In August of 2026, I was hired by a local dance and aerial studio to paint a logo.

This being my first mural experience, there was much for me to figure out logistically to get my design on the wall above their dance room mirrors. Especially since it needed to be complete within the next week.

The main concept was the studio logo, but the studio owner permitted me to inject a bit of creativity and asked me to play up the “Aerial” aspect. I decided to keep the logo mostly accurate, but enlarge the word “Aerial” and play up the mascot a bit.

The Design Direction:

I shifted the colors slightly to reflect a bit more of a mature, high-end feeling, matching the recent facelift the room had experienced. Although the studio is fairly young, it has a world-class aerial performer at its helm and recognitions already under its belt. The vibe I get in the studio is one of excellence, performance, and family. I believe my design struck a nice balance between warmth, fun, and world-class status.

Getting the Sketch on the Wall:

While the logo was altered, it felt important that it was still true to the original and immediately recognizable, so I put a lot of attention into the sketch.

I had to quickly figure out how to precisely transfer an enlarged design onto the wall as quickly as possible because there was a pretty tight deadline on this project. I decided to try the “doodle grid” method, where my random chalk doodles serve as a grid rather than methodically measuring out a perfect grid.

This method was effective, and also drew a lot of attention to what I was doing. A number of passersby stopped to tell me they liked what I was doing. I had to woefully tell them all of the doodles would be wiped away in the end.

Painting Process:

Once the outlines were on the wall, painting atop of a tall ladder ended up being less scary than I expected. Thankfully! When I was working toward the top of the ladder I could not ever quite allow myself to go into a flow state. Some attention had to go toward remaining steady on the ladder! This was most significant on day one, and only required a small amount of my attention in the days that followed.

Because it required a good deal of precision to ensure the logo was true, there was a LOT of going up and down that ladder to check and tweak lines and proportions. The real killer was moving the ladders around. I was physically exhausted at the end of each day, but it was also quite fun!

The Reception:

I felt that the finished mural achieved the goals I set at the beginning of this project, and the mural was very well received by the studio family. This mural is a memorable and attractive asset that elevates the studio and communicates its vibe.

If you are looking for an artist to paint your mural, contact me today!