GaKnew Roxwel

Residents, students, employees, and other stakeholders share stories, experiences, history, ideas, and perspectives about their community and the space the mural will occupy. I listen for the things people care about, the stories that repeat, and the ideas that generate energy in the room.

Those conversations help me better understand the people who will experience the artwork and what matters to them.

Participants contribute ideas, imagery, words, stories, and other possibilities for the mural. As ideas are shared, I pay attention to what resonates throughout the room and help the group identify the directions that feel strongest.

Not every idea can make it into a single mural. When appropriate, a simple show-of-hands vote can help the group determine which ideas move forward. I then use those selected ideas as material to draw from while developing a cohesive mural design.

Community Paint Days invite residents, students, employees, or other participants to paint portions of the mural alongside me. I provide guidance, demonstrate techniques, and organize the painting so people with different experience levels can contribute successfully.

Give imperfection a safe space.

Confidence Day is a guided painting workshop designed to help participants build artistic confidence in a low-pressure environment. Participants paint on canvas while learning approachable techniques, experimenting with materials, making decisions, adjusting mistakes, and becoming more comfortable with the creative process.

The experience uses painting to explore a larger idea: not allowing perfectionism to become a barrier to beginning something unfamiliar. As participants become more comfortable on the canvas, that lesson can extend to confidence, learning, problem-solving, and growth beyond art.

Confidence Day can be booked as a stand-alone experience for schools, businesses, organizations, teams, and community groups, or incorporated into a mural project.

When paired with a Community Paint Day, it also gives participants an opportunity to practice before approaching the wall. I can learn where people's strengths lie, participants become familiar with the materials, and we can approach the mural with greater confidence and a collective strategy.

The 8-Week Student Program gives students an opportunity to experience the development of a public artwork from its earliest ideas through completion. The curriculum combines visual storytelling, creative decision-making, technical instruction, collaboration, and hands-on mural production.

Weeks 1–2 · Story & Ideas
Students explore the purpose of public art, the audience for their mural, stories and themes, and what they want the artwork to communicate.

Weeks 3–4 · Visual Development
Ideas become imagery. Students explore composition, references, color, drawing, and how separate ideas can become one visual story.

Weeks 5–6 · Painting & Technique
Students develop painting skills and practice the techniques they'll use during production.

Weeks 7–8 · The Wall
Students participate in bringing the approved mural to life and see the project move from an idea developed together to artwork occupying a real public space.