Today we’d like to introduce you to Helen Snell
Hi Helen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Peak Murals has been in the making for over 10 years, but it took until 2023 to see that painting murals could be a career opportunity. I began painting murals in high school, and volunteered with a group of other students to paint a mural in our home town. In college, I pushed the boundaries of “canvas” sizes and would often double, triple or even utilize an entire wall for my projects. I worked in theater building and painting sets and backdrops, painted my rooms and murals for friends in their apartments, and all the while thoroughly enjoyed creating big pieces as a hobby. I was actively pursuing a career in SFX Makeup and by 2023, I had reached a milestone by seeing my name in the credits as a mold maker for the makeup department of a very popular television show. With two more credits soon to follow, I found myself looking for my next big achievement to start working toward. In putting out feelers to friends and family to see if I could build up a portfolio, I discovered a very positive reaction to mural painting, and with it came the creative freedom that every artist strives for. I found myself with work that I truly enjoyed, and that led me to start my very own company, Peak Murals.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While the art and business side of owning Peak Murals has been relatively straight forward, finding clientele has been a major learning process. While it may seem like a simple thing to reach out for most people, sometimes it isn’t. Whether it be lack of confidence, too shy, or brushing it off as “oh, there’s no way this person is going to want a mural from me,” I actually found that when I could push that all aside, I reaped major rewards from doing so. In the past, I got my first makeup internship that lead to a plethora of other opportunities through a phone call to a person I didn’t even know. I made it into a film industry job through a stand in professor I had studied under for only a few weeks. She sent me a Facebook listing of another person I didn’t know and even though I felt unqualified, I ended up being hired. I’ve applied for mural bids that I didn’t think I would qualify for and ended up being selected as a finalist. I’ve had to teach and pep talk myself through taking those leaps and reaching out to people. I have found that taking the initiative and showing the drive and passion I have for my business speaks a lot about myself and tends to get me further than I think.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
There have been two major players in what makes me who I am. I have this incredible love of art and for learning new ways to express my thoughts to the world. I’ve been exposed to so many mediums, from sculpting, drawing, animating and painting, to fashion design, costuming and SFX makeup. I’ve been a cake decorator, a mold maker, and a plein air artist. I create in so many ways and I strive to interlace all of those techniques together. On the other hand, I am an athlete and outdoor enthusiast. I rock climb, kayak, hike, camp, ski and bike. I’ve played ice hockey, been a climbing instructor, a white water raft guide, and a ski patroller. I’ve broken bones, had concussions, and generally tried to push the boundaries of what a female athlete could do. I have this adventure side of someone who would happily trek across the land in any environment, and yet have the ability to sit, surrounded by nature, and paint the world as I see it. These two sides to me intertwine constantly, and I feel as if I have a diverse library in my mind to draw inspiration from because of the adventures I have had.
I am still not done with expanding my mural knowledge. The act of painting on wall is fairly straightforward. Now that I have that skill set, my challenge is to start incorporating my other talents and combine those with murals. I have many ideas in the works, some of which needs education in new fields. I can’t wait to start, as another skill to add to my toolbox is something I deeply cherish.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
My mother knew without a doubt that I would grow up to be an artist…except for the small portion of time where I thought bugs and mummies were awesome and entomology and archeology entered the possible career choices! Being an artist herself, she encouraged me to draw and paint on a regular basis. I have heard numerous times about how I insisted on dumping all of the crayons out of a bucket and wearing the bucket on my head when I drew as a kid. For a time, wearing a hat while I created was actually a must do in order to get my imagination going! In school, I chose creative classes as soon as students were able to pick their own electives. I balanced art with athletics, and I loved exploring every option available. I hopped around in different styles of art classes, including ceramics, digital art, painting, theater and figure drawing. In sports I found myself on soccer, volleyball and ice hockey teams. I loved exploring as many options as I could in the fields that I liked, and even to this day, I find that it makes me a much more well rounded artist and adventurer with so many experiences and skill sets to pull from.
Pricing:
- The initial consultation is always free! We discuss your wall, design ideas and time frame for the project.
- The designs come next, and I will provide two or three designs for the client to look at and choose from. At this point, there is a deposit made for the design.
- Once the design is finalized, I typically charge between $35-$45 per square foot depending on the complexity of the chosen mural design.
- The rest of the cost of the mural will include paint/supplies, a kit fee and any equipment rental (such as scaffolding or a lift).
- If travel is involved, the price of the flight. and lodging will be added to the final cost
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peakmurals.com
- Instagram: @peak.murals
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093491093192
