Gift Guide: 10 Books for Artists

These are all wonderful books that can inspire the artist in your life and would make a great Christmas gift!

1. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

2. Keep Going by Austin Kleon

3. Find Your Artistic Voice by Lisa Congdon

4. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

5. Burnout by Emily Nagaski and Amelia Nagaski

6. Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland

7. The Secret Lives of Colors by Kassia St. Clair

8. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

9. Daring Greatpy by Brene Brown

10. The Arist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Hunter Haney Mural

I just finished my largest mural to date, 80' x 15'! It was even in the McKinney Courier Gazette. You can read the article here. They story behind this mural is bitter sweet.

This mural was inspired by the life of a young man named Hunter Haney. Hunter was a fellow artist, and though I never met him, I feel like I would have really liked him. Hunter suddenly got sick when he was 19 and struggled for two years with a terminal diagnosis. He lost the ability to use his hands, to speak and to make cognitive decisions.

I was first approached by him Mom, Adrian Haney in the summer of 2022. She knew Hunter's life would be ending soon. She wanted to create a memorial mural to celebrate Hunter's life. Adrian showed me photos of Hunter, art that he created, and art he liked and collected. It was through this process I got a sense of who Hunter was.

Now, this mural is a little different from most murals. Normally you would have a wall and a client. For this project I only had the client. We set out to find the right wall in downtown McKinney, an important place to the Haney family. It was a journey, with several ups and downs, until we met Linda Richardson. She is the owner of 201 W. Louisiana St. It was immediately clear that we were the answer to each others prayers. Linda had recently had graffiti on her building and thought how wonderful a mural might be. She saw my post on Facebook for a wall and the rest is history.

After finding the wall I was able to get to work designing the mural. The design includes a couple pieces of Hunter's own artwork, and many symbols that were important to the Haney family. Things like the number "166", Hunter Bear, a DeLorean, Colorado mountains, a record, a vintage camera, a '55 Chevy, and a sunflower. Adrian wanted the mural to be bright and colorful (Not that I could paint anything else!)

Once the design was finished and approved I got to work! With the help of fellow artist Von, my niece Riley, and my friend Felipe I was able to complete this 80' mural in 3 weeks.

It's been eight months since this project was first started, but I can't believe it is done. I am so grateful to have been the artist for Hunter's mural, and for the friendships that I have received in the process. Even though the mural's origin is a sad, I hope it brings happiness and joy to all that see it. That it brighten's people's lives just as it has brightened the alley of Wood & Louisiana St.

With Color & Joy,

Andrea Holmes

Benefits of Getting a Mural

There are many benefits to having murals in a community!

• Murals can beautify neighborhoods. Murals can make a neighborhood more attractive to residents and visitors. They can also help to reduce graffiti and vandalism.

• Murals can reduce crime. Studies have shown that murals can reduce crime in neighborhoods by up to 50%. Murals can make a neighborhood feel safer and more welcoming. They also deter graffiti.

• Murals can promote civic pride. Murals can help to build a sense of community and pride in a neighborhood. They can also help to attract new businesses and residents to an area.

• Murals can tell stories. Murals can be used to tell stories about a community's history, culture, or people. They can also be used to raise awareness about important issues.