Last week I loaded up my car with tiles, mortar, tools, etc. and set out to FINALLY start laying tiles on the wall. I knew I would need to sand off some paint and “rough” the wall in order for the mortar to stick to the wall surface, but upon closer inspection, I realized there was about 1/4 inch of paint on the wall which meant I needed to chip away at it. Chipping away paint takes a chisel, a hammer, and a whole lot of time. Luckily, I am on sabbatical and time is abundant, so I sat down on that sidewalk and chipped away, later hiring a day laborer named Rigo to help me.
Once the paint was all chipped away, I was ready to tile. I knew it would take a ton of time to lay the tile because mosaic work is time consuming, but what I hadn’t planned on was all the folks that stop and want to talk about the project, about their families, the neighborhood, LA life, Cuban politics, the value of eating garlic on a regular basis, tourist season in Croatia, the best deal on radishes, etc. Honestly, loads of people have already stopped to find out what I am doing and to chat for awhile. I am really enjoying meeting people and hearing their stories. I think this is all a part of a public art piece. I was originally going to assemble the wall sections in my garage and then bolt them on, but I am glad I decided to work on site. I like hearing what people respond to, what they like, what colors interest them, etc. It’s slow going, but this is the joy of a sabbatical. I’m always pressed for time when I work at my regular job, in a hurry, and multitasking, but right now I have the luxury of sitting on the sidewalk on Logan Street off Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park, Los Angeles placing one tile at a time on a wall that could sure use a little beauty and I am enjoying it immensely. It will get done on time…..whenever that is.

Councilman Mitch O’Farrell and Adam Bass from CD 13 along with David Bermudez from Central City Action Committee visit the wall on the day I was chipping paint. David offered to power wash the wall, but we all agreed it wasn’t the best for the environment. Mitch O’Farrell, Adam Bass, and Christine Peters from Council District 13 have all been extremely positive and willing to help in any way. A big “thank you” to them and David from CCAC.
- The wall with the paint chipped off.
- Up close. The paint is thick from years of graffitti abatement
- Frank stops by with some fresh and delicious elote
- A gentleman named Jose brings me water and offers some radishes too.
- A sweet, sweet abuelita stops to give me a churro.

Fireman Rugo stops and chats about his wife’s grandfather who was a mosaic artist for the Doheny family.
- beautiful colors.
- Friday farmers market and the street is closed, sidewalk is too busy. I close up shop and peruse the colorful produce for sale.