In honor of the moon landing anniversary....

I have re-visited and updated a post a video and site I posted about way back in the early day of my blog. The video I posted there is still worth a look...if you can get by the fumes (!), I think you will find it as mesmerizing as I did, and still do.

Here's another: 

Since then, the artist, Brandon McConnell, as created several sidewalk-style spray paintings, started a website, and has sold paintings and DVD's. I like his story, which I am quoting here:

Hi, My name is Brandon McConnell. I was born in San Diego, Ca. on June 1st, 1976.
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember. In elementary school I would Doodle at my desk every chance I got. As I got into High school, I stared drawing comic book characters and was really surprised with what I could do with no special training. I won first place in an art contest In High School for one of my Ink and airbrush drawings. Then in 1999 I took a day trip to Tijuana Mexico, there I saw an artist on the sidewalk making beautiful paintings with spray paint.  I was instantly amazed by the vibrant colors, interesting textures and speed at which he could create a painting.  I knew this was something I had to try for myself.  That day I bought four paintings by the artist and carefully studied his techniques for about an hour.  A day later I had a bunch of cans of spray paint and the materials I needed and eagerly went to work trying to understand these new concepts of spray paint art.  It was like nothing I had ever done.  My first results were very muddy looking and not very good.  With practice and determination I started to understand what needed to be done to get the results I wanted. In 2003 I started my website spacepaintings.com. 

His space paintings caught on so well he was able to quit his day job at the San Digo Zoo and create his own business as an artist. Much of his work can be seen on YouTube. he has appeared in the New York Times and been interviewed and highlighted locally and was hired to do an art performance for a company gathering for the Kennedy Space Center.

His art story seems like a successful one and one accomplished with perseverance, practice, some risk-taking, and curiosity. Typical of so many artists' stories.

I still wonder about those fumes, though.