Why Yes, I Am Plotting Something Wonderful
Today at the art park, I moved into the plotting stage.
June 3, 2026
Why Yes, I Am Plotting Something Wonderful
Today at the art park, I moved into the plotting stage.
And yes, I do mean plotting.
There is something wonderfully funny about standing in front of a large blank mural board with rulers, measurements, anchor points, grid lines, and a head full of desert creatures, banners, borders, and symbols. From the outside, it probably looks like construction math.
From the inside, it feels like preparing a doorway.
The mural board had shifted slightly from the desert night air. Moisture had curled the boards inward, which meant the first part of the day became a problem-solving day. That is mural work. You arrive with one plan, and the wall tells you what actually needs to happen.
So I went back with the drill, screws, wood filler, primer, and patience.
The board needed additional attachment points. A lower section needed correction. Some areas needed patching and sanding again. It was not dramatic. It was not a disaster. It was just the normal conversation between artist, surface, weather, and structure.
The mural gets a vote.
Once the board was secured and the surface was workable again, I returned to the design layout. I marked the center. I measured the borders. I began mapping the important anchor points for the lettering and artwork.
This is the stage where the mural starts becoming real, even though there is still very little “painting” to show.
The grid matters.
The center line matters.
The border matters.
The banner placement matters.
The size of the lettering matters.
The placement of the Spirit Walker matters.
These marks are quiet, but they are the bones of the piece.
I also met another artist at the park today, Chris, who is painting panel #1. He said his son had weed-whacked for him so he could paint, and he talked about enjoying the art park. I loved that. There is something deeply human about seeing other artists show up with their own tools, their own process, and their own reason for being there.
This project is already reminding me that public art is not only about the finished work.
It is also about the labor, the neighbors, the weather, the conversations, the corrections, and the quiet stubbornness of showing up.
Today was a plotting day.
And yes, I am plotting something wonderful.
~Kit S.
Kit Swan Artworks: Create something beautiful today.
