Learning the inspiration and creative process behind a new OAT mural
Here at OAT, Alan and I want to foster an environment that encourages creativity and imagination amongst our associates. So, we’ve made a concerted effort to make sure that our work environment reflects the diversity that exists in the world we travel.
One way we’ve done just that is by decorating each floor lobby at our Boston headquarters in a unique way. For example, our fifth floor—the finance department—displays paper money and coins from around the world on the floor.
We’re currently renovating our lobby areas with new murals featuring scenes from the different places we travel. We’ve commissioned several local artists around Boston to help us with this artwork—including one of Grand Circle Foundation’s Community Service partners, Artists for Humanity (AFH).
Massiel Grullon, Assistant Mentor of the Artists For Humanities Graphics Studio, displays her original artwork featuring Ganesh, one of the most worshipped deities in the Hindu faith.
Massiel Grullon, the Assistant Mentor of the AFH Graphics Studio, took the lead role in designing and creating the graphic that would be featured on the sixth floor of our building—focusing on our travels to Asia. Her task was to create a piece of art that displayed Asian deities. Here, Massiel shares her inspirations and experiences during the creative process …
“I began this project by doing some research online about different Buddhist elements and started doing a sketch,” said Massiel. “I shared the sketch with OAT and they told me they wanted Ganesh to be the centerpiece and other Buddhist elements to surround the deity. I made the adjustments and they approved my sketch.”
“Next, I started coloring the sketch with colored pencils, watercolors, and acrylic paint on paper. The types of colors I used were deep reds, greens, and yellows—a lot of earthy colors. I did some research in a book called Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet—and they used earthy, warm colors—almost pastel. I tried to mimic the way they drew things. It took me about three weeks to complete the original piece, which was 29x21 inches on paper.”
OAT commissioned several local artists around Boston to create murals on each floor of our building—like the one created here by Massiel on the sixth floor.
“After that, Haidan, our photography mentor, took a picture of the original piece and put it on the computer, and then Damon, Artist for Humanity’s Assistant Artistic Director, rendered it in Photoshop. Then, we printed it on adhesive vinyl.”
When asked what some of the challenges she faced during her creative process were, Massiel said, “I couldn’t use any black, and that was a challenge because I’m so used to painting with black; it’s a big part of my style. However, I learned that colors pop out more and black can be dull sometimes.”
For Massiel, completing the mural was incredibly challenging—and also incredibly rewarding. “Some of the process was tedious—like the deadline,” shares Massiel, “It was a short deadline … I really had to be responsible with my work and try to be an artist in the business world. The moment I saw it all done and on the wall I thought, ‘Oh my god, it came from my brain and now it’s a reality!’ It’s a really great feeling.”
Learn about the religious traditions of South Asia on our adventures to India and Nepal.