Spatial Awareness By Kate Lynn Lewis

Kate takes inspiration from the MC Escher quote, “We adore chaos because we love to produce order.” She thinks of her paintings as puzzles that need solving and prefers using vibrant colors with lots of energy.

Sardines By Bailey Sullivan

Packaging is one of Bailey’s favorite things to paint. She is particularly attracted to sardine packages because they are often quite creative but are highly overlooked.The Royal Square held the Mural Festival on Saturday, August 19th, where visitors could play, listen to music, buy art from vendors, and, of course, check out the new murals.

Creating The Living Forest By Anita Williams

Anita always dreamt of living in a forest. She lived next to a forested property for many years, owned by her neighbor, Sam. Sam sold Anita’s family a few acres of his land around 1996, and Anita built a larger home for her children. Anita and her family spent many days in the forest surrounding her house and bought some of Sam’s property after he passed away in 2019.

“Creating The Living Forest” is a homage to Sam’s legacy and the living, breathing nature of the forest. Anita says, “This painting shows the Fox Run creek, which feeds part of Sam’s pond system in the winter.” Though she began the painting with natural colors, she quickly began using bolder, more vibrant colors to reflect how the forest is alive.

There Is No Box By Michael Rice

Michael named his mural after his belief in pushing boundaries. He challenged the old saying ‘thinking outside the box’ by speculating, “But what if there was no box to begin with?”

Hope By Annelise Vuono

This piece represents how a person may feel after drowning, holding a small ball of light that the artist describes as the “afterlife.”

While working on the piece, Annelise spent long hours in a dark studio, forgetting to take breaks to eat. She named the painting “Hope” because the ball of light represented the “light at the end of the tunnel” as she was nearing the completion of the painting.

Transference By Mz. Icar

“Mz. Icar is an anonymous art collective comprised primarily of Black Women. Our name is racIzM, backward. We recognize that gender and race are constructs, and our identifications reflect this particular time, place, and context.”

Orbital Bones By Eric Tonzola

This mural is a recreation of a painting series by Eric Tonzola by the same name. He says, “I like to imagine that my art depicts a different dimensional plane and that these skulls are entering that plane very abruptly.”

Common Threads By Leo Shallat

Leo Shallat seemed to create his piece as he went rather than having a specific plan. In fact, his piece went untitled for most of the project. He likened the mural-creation project to an “art-centric summer camp,” where he got to work alongside many other artists in close quarters. Leo placed huge emphasis on the process of creating his work rather than focusing on the finished product.

Eventually, Leo arrived at the name “Common Threads because “Throughout my time painting, interactions with volunteers, neighbors, and fellow artists consistently echoed a similar sentiment: art bears different meanings for different individuals, yet there exist common threads or themes that carry through for everyone.”

Summer Garden By Nicole Smeltzer

To create this piece, Nicole took inspiration from embroidery and PA Dutch art “fraktur.” The mural displays the birds, flowers, and pollinators common during the summer.

Charming Chaos By Golden

This bold, colorful piece shows “Princess Nina” surrounded by many cute and “whimsical” creatures and characters.

Eventually, Leo arrived at the name “Common Threads because “Throughout my time painting, interactions with volunteers, neighbors, and fellow artists consistently echoed a similar sentiment: art bears different meanings for different individuals, yet there exist common threads or themes that carry through for everyone.”

Heron By Robert Homan

“A symbol of peace and stability, moving with purpose and grace. She shows us how to appreciate the present and take in our surroundings.”

The Sight Of The Stars Makes Me Dream By Sharnee Burnett

Named after a Vincent Van Gogh quote, this mural features the faces of two participants of The Advantage Program, which offers mentorship and empowerment to York County’s youth. Burnett wished to capture the “potential, hopes and dreams of the local community.”

The Shibuya Soul Steppers By Blake Showers

Blake loved comics and manga as a kid but noticed few characters looked like him. To prevent future kids from feeling left out, as he had, he aims to incorporate people of color into all of his pieces.

“The Shibuya Soul Steppers” shows superheroes from space with various superpowers and helpful gadgets.

Common Ground By Emily Ding

This piece is described as “A sacred moment captured in time, shown by the glowing warmth of blooming flowers between the unlikely pair.” The odd meeting between predator and prey represents the importance of finding common ground despite our differences.

If Only I Could Catch A Sliver Of Your Light By Tara Chickey

This mural shows a connection between the moon and sea, specifically, the power of the moon. “The boat is catching the lunar energies and reflecting those powers out into space, shining light in the darkness.”

Kaleidoscope By Sprocket Mural Works

Sweet Encounter By TRATOS

This “Sweet Encounter” shows two black bears looking through the flowers, trying to reach some honey to eat.

Flower By Rob Homan

Rob describes the inspiration behind his mural: “We come and go, but flowers continue to share their beauty year after year for generations to come. They teach us the purpose of death is the promise of growth.”