179 x Henry Mural for Parent Trust for Washington Children
WHAT A WALL!
Like, for reals! I've been painting murals in Seattle now for at least 15+ years. Henry has always been on my radar and while I've participated in art shows, festivals, and mural project with him, never have I had the chance to work directly with him. His lighthearted and colorful worlds serve as a wonderland in the industrialization of our city. I find comfort when I see a familiar Henry animal face in a neighborhood I pass through, so may I just say, 'WOW!' was my response when he asked if I wanted to work together on a recent project with him.
The original mural above was a collaboration between a few other artists. Originally painted 10 years ago, this mural is housed on Parent Trust of Washington, but had a recent bout with vandalism and this caused a need an updo.
While onsite I was pleasantly surprised to know that the building also houses a non-profit that I really adore, You Grow Girl which serves youth, specifically young women. What I really enjoyed was meeting the staff and learning about Parent Trust. They were simply ecstatic on our work and what we were painting. They were and still are truly inspiring and this motivated me even more to do a good job.
On a special note, I've to be adamant on Protect Your Lungs! Like really. I need my respirator! The one I use is a 2 part system in 1 cartridge. While we're used to seeing respirators with the filter and slip cover, this one does both of the jobs. It is also certified for organic material and dust particles. I got my respirator and cartridges from Artprimo.com.
This location is particularly special to me as I grew up in the South End, I went to Franklin High School just south of this mural. The #7 bus wizzed by us every so often and I have memories of riding this into the city after school. While painting I had a friends and family honk while they're passing by or send me texts like "was that you I just saw?!". Not to mention community members came out to see what we were doing, sad about the recent defacement they expressed excitement about the new mural. This is truly what community is about.
More info on their resources; https://www.parenttrust.org
Check out the progress video made by the wonderful Sara of Sareal Media.
