Led by Blue Line Arts in collaboration with the Downtown Roseville Partnership, the Roseville Mural Project aims to help revitalize the city aesthetically, culturally, and economically with its first public art in over a decade. Commissioning five downtown murals from local artists this past spring, the organizations’ shared mission aims to include community engagement events as well as free arts programs. “I hope the project brings a sense of pride and that the murals become a part of the story of this town and continue instilling a sense of wonder in people,” shares Brooke Abrames, Blue Line Arts’ co-director. “It’s about injecting small moments of beauty into everyday life.” Read on as Style gets each artist to dish about their masterpiece.

Ali Futrell

HLN: How would you describe your style?

AF: My artwork is large-scale, bright, colorful, and when it comes to my murals, specifically, they always end up a bit whimsical. 

 

HLN: What inspired “Roses are Blue”?

AF: The new as well as historic elements of Roseville. I was interested in giving them new life by transforming them into colorful, contemporary illustrations. 

Ellie Gainey

HLN: What significance does “Junction” hold?

EG: [It’s] near and dear to my heart as I was born in Sacramento and raised in Roseville. It has been inspiring to see how Roseville has grown over the past two decades and I wanted to highlight the facets that make it special—including our wine trails, railroad history, and local flora and fauna. 

 

HLN: How are your talents highlighted?

EG: My unique style mixes visual realism with graphic design. I’m interested in typography and clean lines, yet admire organic shapes found in nature; and I have fun blending these opposing aesthetics.

Rafael Blanco

HLN: What influenced your theme for “Dorothea Lange”?

RB: Dorothea Lange became well known in the art world for her [Depression era] photographs, yet never became as famous as she should have. First, she was a woman. Second, her subject matter—immigrants and people in despair—wasn’t popular at all. I combine studio techniques with street art and used a monochromatic color scheme to impose a sense of nostalgia—just like her black and white photography.  

Madelyne Joan Templeton

HLN: How did you depict past, present, and future?  

MJT: In “Native Plants and Patterns”, the rose pattern vintage wallpaper represents Roseville’s history. The young female gazing out represents the monumental importance of present and future youth in the city all the while reflecting and blending the past into the future while creating a sense of home and comfort.

S.V. Williams & Molly Devlin

HLN: This being a collaboration, how does “Mother’s Harvest” represent each of you? 

SVW: The artwork reflects a blend of both of our styles. Our mural depicts a native woman with silver and gold hair, her body shaped from a trunk of a blue oak tree. She’s made out of native plants from throughout this region; the leaves forming her face and hands as she gathers another native crop—blackberries.  

bluelinearts.org/roseville-mural-project

By HEATHER L. NELSON