Murals look bold and effortless from the outside. But behind every finished wall is a system — contracts, timelines, surface prep, documentation, boundaries, and decisions that most people never see. Even experienced muralists run into problems. Not because they aren’t talented, but because large-scale public art is complex. It involves clients, weather, equipment, physical labor, and real money. The difference between a stressful project and a smooth one usually isn’t ski

This mural was unlike anything I had ever taken on before, in size, in scope, in community impact, and in the sheer physical and emotional endurance it required. The Evergreen Community Garden mural stretched across both sides of an overpass in Vancouver, Washington: 600 feet long and only 3 feet tall total , becoming the first mural ever approved on a Washington State overpass  and the first mural WSDOT had ever approved in general . This project was commissioned by the Vanc

If you’ve ever wondered what muralists actually wear while painting 20 feet in the air, covered in paint, climbing ladders, kneeling on concrete, and working 8–12 hour days… Here’s the real answer. Painting murals is physical work. What you wear matters , not for aesthetics, but for comfort, safety, and longevity . This is exactly what I wear when I’m painting murals and why. The Rule: Dress for Movement + Mess Before we get into specifics, here’s the foundation: You need clo

How to Paint a DIY Mural (Beginner-Friendly + No Gatekeeping)

A Whimsical Home Transformation in Ridgefield, Washington Murals 17 through 19 came from one of the most creative, joyful, and memorable residential projects I’ve ever had the honor of painting. It all began when I received a DM from a Ridgefield resident who had just seen The Heart of Vancouver  and was completely in love with it. She reached out, saying she wanted to talk about a mural for her home, and from the very first meeting, I knew this project was going to be someth

In mid-2022, I sat in a meeting with the director of the Vancouver Downtown Association, discussing a series of banner designs I was creating for the city. Halfway through our conversation, he shared a challenge he’d been facing: he had been trying to commission a mural for the side of a church building downtown, but the original concept presented to him looked more like something meant for a skate park than a historic district. The design didn’t fit the space, the neighborho

The Mural No One Got to See My fifth mural is both my favorite and my saddest piece to date. I was hired by a juice bar to recreate one of my original paintings and turn it into a massive mural meant to capture the essence of the Big Island and bring it to the Vancouver Waterfront. The goal was to create a space that felt warm and tropical, even in the middle of our gray winters, where anyone walking in would instantly feel ready for a refreshing smoothie or a bright, energiz