In 2019, I was honoured to have two of my paintings included in Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art as part of their Men of Steel, Women of Wonder show. The museum is based in Arkansas and I couldn't miss out on seeing my work in my first museum show so I reached out to the curators and asked to come to America to visit the show. It wouldn't be a proper art trip if I didn't do some street art too so I asked about walls and I was set the challenge of doing something on the biggest wall in town!
I decided that since the 500th anniversary of the death of my hero, Leonardo da Vinci, was happening just around the corner, I would honour him with a gigantic rendition of the Mona Lisa Reflections painting on the ice house in downtown Rogers, Arkansas. The wall was 3,380 sq ft and it took 7 days and a lot of paint to complete it but it shows what I can do with the trust of someone giving me a big canvas and the time to execute my plan.
Below are photos of the process and before and after shots. If you want to get a mural done, big or small for your home, business or building, please email me at richsimmonsart@gmail.com
A massive thank you to the Arkansas Arts Academy who gave me an opportunity to meet the students, teach them some skills with a spray paint can and visit the school to give a talk about my Art Is The Cure organisation.