Chances are Chris Veal‘s mural was all over your feed last week — whether it was on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. His “I miss Buckhead” mural (see right), painted on the side of Marco’s Pita on Ponce, got people talking. It’s a response to this ever-changing city, which it’s now full of MJQ noise complaints and revamped grocery stores (we’ll never call it “BeltLine Kroger,” sorry). Veal’s work can be seen around town, from the new Tiny Doors ATL collaboration at the King of Pops stand to his bird mural at Highland Bakery and his Ninja Rabbit at Arden’s Garden.
Here, Veal talks to CommonCreativ about being an artist in Atlanta, his dream collabs and creating that Ponce mural.
CommonCreativ: Tell us about your new mural on Ponce. What inspired it and why did you pick that location?
Chris Veal: The wall was inspired by the changing face of the area and stories I keep hearing from friends and neighbors. I had the location before I had the idea of what to paint there. The building owner hit me up and asked me to paint something until work starts on it soon.
CC: Did you expect it to resonate with people as much as it did?
CV: Not at all. It wasn’t till the night before I was even sure what I wanted to paint there.
CC: How do you feel about Atlanta’s landscape right now, with all of the changes around Ponce and surrounding neighborhoods?
CV: Change is always gonna happen. Some, I don’t mind if it’s making use of something like Ponce City Market and the BeltLine. But, I don’t like when people come in because of these things and complain about the stuff that’s been here for years.
CC: How did you end up in Atlanta? How long have you been an artist here?
CV: I was born in Milledgeville, Georgia and moved here around 1999. I had friends move here so I followed them up because there are more opportunities for artists in large cities.
CC: You have a few murals around town, including a new Tiny Doors ATL mural. What was that like?
CV: Working with Tiny Doors was great. King of Pops hit me up with the idea and I got really excited about it. Painting that small was weird, but we had a great time bringing it to life. I’ve been lucky enough to land a bunch of walls around Atlanta. My favorite ones are really the ones not many people see — in abandoned buildings and under bridges.
CC: Do you prefer to work in a large scale? What are your favorite materials to work with?
CV: Large scale, for sure. There’s something about stepping back and seeing it finished. Spray paint is my favorite medium for large scale. For smaller work, I go through phases. Lately, I’ve been using colored pencils a lot.
CC: What subjects do you like to concentrate on?
CV: Comics, movie and TV characters, etc. Most of my work is commissioned so it’s mostly up to the client what I’m painting. When I find time to paint for myself, I like painting things from my childhood or pieces I think people will get a kick out of seeing.
CC: What inspires you?
CV: Seeing fellow artist progress and do great things.
CC: How would you describe your artistic style?
CV: I can’t [laughs]. It changes from piece to piece. One day it’s graffiti, the next it’s portraits, the week after might be something completely different. I really just enjoy trying new things. Sticking 100 percent to one style always sounded boring to me. This has been a downfall for me though, because I meet people all the time that never put together that the same guy who painted the birds at the Highland Bakery is the guy who’s painting Ninja Turtles in Little Five [Points].
The artist
CC: Do you have any dream collaborations with other local artists?
CV: I’d have to say Totem². His level of painting is outstanding. I would like to paint with Greg Mike just to see what we could come up with. I would really enjoy painting with Never, Era404, and Jast again. They showed me a lot while I was just getting started but have since moved.
CC: How do you promote yourself?
CV: I do a little bit of social media, but it’s mostly just talking to people and letting them know what I can do if it’s ever needed. Getting started was the hard part. I would take just about any painting job I could find, many times breaking even or losing money, but it’s what got people to see my work.
CC: What do you think about Atlanta’s current arts scene?
CV: I think it’s pretty good overall. A lot of people have a lot of cool things going on. Forward Warrior, Outerspace Project, #FAFATL artists, all the handprinted sign guys, good shows being put together. The scene is strong and growing daily, so I’m enjoying things.
CC: What’s next for you?
CV: I’m trying to keep progressing with my craft and learning new things. I want to start tying my work together more so people connect the dots better. I’m going to step back from the nostalgia art and move on to other things to keep it fresh. I also want to do more art with a message like the Ponce wall. Seeing how much people related to it was interesting. And oh yeah, commissions — gotta keep the bills paid.
You can see more of Chris Veal’s work around town and on his Instagram.
