Local artist commissioned for mural, strives for career

Standing on an A-frame ladder in a narrow alleyway, Melissa Johnson, 25, applied a thin black line of acrylic paint onto a large, spray-painted stack of pancakes.

When the lotus flowers mural on the side of Village Deli was vandalized with graffiti, it needed to be replaced. Johnson, who works full time between her jobs at Laughing Planet and Lennie’s, was commissioned to do the work. Using spray paint as her dominant medium, she began the project almost two weeks ago.

The large mural is expected to be complete by Friday. But until she applies the final brush stroke, no one will know exactly what she is painting, excluding herself and Village Deli owner Bob Costello.

She refuses to tell. Even her closest friends, she said, do not know the specific details.

“People walk by and ask me what the image is going to be, and I’m waiting to add the last element until the very last day I’m working on it because I feel it’ll explain everything,” Johnson said. “I want to surprise people, and people walk through this alley so often that they can wait a couple days to see what it’s going to be.”

As Johnson worked, Village Deli employee Taylor Marshall, 22, who is also an IU student, watched and talked about the painting.

At first, Marshall said he thought the large, central figure on the mural was going to be a hamburger. But as the painting progressed, he said he recognized the object as a stack of pancakes.

“Are you going to do anything with the white triangles?” Marshall asked Johnson, referring to large spaces left in the white background she had painted onto the entire wall last week.

Surrounding the white triangles were multi-colored abstract swirls, created with spray paint.

Like everyone else, she did not reveal her plans to Marshall. It is a surprise, she told him, but she hinted that the space would be visible at night.

Though the mural is mostly created with spray paint, Johnson said she is using outdoor acrylic paint for the finer details. The mural will also include glow-in-the-dark paint, metallic gold paint and glitter.

“Most of my work includes really bright colors,” Johnson said. “I feel like it makes it more lively and exciting, and I like flashy work that catches your eye. I just try to make my work exciting because I want people to be excited about seeing it.”

This community excitement has been evident since Johnson first began painting the mural, she said.

“That’s fun,” a woman said to Johnson as she passed through the narrow alley.

“Oh, it’s so fun,” Johnson replied. “I’m having a blast.”

Although members of the community will not know what the finished mural is intended to represent until its completion, she hopes it brings joy to those who see it.

“In my opinion, as far as street art goes, I’m just trying to make an interesting space rather than just a blank wall,” Johnson said. “I’m not really trying to say anything serious. I don’t have a serious intent behind the piece except to make people happy.”

Johnson, who is originally from Evansville, moved to Bloomington almost four years ago to attend IU. She graduated with a degree in studio art two years ago.

Although she applied for the bachelor of fine arts painting program at IU, she wasn’t accepted. But now, still able to focus on her career as an artist, she said she doesn’t mind.

“Throughout school, I was always miserable doing assignments and doing work that was required, and I always wanted to just have the time to express myself,” Johnson said. “So now I’m definitely where I’ve always wanted to be, doing large work and doing what I want to do.”

And a street artist, she said, is exactly what she hopes to become.

Johnson said she began spray painting in late 2011. She painted her first mural on the side of Lennie’s and most recently completed a brain for Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s “Brain Extravaganza!” Using spray paint, she produced a music-themed brain for the project displaying large brains across Bloomington.

Her brain was sponsored by local radio station WFHB.

Johnson said she hopes her involvement in “Brain Extravaganza!” will help jump-start her career as a full-time artist.

“Doing the ‘Brain Extravaganza!’ gave me a great opportunity to work with other local artists who are full-time artists,” Johnson said. “To see that it is possible and to see how they’re making that their career was really an inspiring experience for me.”