My favorite local bird is the central valley magpie. It’s unique to other magpies with it’s yellow beak. Outside of central California, magpies have black beaks. They are super smart and can be trained like ravens and crows.

There are tons at my house and they seem to have a pack or family. Most have a very long tail which I believe grows with age. The long tail reminds me of a tropical bird.

The black and white seemed like a good fit for a wedding venue, so when Chris from Hope Commons Church hired me for a mural, I thought of Magpies.

Chris has a YouTube channel and just posted a tour of the murals in downtown Modesto, CA. At the end of the video he mentions an event on May 18. Stop by Fest Fest if you're in the area. I'll have a booth with merch and some of my small batch roasted coffee.

Also, May 19 is Porchfest. One of my favorite Modesto events.

90% of the murals on Chris's video have been curated by myself at DoMo Walls mural festival that happens every year during the first week of October. I’ve selected artists that I’ve networked with from all over Earth to come paint in Modesto. The downtown partnership connects with interested local property owners and businesses. They also raise the money to afford these murals.

I could write a book on the benefits of mural festivals! But I digress.

I’ve been working on a aquaponics system at my house. Its taken months to set up and I’ve had help from friends with supplies and knowledge. One of my first successes was with a local fruit tree. No, not almonds, LOL.

Fig! If you hike or kayak on our near by rivers you find fig trees. I took a small branch and set it in the aquaponics for a few weeks and it grew roots. I then potted it and later I’ll plant it in my yard and have figs in a few years.

If you didn’t know aquaponics systems have fish and their poop is what gives the plants nutrients. Hydroponics is where you buy nutrients and dump it in. I'm excited for my fish to grow and really get the plants growing!

I’ve been invited to paint at a mural festival in July in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. I’d love to find more mural gigs near there or along the way, as I’ll be driving. Let me know if you think of anything.

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Does your business look as cool as it really is? Reach out to me at 209-502-0645 or av@fasm.net. You can also forward this email to someone who might be interested in a mural.

One of the best places to see tons of my murals is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fasm/​