Murals by Morgan in the Press

When John Lents took over the principal's office at Duveneck Elementary School, one of the first things he noticed was the dreary entryway to the school.

"These entrance canopies are so dark," Lents said. The entryway was built at the same time as some of the other Palo Alto Unified District schools, such as Fairmeadow, El Carmelo and Greendell. They even shared the same building plan and materials. "You could walk through them and be at any place in the district."

It was a problem that needed a creative solution -- and he turned to the PTA for help.

Lents heard from the community that for years people discussed putting a mural in the entryway.

"I got the name of the muralist from the district, got together with last year's PTA president -- Lauren Barley -- and third-grade teacher Jen Piazza, put together a proposal and put it before the membership," Lents said. "The Duveneck PTA totally funded it." Read more »

Growing up in Pacific Palisades, California, avid surfer Morgan Bricca has always had an affinity for the ocean. In fact, the Southern California native even honeymooned while on a surfing expedition, bunking it with 12 other surfers on a boat in the South Pacific. Little did Bricca know, however, that her love for water would one day help fuel a whole new passion: painting murals.

Bricca, who now lives in Palo Alto with her husband and two children, specializes in hand-painted wall murals, encompassing trompe l’oeil murals, Italian landscapes, beach murals, underwater murals, and children’s murals for homes, businesses, and public spaces all over the San Francisco Bay Area and California.

“I specialize in custom hand-painted wall murals, which means the client takes part in the creative process,” says Bricca, who donates 10 percent of her profits to Trickle Up, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the poorest of the poor become self-sufficient. “Those who are looking for an artist frequently already have a vision of what they want. My job is to take that inspiration and turn it in to something beautiful.” Read more »

A California landscape depicting native plants and animals awaits children at Montclaire Elementary School in Los Altos when they return from summer vacation Aug. 20.

Los Altos artist Morgan Bricca spent five recent summer days painting the mural on the walls of the Montclaire kindergarten classrooms. The mural is part of a PTA “Campus Pride” effort led by parent Amanda Shenon.

“This is also a main wall that is visible from the front of the school,” Shenon said. “Montclaire is 50 years old, and this is the first project of its kind to occur. We are hoping it won’t be the last.” Read more »

Figuring out what to do with big blank walls is a problem that haunts homeowners and designers alike. Regular decorating standbys such as wallpaper and paint can’t quite capture the personality of the people who live in a home; the same goes for artwork. For those who seek something one-of-a-kind, there’s an oft-overlooked option: professional murals.

An original work of art designed specifically with your home and family in mind, murals are fast gaining popularity, say Bay Area artists. Valerie McNeal, a San Jose-based artist, says that most of her recent mural clients have been families. She describes them as “people who really loved their homes and are interested in staying where they are.” McNeal adds that most of these families have established lives with hobbies and interests that make them much “more aware of what they like to look at.” Read more »