Maybe Something Beautiful Mural

San Diego Cooperative Charter School 2 Before

New Mural painted for El día de los niños/El día de los libros [Children's Day/Book Day] 

Community at work.

Maybe Something Beautiful Book Team: Author Isabel Campoy, Editor Jeannette E. Larson HMH, Stefanie Von Borstel of Full Circle Literary and Author Theresa Howell.

Grateful to SDCCS 2 Principal Anthony Villaseñor

Reading the story with authors Theresa Howell & Isabel Camply

Had a great time this last week preparing and painting the Maybe Something Beautiful mural to celebrate Children's Day/Book Day and the release of Maybe Something Beautiful. Thanks to all the amazing kids, volunteers, families and artist friends who made it possible at the San Diego Cooperative Charter School 2 in southeast San Diego.

Coming Soon! A new book Maybe Something Beautiful and a new mural

Vertical Spread from MAYBE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

On Tuesday April 12 Maybe Something Beautiful hits the shelves. It combines the talents of F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell and tells the story of Mira who together with a muralist and the community bring color and joy to her gray city. You can follow the action on facebook as murals inspired this book which has inspired an upcoming mural.

Looking forward to creating a new mural with children and families in Barrio Logan, San Diego on April 30, 2016. Details on the way.

Study for Maybe Something Beautiful

Here is one of the studies I created for Maybe Something Beautiful due out next April. The story was inspired by the work we have done with many dedicated volunteers in the East Village of downtown San Diego. I was looking for mood and atmosphere as the story written by Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell starts with a little girl who lives in a grey city.

I wanted to try something new and challenged myself to experiment with this book. Riding around on my bicycle I shot photos of buildings in our neighborhood. I then painted the outer shapes of the structures using acrylic paint on wooden boards to get the texture background. One of my favorite downtime pastimes is photographing textures and these came from my urban file. This was compiled digitally to deliver the grit I was looking for.

Time Lapse Mural Magic

This time lapse video of a second mural I created for Coasterra condenses a week's work to around 2 minutes. It's visual caffeine so put your seat belt on. Grateful to my hard working, talented assistants Daniel Renner and Brie Witko as well as my friend Gil Gutierrez for his vibrant music.

   

Mural Making

Had fun last week making the first of two COASTERRA murals for the Cohn Restaurant Group and this time lapse video.

New Mural for Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Please click on the mural to view it large

New Posters for Americas Latino Eco Festival

I was asked to conceptualize and design this series of four posters for the Americas Latino Eco Festival September 11-15, 2014 in Boulder Colorado. I teamed up with a talented young Latina designer and 2014 graphic design graduate of San Diego City College Lulubi Garcia who crafted the fresh type. Looking forward to painting a mural with young people to further the vision of this organization. ALEF is an environmental campaign of Americas for Conservation + the Arts  to strengthen the voice of the Latino community on issues relating to climate change and environmental justice.

New Paintings on their way to Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital

I've just completed three 30 by 40 inch paintings for Yale-New Haven Hospital. This facility for children gives as much attention to a child's emotional needs as they do for caring for their illness. Kids are nurtured in a place designed especially to care for them in a unique way. U.S. News called it one of the best children's hospitals and they specialize in hard to treat cancers and metabolic disorders. When infants and children have severe diseases they often don't respond to conventional therapies so they use specialized techniques to support them.

Every community has a story to tell

Avondale Mural | Chicago Tonight | WTTW

Warm thanks to Jay Shefsky and Yasmine Rammohan for putting the wonderful piece together on the Avondale Mural for Chicago Tonight. It's a story of neighbors reclaiming their community that is well worth watching. Please click here to view the video.
A big tip of my hat to the organizers, volunteers and children who had the vision and courage to make their mural happen. Gracias to Cesareo Moreno, gifted curator of the Museum of Mexican Art Chicago, dedicated organizer Anna Sobor and mural visionary Joanie Friedman for your kindness and gift to the community. Thanks to Jim O'Connell for sharing * photos of the project.

* The spirit of community 

*Talented artist and Guardian Angel Juan Carlos had my back

A prince and princess create magic

Right hand man,13 year old Cesario Jr.

*Amazing volunteers gather to celebrate their work

* Early organization meeting of mural visionaries

The spark Joanie Friedman who ignited the project

Ambitious strategy for color

As evening falls the new mural mingles with the energy
of the intersection at Addison and Avondale