Eric Alan Grohe
Eric Grohe Murals & Design

During his 40 year career as a professional artist, Eric Grohe has received national recognition for painting large scale figurative and architectural murals for clients across America. In 1994 and 1998 he won Design Awards from the American Institution of Architects. He won first place awards two years in a row in the national Signs of the Times mural competition. Clients include The State of Ohio, The American Hop Museum, Miller Brewing Co., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., and Nordstrom Inc. (cover photo)

When Eric Grohe undertakes a mural project, the process is usually long and very elaborate. His Trompe L'Oeil effects are extremely detailed and take a considerable amount of time to complete. He has worked on large-scale projects for major corporations and government entities, Due to the nature of his clients, he often uses costly materials and extensive planning time is included in his fee.

Eric usually paints alone, but on very large projects he will employ as many as 8 people to assist him. In the past he hired art students attending colleges near the mural site who displayed exceptional artistic abilities. Eric is currently working on an indoor mural for Miller Brewing Co. The painting, to be instilled in an active fermenting room, will portray an operating brewery at the turn of the 20th century and will give the illusion that the room expands into other rooms. For this project he chose to work on 16' x 10' aluminum panels. He reached this decision after considering what substrate could best resist a hot and humid brewery environment. The existing walls had also been previously coated with an epoxy-based material. Rather than grinding the surface down to something he felt comfortable working with, he chose to put the same time and money into design and purchase of the aluminum panels.

To prepare the aluminum panels, Eric washes them with soap and water. Then he etches the surfaces to give the panels some "tooth" for painting. There are two ways that aluminum can be etched: it can be physically etched by running an orbital sander over the surface (a protective respirator should be worn) or chemically etched by applying a mixture of Pre-etch Acid and Yellow Resin, both made by Triangle Coatings. Finally, the panels are primed with Triangle's Multiblock Vinyl Primer Gesso, creating a white surface on which to paint.

Eric is working in oil paints on this project, although he occasionally works indoors with acrylic. He will also use artist's enamels when a mural might he exposed to a lot of abuse. He appreciates the decal-like effect he can create with enamels as well. On outdoor projects, Eric has had a lot of experience working on freshly cast concrete. To prepare this surface he also performs a three step process of washing, etching, and priming. He usually hires a contractor to power wash the surface, cleaning and removing any attached objects. The concrete is then etched with a muriatic acid which gives a nice tooth to the surface. Then it is primed and ready to be painted.

Eric often uses Keim mineral paints on masonry or cementous surfaces. These coatings actually penetrate or "silicify" with, the surface of the substrate, making them incredibly durable. "Although they are more expensive," says Eric, "the cost of materials is often an insignificant part of the overhead for my clients. If they are not willing to pay the extra money for longer lasting paints, they usually aren't interested in the type of service we have to offer."

When painting on north facing walls, walls not in direct sunlight, or when Keim use is inappropriate, Eric uses acrylic paints on his exterior murals. Although he has used a mixture of artist paints and house paints in the past, Eric plans to use GOLDEN Artist Acrylics exclusively for future projects. "At this stage it is not worth the risk of using less expensive and more doubtful materials," he says.

For his protective coatings, Eric has adapted a two-step process that he learned from GOLDEN's technical support team. He wanted to achieve a flat effect with his varnishes, and through experimentation he developed the following method. First he applies a layer of GOLDEN Soft Gel Medium Semigloss as a "shield" coat. Then he applies a coat of GOLDEN MSA Varnish Matte diluted with Stoddards Mineral Spirits. Eric found the Stoddards to be the best mixing mineral spirits. No final coating is applied to the "breathing" Keim surfaces. (Note: GOLDEN recommends using only Soft Gel Gloss and MSA Varnish Gloss for similar applications).

Eric reports one problem he had working with concrete. The contractor he hired to clean the surface was supposed to make sure all of the form release agent applied to the concrete was removed (form release agent is meant to aid the concrete in separating from the casting forms). A small area in one corner of the building was not cleaned sufficiently. A background color was applied by another contractor who failed to notice the form release agent still at attached to the building. Finally, when Eric pulled up some tape used to protect an area of the mural, some of the paint came off. On the back of these paint chips was evidence of the form release agent, meant to gradually separate from the building over time. Eric had to go back and repair the mural, and he warns that if artists use a contractor it can be more difficult to ascertain if the job was done correctly.

When working on a previously coated wall, says Eric, it is always a good idea to take it back down to the original surface. He remembers a problem he had on his very first outdoor mural, painted on a wooden building that was freshly painted. Three years later the entire mural was reduced to "potato chips" as Eric describes them, because the paint the mural was painted over had failed. He also suggests that artists should be wary of uninformed people who may overcoat their murals after they leave. In some cases the coatings may not be compatible, and that can be a big problem.

About 10% of Eric's time and budget is dedicated to planning and preparation. He consults technicians and contractors to help determine how long a work of art, or the building it will be painted on, can last. Eric also co-operates with architects and park designers so his murals will work with existing or forthcoming architectural elements. Projects involving community planning usually take longer to plan and gain approval.

If Eric is working on a mural project for a community, he will Typical mural cross section - more than is visible on the surface conduct extensive research on the town's history or simply visit for a while before he starts painting. He feels very strongly that murals should "belong" in their environment. He cites the negative example of murals that may be nice images but are completely disproportionate to their surroundings. "These murals can be a great disappointment," says Eric, "and this is bad for everyone involved. A successful mural can be a source of renewal or inspiration for a community, and great for the mural business in general. A poorly executed or disproportionate mural by any artist is not only disappointing but can discourage potential clients from commissioning murals of their own."