Nathan Brown: Extraordinary Mural Artist

Sep 19, 2023 | Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Walton & Beyond

A picture of Mural in DeFuniak Springs painted by Nathan Brown

By Kerri Parker

Having produced over 100 large scale commissioned murals for brands such as Red Bull, Wrangler, Patagonia, Top Golf, WeWork, Google, Spotify and more, Nathan Brown arrived to Defuniak Springs in 2022 with a clear vision for the mural that now adorns the walls of the CCB Community Bank Building off Baldwin Avenue and 7th Street.

“The goal has always been the same since day one, to bring people, places and communities together through public visual art, transforming and creating new spaces,” says Nathan Brown.

Nathan Brown Q & A:

Where are you from?

I was born in Los Angeles and moved to Nashville when I was 11.

How did you become a professional artist?

I have always had a knack for drawing when I was younger and then I got into graffiti in my teens which ultimately led to being a full time artist years later after a few careers.

What are the elements you painted for the Defuniak Springs Mural and why did you choose them?

I took a handful of elements that are native to Florida, state animals and plants like: the Manatee, Sailfish, Mockingbird, Dolphin, Florida panther, Orange blossom, Palms and specific to Defuniak Springs, the ring around all of those represents the perfectly circular lake.

Close up of elements in Nathan Brown Mural in DeFuniak Springs, FL

Did you name the DFS Mural?

I did: “It’s All Connected”

How were you chosen to do the mural in DFS?

The building owner had previously seen a mural I painted in another city and they reached out to me about doing something in a similar style.

We noticed you painted your color scheme on the wall before adding color, can you tell us about your color choice process?

My colors came from what i’ve seen visiting Florida, the vivid colors and pastels that dot the coastlines and ones found in nature.

How many days did it take you to complete the mural?

The mural took my 7 full days to complete due to a good bit of rain.

How do you think Art is important to society?

Art and public art in general is a necessary thing to have access to in school and throughout life. Public art shows the community that you care about a space and usually helps transform a neighborhood for the better.

How do you hope the locals will explain your mural?

I hope everyone has their own interpretation of the mural I created, see different shapes, animals, plants

How do you hope people will feel about your mural?

I hope the community likes and appreciates the vibrant colors and art for arts sake in such a big scale. Hopefully it makes people smile and wander creating their own version of the piece. I hope people interact with it, take photos and make it a meeting point.

Does Art help you in other areas of your life?

Of course! Art is therapy to me, there’s nothing like zoning into a project, with tons of focus, to help you work through other things going on with your life. Having the time to just create, experiment and doodle for fun is extremely therapeutic. Art has had me travel all over the world, which is so important to see how other people, live work and create. I feel very very lucky to be doing this for a living.

What did you think about DFS and the people who stopped to talk to you?

I had an incredible time meeting so many people in the community there, I had nothing but positive feedback and encouragement was 100% of everyone that drove by, stopped by to chat and interviewed me. It is a great little town and being by the lake was so nice!

Any future plans for your work you want to share with our community?

I have quite a few projects booked through fall of next year and a few of those are going to be some big community beautification projects that will involve students from surrounding schools and afterschool programs, which will be really cool. Hoping to plant the seed of how important public art is in many communities across the country.

Where are some of your favorite works you executed?

I will include a few of my favorite murals; so far have been because of the client, the space, the community and what I ended up creating.