People to Know: Gavin Bird
Gavin Bird is a muralist in Jackson whose work can be seen at The Slab - a Mill Street DIY skate park, on the side of LD's Beer Run, along the Museum Trail and on the bus for Capital City Kayaks, among other spots.
"My dad majored in illustration from Ringling School of the Arts. And my mom is an architect. My brother is also an artist, we're actually identical twin brothers. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. My dad has given me drawing lessons since I could pick up a pencil, and I learned how to watercolor at a very young age. He's always given me feedback and critiques and just helped push me in a very passive way, to continue pursuing [art]. I've been doing it for so long, that it's almost therapeutic in a way. If I find myself not producing any artwork, I start to get really antsy. It's something that I feel the need to do, that I have to do, and also something that I really enjoy.
It's amazing to be able to see a small, simple sketch on paper being blown up to 10 feet, 15 feet, 20 feet wide, or 20 feet tall. It can be the simplest drawing, but then once it gets blown up to something larger, I do feel as if it has a larger impact. Not necessarily that it takes away from any other art. It's just seeing something that you created being blown up to a larger proportion - it's an awesome feeling."