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ParkWorks ~ Hans Hofmann Outdoor Mural

We had a great opportunity to create an outdoor Hans Hofmann mural with ParkWorks neighborhood kiddos in August. This project took place at a City of Cleveland park called Lake Pool at West 85t and Detroit, Cleveland, Ohio. The Hans Hofmann painting titled "Renate’s Nantucket" was our choice of paintings as a reference for the mural. The surprise was that our surface was not a canvas or a wall, but two 7 foot long concrete picnic tables and benches! We lightly sanded the surfaces, applied two coats of Glidden "Gripper" primer and used outdoor Glidden paint. As you can see from the photos it was a beautiful, sunny day, not too hot and perfect for our project! Notice that we incorporated the benches as part of the composition. One forth, bench #1, two forth’s, the table surface, and one forth the second bench. We started at 9:00 AM and were all done and cleaned up at 4:00 PM. Voila!

Love that Hans!

This was our third Hans Hofmann mural; the other two are installed at Summit ArtSpace, Akron, Ohio. One is inside, the second is outside.

Mural based upon: "The Lark"
Akron, Ohio

Outside mural, based upon another Hans Hofmann painting Akron, Ohio

About Hans Hofmann

Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) was born in 1880 in Weissenburg, Germany. When he was six years old, his family moved to Munich. It was there that Hans became interested in mathematics, science, music and art.

At the age of 18, he began to study painting at an art school in Munich. As a way to earn a living, Hans began teaching and came to America to teach first in 1930. He spent much of his time here in California, Massachusetts and New York City. He moved and became an American citizen in 1941. Hans Hofmann is famous for his painting method and theory that he called “push and pull.”

Typically, in a picture, cool colors (blue, green and purple) recede, or go back, and warm colors (yellow, orange and red) come forward as you look at the picture. Hans discovered that these colors are seen differently based upon what color is next to what. In some cases then, the cool colors come forward and the warm colors appear to be in the background. In other cases, all the colors appear to equally occupy visual space. Hans’ paintings (he also made many drawings) ~ although abstract (you cannot readily identify objects) ~ are all about nature. Wind, water, seasons and landscapes were all subjects for his paintings.

His favorite artists were Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

Hans Hofmann continued to paint and teach throughout his lifetime, and he died in 1966 in New York City at the age of 86. He remains to be one of the most respected and influential art teachers and artists of the twentieth century.

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