Learn to spray paint

Making art with spray paint can open the doors of perception to higher states of consciousness. However, knowing how to spray paint is not all you need to have this experience. Art, a friend told me, is in the way of interpreting life. It’s a very different perspective from the everyday grind mentality. A true spray paint artist follows the path of the heart. They are authentic! This has nothing to do with your skill level.

I remember one time I was painting on a sidewalk in front of a university. He was sitting Indian-style, surrounded by onlookers trying to get a better view. The audience was so dense that there wasn’t much room for people to get into my circle. As I was laying down the first colors of my painting, I saw that one of the people in front of me was barefoot. For some reason they hadn’t worn shoes that day. I looked at him and it occurred to me to surprise him using his foot in my painting. At that moment, I grabbed his bare foot and put it directly on my fresh paint! Fortunately it was fun for the audience and the man accepted my crazy idea in a good way.

This kind of spontaneous creativity is what I think really fuels the art technique of spray painting or aerosolgraphy. I love the expressive moments, the moments when we get out of our own way and let the great spirit paint through us. For me, being in the moment is more important than knowing how to spray paint perfectly.

It is necessary to cultivate this sense of now and, at the same time, it is also essential to learn to be very practical. We must, as the boy scouts say, “be prepared.” One way to prepare is to make sure you have the materials and tools you’ll need, but no extra stuff to weigh you down.

When I go out to perform at a fair or in a nearby square, I take some important things with me. I carry a sturdy folder that all my paints and paper go in. I bring my newspaper, already torn and ready to paint. I carry a thin piece of wood to paint on. I put my cans of spray paint in a backpack that I can easily carry around, bringing only the colors I plan to use. I can put my spatulas, plates, brushes, and a small music playing device in that same backpack. Music is important because it helps the crowd to participate while I work and creates fun moments of fascination for everyone. We can all forget the everyday and enter the magic of the art of spray painting together. I bring a lamp with me if I am going to do my show at night. It’s also possible to figure out how to spray paint under a streetlight if it’s bright enough and you’ve chosen your streetlight carefully, preferably the night before. I carry a large piece of red cloth with me to spread out on the sidewalk to display my spray paints. If the space is small, I can fold the canvas and display some of the paintings against a nearby wall.

I have traveled extensively through Mexico, the United States, Europe and more, believing that it is possible to be self-employed as an artist and be the boss of my own life and time. This was my basic motivation when I started to figure out how to spray paint, to be free! However, my personal goal was not to become a rich person, so I always sold my paintings at a price that the “man or woman in the street” could easily afford. In fact, if a person didn’t have enough money to buy a painting, he would often take whatever he could afford in exchange for my spray paint. For me this was not a problem.

There were many times I painted where my sales were so amazing that I ran out of materials before I finished my show. There were also places where no matter what I tried, I was not allowed to sell my work and had to figure out how to act first and then sell my artwork in another area at another time to interested audience members.

One of the first times I went to paint in the Zona Rosa, a tourist spot in Mexico City. She was a little nervous and had doubts that something positive would happen. I arrived and settled in. In a few minutes I was painting and it was a great night, full of life and sales. There was also one person who took the time to tell me that he was very surprised at what I was able to do with a spray can. He congratulated me in a way that touched my heart deeply. He told me that there was something truly valuable in me that I felt communicated much more than just a work of art. In his eyes, I was interesting and spiritual. I didn’t feel like that inside, especially that day! But he helped me feel more confident in my spray painting performance work. It was just what I needed to get on my way.

Only two or three days later, he was again painting with a large audience on the same street. I was in the middle of a picture, but never got around to finishing it. A police inspector appeared and asked me if he had permission. I didn’t have one, didn’t even know I needed one. He stopped my work and I had to get up to talk to him. The audience insisted that he finish the painting he was doing and started chanting “let him finish” to the policeman. This was a big surprise for me!

Although people defended me, the inspectors did not change their mind. They left me no other choice. I was so angry that I kicked my cans and they actually took me to the station.

Fortunately that’s all that happened. It took me some time to decide what to do next and find a new place to work. This was a bitter experience for me. Pushing the limits of street permits has taught me a lot about our social system and the restrictions it places on our freedom.

So many things have happened to me while spray painting in the streets. I have had wonderful experiences connecting with strangers. I have met all kinds of people, from rich to poor and crazy to genius. I have learned to be a warrior and face a society lost in daily life and materialism. It has not been an easy path.

I have had to deal with envious people who hated me for my success. I have also had to deal with police officers, inspectors and other authorities trying to stop me from spray painting in certain places and sometimes from earning an honorable living. I have learned to identify the bad apples that hold a grudge and become invisible to them. I have learned that there are so many good people in the world, but often that is not enough to live a graceful life. I’ve traveled a lot and seen places I never would have seen without learning how to spray paint. This trail has been a trail of the heart for me and I’m so glad I got out there and did it!