"The Sophie Christenson" Mural in Poulsbo, WA

Hello! It’s been awhile. I have been super busy teaching Drawing & 2D Digital Environments at DigiPen Institute of Technology AND designing & painting this mural in Poulsbo, WA. It is approximately 65’ x 7’ and the biggest mural I have ever done.

This guy below, Mike Burns, engaged me in the spring before I went to Europe about doing this mural on the new apartment complex he was building in downtown Poulsbo. He wanted to honor the history of the codfishing industry in that town. The Pacific Coast Codfish Co. was one of the last commercial Schooner fleets on the west coast, with the last sailing being in 1950.

He gave me a book called “Salt of the Sea” by Capt. Ed Shields, who was the son of the owner of the Pacific Coast Codfish Co., Capt. J.E. Shields. I got a lot of the inspiration for this mural striaght from this book . And from the Maritime Museum in Poulsbo.

I also learned a lot from this guy, Dave Shields, who is the son of the author, Ed Shields. Here he is posing next to a portrait of his grandfather. He advised me on the mural and even provided an original codfish hook as reference.

The people in Poulsbo were so welcoming and supportive. Almost everyone who passed would comment, and ask what it was about or share stories. I love meeting people when I am painting in public. You instantly feel like you are part of the community.

Today, Thursday, Oct. 20th 2022 was my last day. I sealed it with an anti-graffiti coating of silicone, and just when I was cleaning up, the Mayor of Poulsbo, Becky Erickson, showed up. Like everyone else, she was extremely appreciative, and expressed how important she thinks public art is.. There are murals and sculptures and architecture peppered throughout the town that celebrates it’s Norwegian heritage, most of it being created during her 13 year tenure as Mayor.

A local mover and shaker, Bill Austin, would regularly pop by. He is an Englishman, a sign painter, a collector of jaguar cars and responsible for many of the public landmarks in the town. He gave me a book that chronicled these exploits.

Paul came by a few times a day in his electric wheelchair. Sporting tattoos and an american flag, I learned that he was a chef that traveled the country in his former life.

The Big Leaf Maple bakery and kind folks within made the early morings enjoyable. There was just something endearing about this town, which if you passed quickly through, you might pass off as a tourist trap, but there is genuine quality about it. It’s not Seattle or Bainbridge or even Vashon. It’s a place where people feel they belong. And they work towards that end. It was an honor to be able to get to know the people and the place.