply

Join us for a Mural Meetup: www.artistacademy.co/meetup 

This week’s featured muralist for May Mural Month is none other than Anat Ronen. She was highly requested within members of Artist Academy, so we sat down to chat about murals. She’s been painting full time since 2008 and had a lot of tips to give.

If you follow Anat on social media, and I highly request you do in order to see the quality of her product, you’ll see her share tidbits of some of her lessons learned [the hard way]. Naturally, I had to ask for more of those stories. I love to hear the lessons from artists who have been doing this a long time, because they tend to have some GOOD ones. Times where they really messed up, or put up with a crazy customer, or learned something that forever changed the way they do business.

If you ever meet an artist who has been doing this job for more than 10, or better yet 20 years, ask them if they ever had a moment that changed the way they work for the better. There’s so much gold in the advice they can give. We might have to do a follow up interview with Anat because I know we just scratched the service of gift giving advice with her. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Anat Ronen. Mural Pricing Training: www.artistacademy.co/pricingguideMural Supply List: www.artistacademy.co/supplyJoin us for a Mural Meetup: www.artistacademy.co/meetup

This week’s episode is a jumpstart on our upcoming May Mural Month where I’m focusing on everyone’s favorite subject: MURALS.

Here are some common questions along with a couple free resources to help:

“Painting murals looks intimidating. I don’t even know where to start.” - Come join the upcoming Missouri Mural Meetup on June 6th-9th for a hands-on learning experience!

You can also check out my mural supply list to see what supplies I use to paint murals quickly + links to each item. I even include a video showing the supplies and explaining why I chose each item over other options.

“I think I’m underpricing myself. How do you price mural projects?” - Girl, same. I’ve been there! Take a look at some of my past and current mural project prices by checking out my mural pricing guide. I’ll walk you through my 10 year process of raising my prices, plus show you photo examples of projects with price tags.

“How do I get mural jobs?” - That’s a loaded question with so many possibilities. My TOP recommendation would be to focus on becoming the go-to muralist in your area (for your specific niche). Listen to this week’s episode to hear how I’m currently attempting to do this in the small but growing town we now live in.

This week’s episode features painter, writer, musician, and creativity coach Lauren Spangler. Lauren helps artists find the sweet spot between passion and prosperity. Lauren’s mission is to empower artists to enjoy the creative freedom they crave without sacrificing the financial stability they depend upon. She has helped hundreds of professionals set and achieve their goals, and now she’s here to help you unblock your inner artist and take big steps toward your biggest dreams. Take a pulse on your own creative wellbeing with the free 10-minute “Spark or Sputter?” self-assessment at https://www.laurenspangler.com/spark.