Ambrosia Ludwick’s 4th Avenue Mural
Submitted by: Ambrosia Ludwick
Ambrosia Ludwick is one of twelve incredible muralists chosen to participate in the Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition’s mural project; co-sponsored by Chasse Building Team. The twelve temporary mural panels can be found on the corner of 4th and 6th Avenue in Tucson, AZ. These murals are helping to spread so much beauty and joy to our city during these challenging times. If you are in Tucson, we highly recommend checking them out in person.
Ambrosia’s mural captures the bright and lively atmosphere of Tucson. Below, she kindly shared more about her process for creating a piece like this, and how the pandemic has affected her life.
How did you come up with the inspiration for your mural?
The theme was a very broad Tucson-centric prompt, and I really wanted to pay homage to the way Tucson and the downtown area have made me feel. I moved here after high school, and knew it was where I belonged almost immediately. It is based on my original design for the mural that I had applied with in April before the event was postponed to October.
What is the process for creating a mural like this?
Once I had my idea, I drew this on a regular piece of paper then I sketched it in with chalk before painting. This panel is mesh, so I had to do about 3 coats of gesso before I was ready to paint. After that, it was just hours of painting and taping and revising. I also enlisted the help of my niece. She is four and wants to be an artist. We try to nurture that! (She even signed the bottom with me.)
What message do you hope to share with others through your mural?
Basically, just that there can be bright spots in situations like this, we just have to look for them. Hopefully, my mural can be that reminder for at least one person.
Please describe for us how the pandemic has affected you personally, professionally, etc.
My husband and I moved back to Tucson last year, and for the years we were gone, all we talked about was how much we missed the food, the vibe, the people…everything! By the time we got settled back into the routine of living, everything was shut down and we were afraid to be social. My job went fully remote in March, so although I have always fancied working from home, I miss my small team of co-workers and just having other people around. I am a naturally optimistic person, but this pandemic challenges that on a daily basis. I am challenged by feeling boxed in, seeing other people be selfish about masking up, and realizing how unprepared we were for things like this.
To see more of Ambrosia’s amazing work follow her Instagram @ambrosia.ludwick