Writer  /  Kara Kavensky
Photographer  /  Brian Brosmer & provided

6

“Do you paint animals?” This seemingly random question led to one of the best artistic partnerships as evidenced by their talents strewn across the state of Indiana.

This question was asked by Chris Blice to Jon Edwards over two decades ago. At the time, Chris had started a faux painting company when he agreed to take on a job of painting a powder room for a client who specifically wanted jungle animals included in the project. There was one small problem: Chris was not skilled with painting animals. “I knew I could figure it out,” says Chris. Fate intervened, for fellow artist Jon Edwards answered the question with an affirmative, “Yes.”

2Nearly 25 years later, Blice Edwards is one of the most recognizable names in the residential, commercial and municipal art scene. Their giant murals adorn landmarks such as Hinkle Fieldhouse, Titus Bakery in Lebanon, Christel House Academy West, Westfield Blossoms in the city of Westfield, Angie’s List, Pioneer Oil in Vincennes, Grand Racing and Casino in Shelbyville and numerous restaurants and businesses throughout Broad Ripple and greater Indianapolis.

Early business cards for Blice Edwards read, “Walls for people who think outside the box” and “You provide the walls. We provide the utterly deranged artistic vision.” Blice Edwards has assembled a team which includes Eric Wallentine, who is Jon’s right-hand man; Gail Winter, an incredible artist in her own right; and Heather Shepard, who assists Chris with the office work. “Our company is only as good as our team. We are grateful for our talented and dedicated artists,” adds Chris.

The foundation of their business is residential interiors. Their first major event was the 1995 Indianapolis Monthly Dream Home where they decorated a dramatic, barrel ceiling with a tile effect. Jon and Chris hand-painted 250 individual tiles and glued them to the ceiling. The result was   breathtaking and earned them a cascade of jobs around the Indianapolis area.

With their business, Chris is the visionary and handles the business side including marketing, philanthropy, project management, product development and research. Given all that Chris juggles, he demonstrates each day the internal balance of using both sides of his brain, not just the right side which is creatively dominant. Jon and Chris married in 2015 and live and work together. They are one another’s best friend, and their relationship is rare in its quality and substance. “We are together all of the time,” says Chris. “He’s my best friend, and we work very well together,” adds Jon.1

Both men began their artistic journey at young ages. Chris recalls sketching birds and foliage from wallpaper in one of the rooms in his childhood home. His influence to pursue art as a career came from his art teacher at Lincoln High School in Vincennes who encouraged him to cultivate his skills as a craftsman, inspiring him to create three dimensional pieces such as glass tiles, jewelry and other textiles from non-traditional supplies.

Jon’s grandfather, Charles Finch, is a Herron School of Art graduate. “He was a printer for money and an artist for love,” shares Jon. As a young boy, Jon and his brothers would receive drawings in the mail from their grandfather, and they would respond back with their own. It was a creative, fun game for the boys with one package arriving with a large paper inside folded like a map. “Our grandfather had incorporated our drawings into his and had folded it like a treasure map,” recalls Jon, who still has many of the fun drawings his grandfather created.

After graduating from Noblesville High School, Jon attended the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) in Ohio. “We called it the Columbus College of Anxiety and Depression,” says Jon. As with most art schools, CCAD is rigorous with exceedingly high expectations of their students. Jon said that some of his friends unfamiliar with his chosen field at that time thought art college was easy when it fact it was really quite difficult. “This was all pre-computer days, and I was learning the same techniques my grandfather had learned.”

The day after graduation, Jon moved to New York City. His first day in the big city, he saw Keith Herring, a famous artist, walking down the street. Jon was too shy to say anything. While in New York, he worked at a marble and granite shop. Jon later did product design and packaging, working on a lot of infomercial packaging. His claim to fame was working on the design team for the Flo-Be hair package. He also worked on a job for Cher, which was her line of late-night beauty projects. Jon moved back to Indiana while designing and building stage props for a company. Soon after he returned to Indianapolis, he met Chris. From a simple question, a lasting love affair and partnership formed.

The jungle bathroom was their first joint project. Customized designs and motifs quickly became their specialty. Many of their clients share a vision or concept they’d love to see created, and Chris and Jon bring it to life. One unique example is a winter scene they painted across an entire wall of built-in bookcases in a client’s den replete with pine trees, wolves and the appearance of perpetually falling snow.

“In the ‘90s, everyone wanted a Tuscan Villa, so we messed up a lot of walls and furniture,” says Jon with a smile. Even though Jon and Chris aren’t afraid to paint on any surface, there has been an occasional job they’ve refused. “Once we were asked to create an aged, banged up look in a really beautiful, new library area with a bar,” shares Jon. “It was gorgeous mahogany. We just couldn’t bring ourselves to ruin it.”

cover copyOne of their latest works is a 30 foot tall mural of James Whitcomb Riley painted on the Lockerbie Lofts Apartments along Michigan Street. “I mimicked his signature as best I could,” says Jon, who scribed “With all best greetings and esteem, James Whitcomb Riley.” The mural, which is hand-painted, looks like a photograph decal or a banner.

Those who frequent the 54th Street corridor in SoBro near the Monon Trail will readily identify the fun artwork embellishing Posh Petals, Good Morning Mama’s, Agrarian, Daviola’s, Junkyard Goddess and Erin Young Designs. Blice Edwards painted all of those. Even the “Additional Parking” arrow sign painted along the fence at Delicia was done by Blice Edwards. Inside 317 Burger is a bar named None The Wiser. Blice Edwards adorned the walls with owner Bill Ficca’s favorite quotes from Indiana authors and celebrities. Bill recently asked Dan Wakefield to sign by his quotes.

“Blice Edwards has done work for us at Delicia/La Mulita, and we were quite pleased with the outcome. Their footprint is all over Indy, and it only made sense to engage them again on a project that required the type of collaborative thought that our Speakers’ Corner did,” says Bill Ficca, owner of 317 Burger/None the Wiser Tap Room.

The Blice Edwards team gives back to the community on as large a scale as any commissioned mural. As part of Lilly’s Global Day of Service, Blice Edwards designed and managed a project for Christel House a few years ago and plans another project for this September.

“Artists develop their own style and establish a ‘signature.’ Jon and Chris’ signature is telling a descriptive story,” shares Christel DeHaan, Founder and CEO of Christel House. “They are artists with big hearts who demonstrate their commitment to our community by contributing to worthy causes. It was a joy to work with them on the ‘Love for the Children’ mural at Christel House West.”

This year, the Blice Edwards team will be orchestrating the Lilly Global Day of Service “Picnic Table Project” for Christel House south and west. In conjunction with Lilly volunteers and Christel House students, picnic tables for both school locations will be painted.

A recent philanthropic project for Blice Edwards is a creation for AIM (Aftercare for Indiana through Mentoring) located at 4155 Boulevard Place. “At The Crossroads” depicts a student along the path of life and deciding which path to take.

“Our deepest thanks goes out to Blice Edwards for giving so generously of their time and effort for creating ‘At The Crossroads,’” says AIM Executive Director Joanne Helferich.

“We’ve been doing this a long time,” says Jon with a smile. “We love every minute of it,” adds Chris.

Visit BliceEdwards.com and LillyGlobalDayofService.com for more information.

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