Local Colors: Behind the Mural with Erin Fong
To say that artist Erin Fong loves color would be an understatement. She lives and breathes color. Anyone who follows her on Instagram knows exactly what we're talking about.
As a former RD Gallery artist and friend of the shop, Erin was approached to paint our Hayes Street mural. The result was a love letter to the neighborhood the artist once called home.
"I love how colorful SF is and find so much joy in matching the environment! (Borderline addicted! example here ) I've also found so much joy in walking around with my Pantone cards and finding matches with houses. Last year, I started a daily walk practice after being inspired by Libby DeLana (who has walked every day for over 10 years) and Alex Elle's joint podcast This Morning Walk. Part of my daily walk was about slowing down and taking notice. This often took the form of finding a colorful flower to admire, or a surprising pop of color that brightened my day. With this in mind, I did a handful of walks around Nopa with my Pantone book in hand to find hues that color the neighborhood. I lived in that neighborhood for my first 6 years in the Bay Area before moving to the artist cooperative that I'm in now, and have always been one block either East or West of the Rare Device corner. I have so much love for the neighborhood. I owe so much of the walking that I did to my dog Clementine, who helped get me out of the house and explore every inch of the neighborhood. There is an homage of a Clementine orange (matched from a Bi-rite orange) to her in the mural, along with some other daily favorites from these walks, like the pink house at 715 Scott Street and the bougainvillea that spills over the sidewalk on Hayes and Broderick. Others are neighborhood staples like the orange of Popeye's, the yellow accent at The Page or the green awning at Bean Bag Cafe. Some are hyper-specific like the cute green vintage volvo always parked in the 'hood or the pink of a Bob's Donuts box."
Click the grid below to see what inspired each color:
Check out the mural while you can on the corner of Hayes and Divisadero. Also be sure to check out Erin's show at the Bedford Gallery, called The Sensation of Color. On April 1st, Erin will be hosting a Chromatic Soundbath featuring sound healer Emma Peck that will immerse viewers in a colorful visual light sequence created by Erin, that aligns with Emma's crystal bowls, chimes, and other instruments. The show closes on April 2nd. where there will also be a closing party and artist talk at 3:30pm.