In Buxton, there’s a new mural in town

A funky, new mural was just completed in Buxton, at the newly renovated Swell Gallery, which is adjacent to the Swell Motel. The Swell Gallery occupies the first part of the motel, and the new mural was commissioned by April Trueblood, the gallery owner.

April was in Newport News one day, on a supply run, when she noticed a mural on The Contemporary Arts building. She fell in love right away, and contacted the artist, Andrew Samuel Harrison, and convinced him to come to Buxton and place his artistic stamp on our island.

She designated the wall that faces south, which shares the parking lot with adjacent Uncle Eddy’s. It took roughly two days to complete the mural, and the project wrapped up just before the January winter storm.

Andrew says has always been an artist. He says that when he was growing up, his older brother was a very good illustrator, and Andrew would compare his drawings to his older brothers and question why they weren’t as good. But as Andrew got older, he realized that his way of drawing – his imperfect lines – was what defined his artistic style. He was a musician for a few years, traveling across the country, but for the last two years, he has focused on his art

Originally from Richmond, VA, which is where his home studio is located, he is working on larger pieces because he says he has so much fun doing mural artworks. Besides the mural in Newport News, he also has one featured off of Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, and his latest in New York, NY, off of Orchid Ave.

So the next time you’re in Buxton, be sure to stop by the Swell Gallery and check out this amazing piece of art, which is on display for all visitors to enjoy.