My latest project finds us inside Ivey Artistry - Raleigh’s premier permanent make up studio. Owner Jeanette reached out with a simple request- give the wall life.

Walking in you can feel the quality and thoughtfulness- the design is clean, polished and refined. Each detail and texture catching my eye…this aesthetic is right up my alley. Just past the front desk a floor to ceiling blank wall greets me and I see this is my latest canvas.

Normally, I’d approach it with something bold and 3D.. Bubbles blah blah the usual.

Something most people don’t understand though- it’s missing it’s most authentic essence.

“Citizens will come up to me and compliment my mural and say .. BUT I JUST HATE THAT DAMN TAGGING $H!T!!!!!” (-Toomer TKO)

Infamy The Movie - Graffiti Documentary

‘YORKER’ - a personal favorite. Nothing beats a silver mop tag.

This is your average citizen and community member's mindset.

Tagging is destructive..

An eyesore..

Invites more graffiti..

Declares “we don’t care about this area’

However Tagging has ..

Beauty..

Fundamentals..

Tagging, more important your ‘Handstyle’ is the absolute true essence of graffiti.

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Photo Credits: https://blog.thehipstore.co.uk/the-golden-years-of-new-york-irak-crew/

Without a good handstyle, you have nothing. The pretty murals and intricate letterforms are nil.

Your whole style is built off of your hand.

In Kindergarten we learn to write our names and sign our papers..

So I aimed to capture that in this piece, raw, authentic.

Seeing layers of tags and stickers and the buff hard at work is part of what makes city life so beautiful. It’s one of those things that while surface level is ‘an eyesore’ we can see beauty in the flow, anonymity, consistency, repetition and dedication to these modern hieroglyphics.

Using brand guidelines and consulting with the client I created a digital design first in procreate and after going through revisions to the final concept and installed it.

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Using this initial design- I was able to also create 2 accent walls and digital files for her menus as well as the vinyl signage on the windows. A perfect example of how working with me is more than just “Painting the wall”. We created something that helped reinforce the entire space, thinking big picture with how the design would touch all the points in her brand and how we could bring value in creative ways most entrepreneurs may not consider initially.

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This resulted in a controlled chaos- the raw, authentic gritty textured art with the perfectly clean space.

Couldn't leave without getting a piece from Champa, she was fantastic and gave me an awesome tattoo on my neck. This was a 10/10 experience and as an artist myself I would highly recommend her.

Shout out to the whole team here for the great vibes while I completed the multiple pieces and I’m excited and grateful to work with another local business (and artists!).