CINCINNATI — Artist Jonathan Lamb and his wife, Lindsey, spent the week leading up to BLINK working 12-hour shifts each day. Creating their Elm Street mural consumed 25 gallons of white paint, 100 cans of black spray paint and 30 cans of red — and by Tuesday, they were still not quite sure if they would be finished in time to enjoy the first day of the celebration.
But it’s worthwhile for Lamb to bring his art to the place that inspired him to begin creating it, he said. When he’s done, Elm Street will have a permanent souvenir of his return home.
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“To create in a city that means so much to him is just amazing,” Lindsey Lamb said.
Jonathan Lamb discovered his passion for art at Indian Hill High School, where art teacher Adam Wolter inspired him to funnel his creativity into a career.
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“When he started teaching, he was fresh out of college,” Lamb said of Wolter. “He went to Miami, (he was) relatable in age. I always admired his paintings and looked up to him.”
Wolter, who still lives in Cincinnati, was thrilled to hear it.
“It’d be fun to see him again,” he said of Lamb. “(I’d tell him,) you know, that I’m proud of him and this is exciting. I can’t wait to see what he’s come up with.”
Lamb’s mural — one of 16 commissioned especially for BLINK — is rooted in his high school memories and in Cincinnati’s history. It contains layers of concentric X’s in homage to Xavier University, and its color scheme matches the University of Cincinnati.
By sunset Tuesday, he and Lindsey were filling out the last portion of their design. They're putting three coats of paint on everything to ensure it lasts.
“Hopefully for a very long time,” he said. “We'll come back to touch it up, keep it looking sharp.”
Follow our entire BLINK coverage here:
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- Roebling Bridge closes for BLINK prep
- What's new this year at BLINK
- Navigating BLINK 2019: Officials urge visitors to carpool or take public transit
- These funky, geometric lights will stay suspended in Downtown even after BLINK is over
