Be Excellent to Each Other
This is my first piece of public art, and it was such a great experience. It is my largest painting to date and I learned a lot about how to approach a larger painting like this. I painted this electric box over roughly 40 hours during the end of June/beginning of July. You can take a look on 22nd Street in between Broadway and C in the Golden Hill neighborhood of San Diego (map). I had a ton of help from my fiancé Danica, who chose the tripped out colors and painted in the majority of base coats on the characters. Our dog Gonzo was always there for moral support and was happy to soak up all the love offered by the locals and passers-by!
A view of the electric box from the street
The best part of the whole experience was our overwhelmingly positive interactions with the people that walked by. I was out there about 8 different days so I got to know some of the people, and it was fun to see their reaction to what was being painted in their neighborhood. People would bring me beers and iced tea, or give me a swig off a flask. A lady with a car full of wide eyed little girls all staring at the mutants I was painting, stopped and got out and thanked me. One dude would shout, “cosmic slugs!” every time he walked by. It was awesome. I was offered a dollar from a homeless person and I was repeatedly told I was loved. Everyday I was out there I was shown how hospitable people are. Judging from the reaction I got while working on it I would say that this piece is definitely neighborhood approved and hopefully it will last a while. I am looking for more opportunities to do public pieces so feel free to contact me with any mural inquiries/propositions. Thanks!
