Photos by Jonathan Furlong
The crew and I just got back from New Orleans, where we painted this very large “Harmonious Elements” mural on the Marriott Hotel at the edge of the French Quarter. The location is amazing, and I’m very grateful to the Marriott, Gabriel from Mortal Machine Gallery, and Greater New Orleans, Inc. for facilitating this project. The mural celebrates art and music as therapeutic creative endeavors that bring some harmony to the challenging chaos of the world. I incorporated some local NOLA jazz musicians like Charlie Gabriel and Walter Harris, who frequently perform at Preservation Hall as a nod to the profound contributions New Orleans has made to the American musical landscape. The mural also features a woman, who could represent any of us, looking hopefully into the future despite the challenges literally and metaphorically tearing at her. To her left is a lotus, a symbol of resilience and beauty that grows from the mud. The mural was very grueling to paint with consistent winds and some rain adding to the difficulty of the scale. -Shepard
