WE PAINT: The Film
What would a day of Colossal work look like from the perspective of a brush?
Some of the brushes in our shop have had painting careers longer than we’ve been in business. It’s a tool the same as it ever was: beyond the reach of innovation, upgrades, and obsolescence. It becomes an extension of the painter’s arm, and in that physical connection holds a historical record of hundreds, thousands of artworks. It is the humble implement applying one shade at a time, coloring the world we live in.
This is the question that began this whole project. Back in early 2025, chatting with my friend and filmmaker Jackson Jarvis, we were exploring how to narrativize the work. We wanted to turn the camera toward the walldogs, those who pursue a career of craftsmanship and determination. It’s the everyday moments that are unseen and unsung that make this business singular. That’s really what this is all about.
Colossal isn’t a finished product; it’s a process. It’s 7am at the shop, and six painters at the wall. It’s chasing the light, shifting with the seasons. It’s both constant and constantly changing; two weeks to achieve the impossible, one day to cover a masterpiece in white paint and start again with a blank canvas.
Our team performs the impossible on a daily basis; I’ve never seen patience, perseverance, and grit like this. In this moment in history, time and mastery have become the most impressive, precious offerings. The film we’ve made celebrates the beauty (and rigor) of the process. It’s an opportunity to admire the labor as the art itself. What’s behind the Colossal wall?
Here, let me show you:
We were proud to premiere our film, dedicated to walldogs, to the Colossal team on May 21. After an intimate screening at our headquarters, we walked to a tailgate party at Banker’s Anchor, where the film was projected on a nearby wall. To see this work culminate in a community celebration was more rewarding than I could have ever anticipated.
A month later, we prepared for the wide-release of We Paint. Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg hosted an audience of clients, colleagues, artists, and friends. Marking this occasion at a local, independent theater reinforced our message of grassroots growth and grit.
Seeing Colossal on the big screen makes me wonder at how far we’ve come. Like everything in life, it didn’t happen all at once. It happened in countless early mornings, challenging jobs, and hard days. It’s what you see captured here, repeated for more than twenty years, and delivered to you today as a landmark, an icon, a finished artwork for you to enjoy.
