Please enjoy my Mural Gallery – If you are inspired and would like a mural in your place of business or home, please contact me here!
I was an artist out of the womb. I painted canvas taller than me for at least 5 years before catching up those inches and investing in an easel. It was my first dream to be an artist with paintings that people would actually see – and in 2020 that dream became a reality when I painted my first mural for a local pizza venue. As they opened their 3 locations, it became tradition to have “Millie Murals” in each one. I have now done 4 murals around the South Sound, and half of them over 10ft tall! (I guess I’ll never catch up those inches after all.)
Mural 1
My first ever commissioned mural at Fat Zach’s Pizza Sumner. Client requested Mt. Rainier be the focus, and it just so happened that the location of their restaurant had STUNNING views of Mt. Rainier already! I made sure to line up what the mountain looked like from the location of the installation (luckily I just had to look out the window for a quick reference.) and free-handed the shapes in chalk, later to be filled in by – you’ll never guess – DOTS. Thousands upon thousands of dots – a technique called stippling, and a technique that was labor of love for a project of this size!
It felt appropriate, like an outward display of the love and labor that went into building Fat Zach’s Pizza, ’cause fun fact: I was their very first employee! I got to be a part in helping this business grow from day one, so I can speak to what went into it and I’m sure the dots only cover half. 😉 Since the PNW is notoriously cloudy, By creating this mural, I made sure everyone can still see the mountain, even on a cloudy day.
Mural 2
My second (first of a themed pair) mural located at Fat Zach’s Pizza Puyallup. This was my client’s second restaurant, located IMMEDIATELY down the street from the Washington Fair Grounds! I decided to paint an homage to the fun fair memories the locals surely share – but here’s the part only I can tell you.
Moving at 21 from AZ to WA would be a transition for anyone, but too add to the stress my job wasn’t “secured” until I arrived in WA, so finding a house was on hold and our entire savings was spent. It was gamble, so we worked our tails off trying to start a successful adult life – 2,000 miles away from a familiar face. We rarely made time to see the sights and live the “Washington life” that was, until the fair rolled around. Our first outing in what felt like years, was to the Washington State Fair. My partner and I were sitting atop the ferris wheel when I snapped this picture:
Another cool fact about this mural – it’s latex paint! Any artist will tell you latex isn’t super friendly when it comes to fine art – it doesn’t mix well, limited colors, it dries too fast.. but given the location of this mural, the client requested latex to ensure long lasting quality. Since that wasn’t enough of a challenge, I also decided to limit myself to primary colors – and thus, an impressionistic rendering of a personal photograph was painted on the wall of the local pizza joint down the street from the Washington State Fair – 10 years later. How serendipitous.
Mural 3
This was my 3rd (2nd in a themed pair) also located at Fat Zach’s Pizza Puyallup, a block away from the Washington State Fairgrounds. If you read the last caption, you’ll know I took a photo of the fair grounds “from atop the ferris wheel” – well, here is that ferris wheel! Way to come full circle, am I right?? (little ferris wheel joke there) Also painted with Latex paint, this mural does have more colors than just primary; couldn’t risk doing a sunset any injustice. Be sure to check them both out when you come visit Puyallup!
Mural 4
My 4th and most recent mural found at Fat Zach’s Pizza South Hill. Inspired by the famous viewpoint at Mt. Rainier National Park, Myrtle Falls offers one of the most stunning views of Mt. Rainier – people cannot pull their eyes away!
“The black and white contrast between the land and sky – layers upon layers of rocks, hills, mountains – hanging heavily above the wispy tree tips. Stacked precariously, but holding out through every storm. The stars in the sky are finally brought together with the diamond droplets that plink off the rocks in the forever flowing Myrtle Falls.”
Just like the hills and mountains were precariously stacked, so were the odds in the origin story of Fat Zach’s Pizza, and just like the mountain that hangs heavy upon those wispy tree tips, they have held out through every storm.
