Muralist Sarah Stieber’s colorful and thought-provoking works seem to explode off the wall and straight into your brain.
But in the case of her most recent mural at 1053 Rosecrans St., the fully clothed, sunglass-wearing, sneaker-clad female subject seems to be comfortably gliding carefree alongside you underwater.
The untitled work was commissioned by the Point Loma Association, a community nonprofit.
Stieber has another previously painted airport-themed mural titled “Sky’s The Limit” adorning the outside of the Monsaraz Hotel on Rosecrans St.
Times of San Diego caught up with Stieber recently while she was putting the final touches on her latest work, a submerged swimmer on the side of a building that houses the Little House of Flowers business and the Realty office of Diane Sullivan and Anne Herrin.
Sullivan and Herrin’s Realty office is currently hosting a pop-up gallery of Stieber’s multi-faceted art creations now through September. A special community Gallery + Mural Walkabout featuring Stieber’s inspiring art is set for Sunday, Sept. 20.
Stieber spoke of what’s involved in her artwork process. “When a community comes to me to do a mural, it ends up being a very collaborative process,” she said, noting all of her murals are “totally different” and “unique” while adding that her goal “is to make it (art) reflective and tailored specifically for the community.”
Toward that end, Stieber did her homework with this mural by canvassing the neighborhood, soliciting locals’ opinions about what mattered to them.
“What I gathered is that this is a really beautiful, upscale waterfront neighborhood and that Point Loma loves that beachy feel,” Stieber said. “They’re not about swimming pools – they want the ocean, want to be swimming there. So, I came up with this concept that would encapsulate all the things they wanted.”
Because the Point Loma Association and the community were already familiar with her work, Stieber noted they trusted her judgment in choosing and articulating her latest community mural’s theme.
Stieber has always loved art and was always encouraged by her family to pursue it despite the difficulties of making a living doing it as a profession. “My first-ever mural was created in 2018,” she said, adding she’s spent three very intense weeks working every day on this latest mural, which is the very first one she’s done with spray paint.
“It’s a labor of love, but I’m so happy with it,” she said.
About her work philosophy, Stieber noted, “If art can’t make you think, or give you a different perspective or give you a scene to throw yourself into – what’s the point?”
Asked what advice she’d give to aspiring muralists, or artists in general, Stieber said: “So many people let the fear of failure stop them before they even get started. So, I really encourage people to adopt a growth mindset. Consider failures to be just another learning opportunity and fake it till you make it.
“My philosophy in art and in life is that every opportunity is just invented by someone: It may as well just be invented by you. Artists can absolutely take that on. Get after it. Don’t be afraid.”
