On March 24 and 25, Los Angeles based artist Cyrus Howlett painted his signature hand portraits on the Carlsbad Art Wall (CAW) located at Señor Grubby’s in the Carlsbad Village.
The CAW rotates artwork with many project goals—one being to introduce a new aesthetic to the 
Carlsbad Village every two months. Whether a giant portrait of a dark figure, an island of happy characters or an invitation to publicly share your deepest thoughts, each mural invites the public to interact with the wall’s newest experience.
Along the lines of interaction, Howlett’s mural invited the community to listen, though not a single word was spoken. Howlett’s stylized hands thanked the community for supporting the CAW communicated with the single and powerful word of love signed in American Sign Language.
Howlett arrived with a crate of spray cans, two gallons of gray paint and a pocket of charcoal. Perfectly rendered, he sketched the hands on the wall based on his own, the hands that have painted numerous murals and canvases across Los Angeles.
Thousands of runners glanced at the emerging hands as they sprinted toward the finish line of the Carlsbad 5000. Murmurs of a new CAW mural quickly spread through the Carlsbad Village.
After each hand was skillfully sketched, Howlett began spraying his signature colors. Magenta spread across each hand followed by yellow and concluding with cyan—all brought to life with carefully placed shading.
The constant click of multiple cameras documented Howlett’s every move while the hum of an overhead drone could be heard during the two full days of painting.
The CAW through 2018 has made possible by the support of each artist and the financial support of the Carlsbad community. Thanks to 50+ donations, the Carlsbad Art Wall will continue into it’s fourth year.
LOVE signed large, colorfully and in front of a flat gray background can’t be missed. It is highly visible from a distance and stops each passerby no matter how familiar they are with sign language. It’s a state of being; it’s a feeling we seek and it’s a direct message of gratitude to all those who make the CAW project possible.
From the organizers of the Carlsbad Art Wall, each of the participating artists and the Carlsbad community, we thank you for your LOVE—without your continued support, this project would not be possible.
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Click HERE for photos of past CAW murals
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Started in March 2015, Carlsbad Village based artist Bryan Snyder will be bringing a street artists/muralist every 2 months to paint a mural on the east facing wall of Señor Grubby’s in the Carlsbad Village.
Click HERE for photos of Snyder’s street art workshop: March 22
The goal of the Carlsbad Art Wall is to serve as a conduit between aspiring artists and professional artists, to provide a platform to engage and educate the Carlsbad community in the creative act of large scale public painting and to introduce a variety of new art and creative processes to the Carlsbad community.
Directions to the Carlsbad Art Wall located at Señor Grubby’s
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