Today we’d like to introduce you to Rodney Leath. Them and their team share their story with us below:
S&L Mural Co. is a commercial mural company founded by friends and artists Rodney Leath and Joe Sawyer. Sawyer and Leath have a combined experience of 30+ years in a variety of artistic avenues. The two originally connected over a decade ago through social media following each others’ artwork. At the time, the two were each doing commission charcoal portraiture artwork part-time. Rodney, administrative personnel at a home decor company, and Joe, a pediatric nurse, often shared studio space together in their downtime to create and support each others’ work. As their experience grew, so did their artistic creativity and understanding of art- branching into color, graphic design, and a variety of mediums and subjects. Joe eventually traveled to sell his artwork full time and the two would collaborate to design and sell pieces in home decor, local art festivals, and various commission work including murals and canvas work.
Guided by a shared vision of working with commercial businesses to bring custom-designed, long-lasting, high-quality artwork to interior and exterior spaces, Sawyer and Leath developed processes to start a full-time mural business. With S&L, a business can request a design based on its’ own visions or suggest a general direction for artwork. The artwork is graphically designed and a painting process is developed to reproduce the artwork in exact detail. Sawyer and Leath plan designs with the city to address any UDC regulations and permits that pertain to the area to be painted beforehand. S&L ensures longer-lasting artwork than traditional murals through the use of UV and weather-resistant mixed paints, high-grade primers, and anti-graffiti sealants.
“Rodney and I still paint artwork individually, but S&L is for businesses. We don’t push our particular styles or certain subjects. We push well-done artwork that flows well with the aesthetics of the area and that can be appreciated in its own merit. We’re determined to give businesses well more than they bargained for.” – Joe Sawyer
“Murals traditionally bring foot traffic, public awareness, and interest. S&L was developed to capitalize on these opportunities in the best ways possible and to support not only these businesses but local artists as well. This past year, S&L started on a high note, working with larger and smaller businesses in the mid-south such as Silo Square in Southaven, Lebonheur Children’s Hospital, Urban Earth, and Work&Play Studio among others.
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?
“Honestly, it’s been a surprisingly smooth road so far. With any new business, there’s just an insurmountable amount of hours that go into that. On an artistic level, Rodney and I had to develop painting processes in which we could complement each other in a practical and time-efficient way. Using mixed paints vs spray paint adds longevity to a mural, but it also adds a considerable amount of time to painting as well. Rodney and I have logged 18hr painting stretches before.
Rodney’s attitude through the whole thing has been amazing. We just order a pizza and get to work, enjoying the art and the company. We love talking with bystanders and attempting to get them involved- especially the kids. Art has a special way of bringing people together. For me, it’s all a mindset. We love what we do and we love people. We’re living our dream, and at the end of the day, that keeps us going.” -J. Sawyer
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Rodney and I both started in charcoal portraiture. As we progressed, we both have done abstraction, impressionism, realism, you name it. We love to work in a variety of styles and mediums. Rodney continues to paint personally within his business LeathStudio. Joe paints within his business- J.Sawyer Artwork.
As a business, S&L capitalizes on this experience. What sets S&L apart is the technical aspects of its art- the techniques, detail, color theory, design, etc. I believe what we’re both proud of is that we can take these processes developed through personal experience and teach them. We’ve worked with interns and art students within the company to assist us. It’s a rewarding venture for us to be able to mentor fellow creatives who wish to pursue art as a career and to teach our process and fundamentals to others.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
S&L is currently working with interns with artistic backgrounds or education for larger projects. Maddie Pugh, an intern with us and a student of UofM with an art background, was an incredible help with our latest mural project at Lebonheur Children’s. Our internships are paid positions. When S&L has these openings, they can be found on our social media pages. Follow us to stay informed!
We have plans to open a central location and to offer art classes in the future as well. Teaching art is a passion for both Rodney and myself. As S&L grows, with community and client support, we hope to achieve this goal in the next coming years.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.slmuralco.com (coming soon!)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sl_mural/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slmuralco/
Image Credits
S&L Mural
