Local artist completes 41-foot public mural on Oak Avenue

by Sara Beth Williams–
Amie Nowell, a local artist and founder of The Healing Palette, has finished a new mural at the corner of Oak Avenue and Wachtel Way in Citrus Heights.

Nowell spent Friday, July 5, putting the final touches on a creek-view mural at the corner, along a half-wall that crosses over Cripple Creek. The mural stretches 41 feet across, and the scene depicts a creek with flowing water in the center and blue skies above.

The scene includes two beaches on either side, with ducks and birds scattered over the surface of the water. Swirling “sunbursts” interspersed throughout the painting above the water were influenced by Van Gogh’s famous “Starry Night” painting, Nowell said.

A mural reveal party at the corner of Oak Avenue and Wachtel Way was slated for July 13 and 14, she said.

“I’m very fortunate to have the support of the neighboring community of Creekridge,” Nowell told The Sentinel, adding that residents in the nearby community have come to visit her while she paints, bringing snacks and offering encouragement. Initially, someone from the Creekridge community reached out to her to ask if she would paint a creek scene mural on the half-wall of the bridge that crosses Cripple Creek. That’s when she began the process of applying for funding for the project.

Nowell said she grew up in a home on the other side of Cripple Creek and said painting a mural on the wall over the creek feels “special.”

“It’s cool to do this as an ode to the creek I grew up in,” Nowell said.

After finishing up the details of the mural, Nowell’s next step is to seal it, she said. Nowell seals her murals with anti-graffiti sealant, which allows any future graffiti to be pressure washed away without causing damage to the painting underneath.

The project, partially funded through a $10,000 arts grant from the city of Citrus Heights, has taken an estimated 60 to 70 hours to complete, according to Nowell. Nowell began painting on May 15 and finished on July 5.

Nowell founded The Healing Palette in 2021 and used her previous experience working with children at a school in Granite Bay to offer art therapy services to individuals with special needs. Later, she hosted “Paint and Sip” events to raise money for the organization, which allowed her to offer other free services. Now, she creates and sells original paintings and paints murals like the one on Oak Avenue.

Once the painting and reveal party are complete, Nowell plans to travel to Honolulu, Hawaii at the end of July to complete her Bachelor in Fine Arts.