New crosswalk mural at Hillside Village complete

The Love Lakewood mural and half of the new crosswalk mural at Hillside Village. Photo by Lauren Turner.

Rasheal Winters, owner and creator of Created Art Co., finished a new crosswalk mural last week after a five week rain delay.

“We were supposed to start this project back in the first week of May and it has just rained every single week,” Winters said. “I’ve been painting murals for three and a half years full time and I’ve never had more than a one week rain delay.”

The crosswalk mural is one of three art installations Winters has done at Hillside Village. Her two other pieces include the Love Lakewood mural between Ebby Halliday and Sugared+Bronzed and the honeycomb mural by SusieCakes.

Hillside Village is owned by Northwood Retail, a management firm that owns The Shops at Park Lane as well as other retail centers across the country. Through her partnership with the firm, Winters has also installed pieces at The Shops at Park Lane.

“It’s just been so cool because usually as a muralist, it’s … a one and done kind of deal. It’s been a really amazing partnership with them for the last three years to continuously work with them on projects … you just don’t get to do that a lot in the industry.”

Winters went on to explain that Northwood Retail has multiple art instillations throughout their different locations, including digital pop up murals that change for different events. Each project includes different details and features that present the company’s branding and the energy that they want to bring to the area.

“The design process is an amazing collaboration of [the client’s] design inspiration and then my artistic expertise … coming together we then get the design that we paint on the mural,” Winters said.

Winters went on to explain that her installations at Hillside Village have to do with the center’s brand color scheme as well as features of the center itself. Hillside Village’s logo incorporates a honeycomb shape and has a teal and yellow theme. The company also wanted the murals to have a retro feel to them.

“From those three talking points, [came] the Love Lakewood mural… that mural as kind of the staple in the center, [and] all the other murals kind of pinwheel off of it,” Winters said.

By taking features from the other completed works, Winters was able to create a third cohesive piece for the center. However, this is Winter’s first crosswalk mural, and the creative process is different than that of traditional murals.

Part of the new crosswalk mural. Photo courtesy of Created Art Co.

“The biggest difference is the type of paint you use [and] this is my first time ever painting on the ground, so a ton of research went into it,” she said. “You actually have to use a really special type of asphalt concrete stain, especially being in Texas because it has to withstand heat and cold and tires and all of the elements.”

Winters also knows that having the piece on the ground means that it will endure more wear and tear than traditional murals do.

“In a year or two … if you need to do some touch ups you do, but it should still have a lot of longevity because you’re using a completely different product than you would use on a vertical wall mural,” she explained.

Winters also expressed that working in Hillside Village has been nothing short of amazing as community members and local shoppers have supported the project.

“The center itself … no joke hundreds of people … when I painted all of the murals will stop and just come and talk to me. They just love it, and they’re already taking pictures of it … and just stopping to encourage [me] and talk … everyone is just so excited in that center whenever you’re painting,” she said.

“Whenever I’m creating a design or whenever I’m trying to do anything with a mural, my end goal … is to bring my client’s vision to life. My tagline is, ‘Adding color, joy and purpose to walls,'” Winters explained. “I want my art to evoke happy emotions. I want people to look at it and like smile and interact with it. It’s always my end goal as an artist is to add a positive message in color to either a business or a home or anyone I’m painting a mural for.”

The new crosswalk mural is located in the middle of Hillside Village and connects the north and south sides of the shopping center. Hillside Village is located at 6465 E. Mockingbird Ln.