A December to Remember
In case you missed it: Philip Bennett Walker recently completed his largest mural to date and exhibited his artwork at the Dali Museum in St. Pete, FL this December!
It's been a big month here to kick off the holiday season and keeping busy is the least of concerns for the very in demand Philip Walker. The mural you've seen from social media posts and stories has been in the works for sometime now and is finally complete! If you've yet to see it, feast your eyes and check out the photos attached to this blog & on Philips Facebook and Instagram.
The 100ft long piece fits in perfectly at its new home at Emerald C's, overlooking the TIAA Bank Stadium, aka home to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Emerald C's is the commercial contracting business owned and operated by the Walkers good friends, Brittany and Jesse Culbreth. We are beyond thankful for their friendship and opportunity for this project!
The downtown art scene mixed with the NFL fanbase, plus corporate impact of Emerald C's equals the perfect opportunity for art and inspiration in our beloved city.
The Culbreth's have a great eye for detail, as their job entails a refined and distinguished touch from top to bottom, start to finish. The vision easily came to life and then with the help of The Walkers other good friends at the Savage Brothers, the wall was primed and ready for action!
Naturally, this mural involves three of Philip's well-known Jaguar faces, incorporated into a lush tropical scene filled with graceful and majestic cranes taking off for flight among Florida's native marshy plant species. You instantly feel like you're walking into another world with Philips bright colors and mesmerizing detail.
It took about two weeks to complete the project, and even a few helping hands put their touch on it. Of course, Philips wife and fellow artist, Elizabeth, their pug, Beau and myself were on the scene, as well as friend Jonathan Lynn, plus Chris and Dave from everyone's favorite band, Firewater Tent Revival.
The mural, despite being hard work and long hours was so much fun to create because it truly is different than the rest. Philips imagination and creativity shine through, and for those who are familiar with his work will instantly know who it's by.
When the team wasn't taping off LARGE sections or adding detail with a surprisingly tiny paint brush, we were running Mr. Beau tired in the grass, eating delicious pizza and sandwiches from nearby, and making plans for what comes next.
Some days were brutally hot for what should be "wintertime" in Florida, while nights got chilly quickly, but each day the smiles on the teams face as we showed up to work was instant gratification for the job. And I have to say, it was definitely a job well done!
And next up, or more like in between days at the mural site, was Philips exhibit with the Dali Dozen! On Wednesday, December 7th, Philip was part of a carefully selected group of 11 other artists from around the state to present their work at an exclusive, one night event to celebrate the vibrant Tampa-area art scene.
It was an honor for Philip to be chosen to show his pieces in such a renowned and celebrated museum within a very enlightened and cultured region of his home state. Friends and family traveled from near and far to support, and it was a magical evening full of art, love and checking off career goals.
We also celebrated the holidays with a gallery party on December 16th. New and old customers, friends and family gathered at our new location here in Atlantic Beach. Not only did we eat, drink and be merry, but those who also chose to shop for holiday presents absolutely made our night - we certainly felt the small business love and did a lot of happy dances!
In the season of giving and rounding out another year, we can't help but think back on the past twelve months, and couldn't be more grateful for the opportunities we've been given and for all the highs, lows, and lessons in between. Not only did we achieve goals and create new ones for next year (two more murals just in January 2023 alone!) but there have been new faces added to the team and Philip and Elizabeths businesses have grown exponentially.
Cheers to the new year, and we hope you've enjoyed being with us this past journey around the sun!
