Sandy Toes and Flying Vegetables: Get in on the fun!
Oceanside Supported Living
Santa Cruz, CA
Hello Art Lover,
I kicked off 2025 with a mural for a caregiving services agency in Santa Cruz. The space will serve as a community center for training and gatherings for over 200 caregivers and their clients, individuals that need support in order to live on their own.
This was the second mural I painted for the owner, Ryan. In our first collaboration we celebrated his love of fishing with this eye catching mural in his living room:
On both projects, Ryan gave me creative freedom. “I just want you to do your thing.” I am so grateful to Ryan for his trust! These landscapes love to pour out of me. When the client is at ease, it is easier for me to also relax into the unfolding.
Community Services Agency of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills
Mountain View, CA
Community Services Agency of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills is a public agency that provides food to those in need within our community, The renovation, funded by federal and local grants, is at their headquarters near the corner of Central Expressway and Moffet/Castro streets. The leadership wants to make sure their building feels welcoming. Given our changing political climate, they wanted to make sure the immigrant population within our community would feel safe engaging with their services. They also want their building to be easily recognizable for their clients who are coming for groceries mostly on foot. Finally they want to be good neighbors, and make sure the building is an attractive addition to the neighborhood. They reached out to me for ideas on how they might accomplish these goals using art on the exterior of their building.
When the director, Kristi, suggested that perhaps the artwork should include vegetables I was skeptical. A vegetable mural that is inviting as well as modern and elegant? Is that even possible? (Technically, this would not my first vegetable mural...)
I am going to invite you to take the leap with me on this one. This project is still in the design phase, which means the final artwork might not look exactly like this, but this is where the design is heading….
This critical community organization is actively seeking donations to make this mural project happen. The building renovation was supported primarily by government grants which do not allow earmarking of funds for art. I suppose toilets that flush will always get priority but, ideally, one wouldn’t have to choose between one or the other. Building art is a practical way to deter graffiti, wayfinding, celebrate a purpose or values, improves a sense of safety which encourages walking in the neighborhood… I could go on, but I suspect I am preaching to the choir.
Color Jackpot 2025
MVCSA reached out to me to help them pick a building color for the new building. The building has a burgundy tile trim, which looks very 80’s and tacky against the (currently) white building. It was outside of their budget to remove all the tile from the building, It had to stay. I sat down with my fan deck and worked it out like a math problem using reverse engineering. What colors would make this 80’s burgundy tile look awesome? Greens, yellows, blues, reds were considered. No, no no and no. Really, we need to make that tile disappear, and the best strategy I could come up with is something that rhymes with the deep burgundy tile. I spent an hour pouring over my fan decks and came up with a workable solution, a color that had enough grey influnce and color depth to feel current and enough burgundy without edging into purple. The world may some day be ready for purple buildings, but not yet. I settled on just the right jackknife of a color for the project and sent my son to the store to pick up a sample. When he arrived he sent me this photo:
I love this photo. Picking a color that was also chosen by other “experts” as color of the year feels like three cherries coming up on the slot machine. (If you are the gambling sort…) Also, that my son took notice of that detail. Also, my son. Helping me with my business logistics, cruising around in my old van. I love that he is home after being abroad 18 months, and that he notices -and shares- moments with me that he knows will make me happy.
I have a good feeling about this Mountain View CSA project, and the bright light it can be for the community. Caring for every member within our community makes the world safer and kinder for everyone, whether you are the receiver or the giver. Will you help to ensure this project is as big and beautiful as we would like to make it by making a contribution? Together we can make our communities more beautiful and vital with art.
With love and gratitude,
Morgan
