New York Cares Day 2008!

In spite of today's sudden cold snap (and the nasty cold I've been fighting), I and a bunch of my co-workers enjoyed some major warm fuzzies volunteering for New York Cares Day.

Today's Mission: Paint giant, trippy technicolor murals in an elementary school.

The Victim: PS 84 in Williamsburg.

The Method: Grab a brush and get on a ladder!!

Basically, it was like paint-by-numbers -- only without the numbers, and with pretty cheesy paint (the art director remarked that next time we should get Benjamin Moore to sponsor us into some better materials!).

Using a colored sketch created by the art director, and a chalked outline, we mixed and matched colors as best we could, bringing foods, flowers, blocks and butterflies to life on the school's walls.

I focused on an anthropomorphic raincloud having what looks kind of like a happy accident on flowers and outstretched palms and cups, encouraging all to "Drink It" (trippy, right?).



On the cafeteria's adjacent wall, fruits and veggies offered themselves to toothy, grinning kids.



Outside, a bulbous caterpillar hugged the Pre-K wall.



And blocks & butterflies graced Kindergartenland.



I can't help wondering whether the kids will be delighted or baffled on Monday morning......

Or maybe a combination of both. Heck, that worked for me when I was a kid!