Dragons, Glitter, and “Selfie Moments” – The Blach School Murals

New Interactive Mural at Blach

A group of students at Blach Intermediate School in Los Altos were tasked to help me design a school mural for their campus. They were unanimous on the following design features:

1. The artwork should feature a “selfie moment”
2. The mural should feel “happy”
3. Their school mascot, the falcon, should be “friendly”
4. Include glitter
5. Make it holographic

Except for the last item, which I haven’t quite figured out yet, I checked the box on all the specifications. As the final protective coat was drying, I blew rainbows of glitter over the mural, so it sparkles as you walk by.

Click here to watch a video about the creation process of the mural.

The students wanted to include words in the ground art that best represent the school ethos: Enthusiastic, Creative, Curious, Inclusive, and Kind. I love the words they chose. If that’s what it means to be “a falcon”, I want in.

A New Castle at Covington

Covington Elementary School saved up a couple of years worth of graduating sixth-grade class gifts to fund a mural. The entrance to the library had a rounded wall with a striped turret roof. We piggybacked on that architectural suggestion and went “all in” with the castle theme complete with a friendly dragon mural. Lining up for library time just got a little more interesting.

It was lunchtime when I was wrapping up to go and taking final photos. When I looked carefully at the photos later I noticed that the kids had organized themselves around the art, preferring the “grassy” squares and spots along the painted river. One girl after my own heart had positioned herself to sit on the bridge, facing the art.

I am so grateful for the enthusiastic volunteers on both projects that helped me paint the ground. Painting the ground helps integrate the wall art into the surrounding environment and adds playfulness and surprise. So does the peek of the dragon’s tail on the left side, and the mouse scurrying into a crack in the wall.

I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but it is truly a privilege to do this work; to play the role of the wizard, transforming plain environments into playful, creative and human-centered spaces.

Thanks for playing along.