Virgin Media Box Visit 4

Today is the day that I finish this box, even if it ruins me. 

I started this morning at around 9.30am and I was really hoping to finish in the morning but I couldn't get it done this quickly without rushing and ruining it. I got quite a lot done though before I had to leave to go into college for my dissertation tutorial. I had a few bits left to do but I knew i'd be coming back to carry on afterwards, the weather forecast said it would't rain til 8pm and I was counting on that. This was the stage I was at when I had to leave at 1pm. 

I came back to continue at around 3 o'clock and I finished it around 5pm! It was really dark by then so I was using the torch on my phone to finish it. Looking back, this must have been a pretty tragic sight but I was so determined to not spend another day on it. Another kind stranger made me a cup of tea - people are so lovely! 

I signed both sides of the box with my name and included my Instagram name to provide a direct point of contact that wasn't too personal to be on display in public. 

These photographs were taken in the dark so the quality isn't great and some of the paint is still patchy as it is not fully dry. The box will be wrapped again tonight and I am really hoping that nobody vandalises it. As far as I know, the box with be covered with anti graffiti paint on Thursday so I am hoping that if I go this weekend I will be able to get some good photos of the finished thing in daylight. 

I am so happy this is finally finished!

Painting this box has been a really good experience for me. It has got me out of the studio, meeting people, organising myself, talking to strangers about my work and producing work in a way that it totally outside of my comfort zone. Looking back on the project, now that I have thawed out, I see it as really positive. I have been so surprised by the amount of people who have taken the time to speak to me about this even if some only make a comment while passing by, people are interested and reacting positively and thats so good. One lady and her children stopped and spoke to me on two occasions and told me how this is going to brighten up their school run, Ruth told me about an elderly man who lives nearby who asked for my design to be placed near his house so he could see it when he leaves his house, and numerous students have commented on how it really brightens up otherwise dull streets. It's really nice to get such positive feedback from such a range of residents and it did make me feel really good about my work that it is actually making a positive difference, even if only on a small scale. I think the area will look so much better when all twenty boxes are finished, I'm really excited to see what they are all going to look like as I think mine one was one of the first to be completed.