Local artist takes to the sky painting American flag mural on Reed Road silo
Brandon L McBryde Lexi Mangieri poses by her work in progress.
Residents who have traveled on Reed Road west of Route 47 may have taken notice of an awe-inspiring American flag mural being painted on the side of a silo owned by Chuck Ruth and his family.
Utilizing an articulated lift or what is sometimes known as a “cherry picker,” local artist Lexi Mangieri has spent the last three weeks suspended high above the ground finalizing her biggest project to date.
Mangieri told My Huntley News that she got commissioned to paint the Reed Road silo through employees of Sherwin Williams where she had worked for about seven years.
“Many employees know me as ‘the artist’ and a manager brought my name up when the customer was looking for recommendations for someone to paint an American Flag mural,” said Mangieri via email correspondence.
After completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration at Savannah College of Arts and Design—a private art school in Georgia—and with the encouragement of her parents and high school art teachers, Mangieri stated she has thought about pursuing a career in production design and scenic paintings for movies and television.
However, for the time being, Mangieri has been primarily focusing on freelancing, taking commissions for pet portraits, landscape paintings, and murals.
“Freelancing has had its ups and downs to it so far. I think projects such as the silo is a great opportunity for future work. Being consistent and constantly producing good work is a little stressful because there are times where I can get a bit of a block or not feel up to doing something,” Mangieri said.
She continued, “I have to say painting this silo has been a real blessing for me! I have never done something like this and I honestly feel like a mini-celebrity working on it every day with all the publicity I have been getting! So many people have stopped by with such nice comments. People have been commenting online about it and it feels so good to be recognized for something so grand. It has been an awesome experience all around!”
As for who her biggest influences are, Mangieri explained:
“I like to watch a lot of YouTube artists in my free time. They make me feel like a career in art is manageable. Guys like Kiptoe and Ten Hundred are very inspiring to me! My art teachers in high school, Mrs. Ellis and Mr. Domenz. Also, my professors Arden Von Haeger and Mike Wimmer who are successful illustrators and have an awesome portfolio,” she said.
Mangieri explained that there were some challenges while painting the silo mural.
“This is definitely the biggest canvas I have worked on so far! Being that I have never worked with a lift before, this was a challenge at first, but I feel like a pro now! The surface is different than I’m used to. Some areas are rough and there are poles and cracks that I have to work around, but nothing has been unmanageable,” she stated with great enthusiasm.
Having worked in various mediums, Mangieri maintains that her favorite form is still working in a traditional art style.
“In my opinion, nothing is more impressive than a traditional piece of artwork. I mainly love doing landscapes and any kind of scenery/nature because it can be more artistically forgiving. You can add as many leaves as you want and it’s still going to look like a tree. With something like a portrait, one little thing can be off and it won’t look like that person,” she said.
“I believe my artwork represents a sense of confidence. Art is something I can control and make something however I want! It has given me a real sense of identity and stability and it’s something I can always call my own.”
Individuals interested in viewing Mangieri’s art portfolio can check out her website leximangieri.com.
Mangieri can also be commissioned for art projects via her email at [email protected] or through her social media accounts.
“I mainly have worked in several mediums just experimenting while in school. I would say to a hopeful future artist to stay consistent, stay true to your style, post constantly, and put yourself out there as much as you can! (Something I still am learning/getting myself to do),” Mangieri said. “Being able to work on projects that I am excited about that are in a style that I like to paint is a win-win in any situation! A goal for me is to have a more consistent style/subject matter that I am known for doing and people want to hire me in particular for that. That would be super validating as an artist.”
