This project deeply resonated with me because Dunwoody is, and will always be, my home at heart. Many of my core childhood memories were at the Dunwoody Nature Center and Brook Run. Identifying as a tomboy and token weirdo at the time, I felt grounded when I was around the skating community.

For my mural, I felt called to dive deeper into the topic of mentorship between women, especially when their passions align with activities that are predominantly male-dominated, such as skating. I was especially thrilled to see the girls-only skateboarding contest that took place at Brook Run, and wanted to keep that momentum to allow women (both young and old) to feel welcome and confident. Because many of the viewers would be driving when they see the mural, I wanted to create a piece that’s both visually interesting from afar and up close, as well as incorporate an interactive element for the younger audience to interface with.

I shifted gears and illustrated with a playful, comic style. The skateboards facing the front are painted using chalkboard paint, and the chalk box is attached to the bottom right of the mural. Several colors of chalk were included with delivery of mural! The rest was painted using spray paints and acrylics.

Stylistically, the font is meant to be clear and readable from a distance, for any onlookers just driving by. Think, “Everything Will Be Okay” but revamped! The palette is specifically taken from “vapor wave” art, which is an aesthetic originally characterized by glitch art and 80’s/90’s subculture. Visually, it reads as an intimate and nostalgic moment taking place at dusk, and is meant to encapsulate the feeling of skating all day until the sun sets.

The two characters are meant to have an ambiguous relationship. Could it be a mother and daughter? Perhaps a cousin, or an older mentor? These moments are oftentimes how deeper friendships are kindled at the skatepark. My hope is that some friendships may even form while people are drawing on the skateboards! As a young artist, public collaboration, even in its most playful form, was one of my favorite things to do.