A lot of my posts cover adventures into learning and my discoveries. Last week I learned about an area of Bellingham I had only admired, but knew truly nothing about, murals. They pop up all over town, the aesthetics are different. I wanted to know, where do they come from? How do they get there? Well I have some of these answers!
I was lucky enough to talk to Annabelle Barrett and Han Shaffer. This amazing muralistic duo created one of my favorite murals around town, the Never Odd or Even mural behind the Parkade. I took some photos enjoying this wonderful mural one night back in March during the art walk.
During my pseudo interview I started with how did you become a team? This little dream team told me about how they went to Western together and were in the same program. They found they worked well together and decided to collaborate.
This led me to ask if they got to pick their own art and space for inspiration or if they were told what to do. They told me that it depends on who hired them and how they are hired. For instance, the Never Odd or Even mural was completely their choice. In this instance, Annabelle and Han submitted their proposed art and were selected based on their submissions.
I wanted to know what was their inspiration for some of the murals was and what it’s like to be a muralist. They said there are usually some sort of guidelines they work with and when selected they spend a lot of time planning. They said there is a ton of work that goes in even before they even get to start painting. Annabelle said once everything is mapped out the mural comes together really quickly. Han said each location has different obstacles to plan and work around.
I then moved on to questions regarding how long it took to become a muralist and how it feels to create history in Bellingham. They said it happened relatively quickly for them, they started submitting proposed art and things took off. Annabelle said it’s really nice to have people feel so inspired by the art and the colors. Han said she felt she loves how it is public art and watching people interact with it. She was interested how the mural will change over time.
We talked about how the muralist culture is supportive and how other muralists are always open about sharing their secrets and their experiences. We finished the interview with a fun question where I asked who their favorite muralist is. Han said she likes Ladies Who Paint and Annabelle said her favorite is Gretchen Leggit.
If you have a moment, please go and check out the beautiful Never Odd or Even mural behind the Parkade. If you do you won’t be disappointed. You can find Han Shaffer at her website here and Annabelle Barrett here or tag them on Instagram at one of their murals around town @shaffeh & @annabellebarrettart.