Express (a snowstorm at the mall)

December 10, 2017

This weekend we painted for 2 sessions for EXPRESS at Lenox Mall. It was a fast and fun couple days. The ice and snow arrived when we did. As we rolled our supplies in, past the famous Pink Pig ride, I noticed the ice starting to accumulate on the walkways. The mall emptied out Friday while we worked.

Meanwhile, I painted a 12′ x 10′ wall in only black white and grays. I enjoyed the limited color palette. Maria had helped me piece together some recent sketches I made which gave me plenty of ideas to paint.

By evening, the mall was empty and the snow was really falling. I didn’t think the weather would do much and had not paid the snow reports any attention. When we started to leave, the roads were white and we realized we couldn’t make it home to Arabia Mountain.

Luckily, my friend Spalding found us a spot to stay just down the road with his kind parents — a warm room in a snowy neighborhood. It was a soft cozy place to rest for Maria, Pup and I.

In the morning, after a warm drink and croissant with our new friends and hosts, we drove back up the hill in the cold wet snow. A snow accumulation of 5 or 6 inches in Atlanta is rare enough, but to have happened a couple weeks before Christmas is well…  unheard of. I thought it was beautiful— every limb in sight was coated with white.

We finished our painting Saturday and as we were wrapping things up and washing brushes I realized that the masses had returned to the mall for their holiday shopping. It was time for me to go.

Thanks to Brian and EXPRESS for all of your help, ideas and cups of hot black coffee.

Photo by Maria Brooks.

see you soon,
Kyle BlackCatTips Brooks