Cincinnati sports fans, traditionally accustomed to losing squads and misery, have enjoyed some unexpected high points throughout the last year. Last season, the University of Cincinnati’s football Bearcats surged to an undefeated regular season en route to a Big East Conference title. This season, the Reds are surprising contenders in the National League’s Central Division.
After winning the NFL’s AFC North Division last year, the Bengals upped the ante with its rivals by signing Terrell Owens, the temperamental, fleet-footed wide receiver who’s created as many off-field as on-field highlights during his 14-year career with four prior teams.
The signing, which occurred right before training camp opened on July 29, enlivened local talk radio and sports-section headlines. Danny Babcock, a muralist and co-owner of Higher Level Art with Matthew Dayler, who maintains operations in Cincinnati and Erie, PA, paid tribute to Owens and Chad Ochocinco, the team’s other garrulous, media-magnet receiver, by painting wall graphics that pay tribute to the Bengals and their most high-profile athletes. Babcock and Dayler, who create commissioned murals and artwork, created the mural pro bono overnight on the day Owens signed with the team at All About Colors, a body shop at the intersection of Ravine and Central Parkway in downtown Cincinnati.
“I have a longstanding relationship with the property owner, and he allows us free reign with his wall space,” Babcock said.
He executed the spraypaint work, and Dayler handled acrylic-paint application. To craft the mural, which measures 12 x 40-ft., they began with a white layer of Kilz premium primer. Then, they created black washes with brushwork using an acrylic-paint and water mix that Babcock said created an aesthetic like sumi ink.
To apply the lettering, leaves and abstracted logos, they used such aerosol coatings as Montana, Ironlak and Rustoleum.
For more information about the company, check out its blog, higherlevelart.blogspot.com.