All Photos by Jonathan Furlong
I just returned from Dallas where my crew and I painted a 30 foot high surface on a 150 foot high water tower called “Cultivate Harmony” in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. I was excited to paint a mural in Deep Ellum because the creative energy in the neighborhood is amazing, with art popping up everywhere (including a great mural by my friend of many years Maya Hayuk), and it is the first area where I ever put up street art in Dallas 21 years ago. I’ve done plenty of water towers “hit and run” with paste-ups over the years, but this fully painted cylinder was possibly the most serious logistical challenge of my career.
My crew and I were working 150 feet up on 19” wide temporary scaffolding with ropes and harnesses for long hours over 3 days. Luckily we had great support from a safety crew who also helped hoist up supplies and pizzas. The imagery and text of the mural needed to be bold enough to read from a distance, so I stuck to evergreen themes that I hope people will take to heart: the idea that peace and harmony need to be cultivated with care and love, and that it is important for all of us to keep our eyes and minds open.
I threw in a nod to Black Flag, and some encouragement to take the high road, with the “Rise Above” text.
–Shepard
