MURAL MAKERS
Gazing Into Infinity
Mural Artist: Colleen Gnos
Location: Woodland, CA
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This recent mural was completed in August of 2023. It’s an agriculture-themed work titled, “Gazing Into Infinity” off of Hwy 113 and 5 in Woodland, CA. It’s over 60’ wide and the apex sits at 65’ so I rented an articulating boom lift for it. It’s actually a “repaint.” The severe storms in the previous January created 70mph winds that ripped the siding with the old mural (painted in 2013) off the wall. After resurfacing the building, they hired me to come back and repaint it bigger, more colorful and with Golden Paintworks paints and a new technology sealer.
Although I focus much of my work around the ocean and I live near the sea, I am a farmer’s daughter. I grew up in the farmland near the Sacramento valley in California. Because of this, I get some commissions for ag-themed artwork. With this large project, my client, Grow West Inland Terminal facility (Woodland, CA) knew they wanted something iconic that represented farming. Other than that, they gave me artistic freedom, so I chose a special moment in my life. During tomato season, my dad used to take off at 3:00 in the morning every summer day. I was intrigued. At 8 years old I asked to go with him. He said we were ‘going to check the fields.’ What I saw was a beautiful moment in time; as I watched the sunrise lighting up the late summer clouds on the horizon, I saw him scoop up a handful of soil and smell it. He looked towards that sun and the illuminated clouds after he did that. I think he could detect the different minerals in soil and what he needed to create an ideal growing environment for the next round of crops.
About the Mural:
Name: Gazing Into Infinity
Size: 65′ W x 50′ tall
Products used: Golden Paintworks Mural & Theme Paint, Nova paint, UMA XIM acrylic bonding primer, MuralGuard sealer
See it at:
40263-40181, Co Rd 18C, Woodland, CA 95776
About the Maker
My name is Colleen Gnos, I’m a professional artist, surfer, upright bass player, a wife, mother of 2 teen boys, and cancer survivor. I started painting when I was 12, studied fine art in college, then went to an Italian art school for a year. After graduation from UC Santa Cruz, I began painting sets and backdrops for theater, which bridged the gap from a canvas to a large scale work of art. It was a natural transition into murals.
All of my murals are private or public art commissions, which generally follow a predetermined theme. Luckily, people find me because my work is driven by my love of the ocean and my connection to it, so the subject matter is a natural fit for me. My mission is to make art that touches people, heals communities and inspires ocean advocacy.
My Portuguese ancestors were sea captains in the Azores. My grandfather immigrated to Avila Beach, CA in the 1920s. He went diving for lost anchors, had an abalone diving business, trained U.S. Navy divers, and started a tugboat business to guide oil tankers into port. I learned environmental advocacy and the value of local history from him.
Much of my fine art depicts rugged divers, timeworn boats, seaside cliffs, tikis and mermaid sirens. I also have other subjects in my paintings: agricultural tributes, local jazz musicians, and land preservation and memorial murals.
I think the secret to my longevity in the arts is that so I’m excited about many different subjects, it’s difficult (and boring) for me to commit to one theme for long, although I will always have a lifelong fascination with the sea. Luckily I have a collector base that will follow me on my tangents.
I have a studio warehouse in San Luis Obispo, where I work daily on commissions, project bids and proposals. I often create murals in sections in my studio and install them onsite. I’m fortunate to have a very technical and handy husband who helps me on all of my murals. We did a free-standing mural in 2018 that required us to use a tractor to aug out 6’ deep holes, pour concrete and install a large structure to support the 20×20’ mural alongside Interstate 80 near Dixon, CA.
What advice would you give aspiring mural artists?
Do your research. The most important part of every job is the prep. Every wall is different, so make sure your surface is solid – some walls weep, some walls are too cold for paint to adhere to, some walls are too moist, hot, you name it! If you want your work to last, use the best primer, paint (like Golden) and sealer. Be professional and complete the job in time to the best of your ability, be upfront and honest with your clients. Don’t be flaky. Use contracts. Don’t give your work away because it makes it harder for the rest of us, unless it’s for a cause you deeply care about. Create a rendering after you have a deposit for the mural (not before). Now I’m getting off my soapbox!
Do you have any other projects coming up that you’d like to share anything about?
I’m pretty excited about my upcoming mural project for the Dixon Historical Society. I love telling stories with my art, especially through new eyes, not the lens of patriarchy. They have asked for me to include the Wintun tribe, Californios & the railroad. I’ve already started research on the beautiful Wintun tribe that the history books say doesn’t exist anymore. They are alive and well! I was fortunate to meet with some folks who grew up in the Wintun culture and visited their ‘Gathering and Tending’ garden and interviewed them. They shared ancient practices of land stewardship, tule boat building and uses of indigenous plants.
See more of Colleen Gnos work:
Website: www.gnosart.com
Facebook: Colleen Gnos Art
Instagram: @gnosart
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