Anejo, the horned toad. Mural by Rock “Cyfi” Martinez. Click and zoom in to see the great detail.
A new Tucson mural is on my studio. Tucson is known for murals. We have great muralists in town, and I got one of them to do one for me.
The mural starts with a detailed sketch or outline.
RocK “Cyfi” Martinez is probably best known for the Goddess of Agave, a giant piece near downtown Tucson. I wanted something simpler on my studio. I wanted a horned toad. Not just any horned toad, but a colorful and special specimen.
How did I find Rock? Networking. I met Bons Eye (photographer) through a mutual model. I got to be friends with him. It turns out that he does that often, and has lots of friends. When I asked him if he knew a muralist, he did.
I called Rock, then met with him and his wife, Brandi. He’s a spray paint artist. Can you really do this kind of detail? He assured me, “Yes, I can.”
Base layers of color are added next. The detail comes later.
Rock would be caught every time if he tried graffiti at this point in his career. He is perfectionistic. Painstakingly so. Thousands and thousands of strokes to make a painting. If Brandi didn’t tell him to wrap it up, he would still be out there making it even more perfect. If you hire him, you will get his best effort each and every time. Of that I’m certain.
The paint is German. The nozzles are often custom crafted. The technique is honed from years of work. As a result, the product is precise, with no spills, no accidents, no problems. Shading gives depth. Colors are reproduced faithfully. “Anejo” is named for old tequila, and Anejo is really a colorful horned toad.
Details emerge as layer on layer are added and each scale is defined, shaded and highlighted.
If you are a model or a friend staying with me in my guest house/photo studio, Anejo will be there to greet you. Rock’s wife is gigantic on the side of a building, the Goddess of Agave. Rock is camera shy. Therefore, he hides behind a big mask. A new Tucson mural appears whenever he’s hired locally. For me, it’s my horned toad, and I’m happy to share it with you, fellow Tucsonans.
Brandi contributes to the mural though Rock applies the paint. She is also an artist and has a great eye for matching paint colors and helps make the job go more quickly. She tactfully gives her input and makes a real contribution.