She’s everywhere you look in Surf City. At Pacific City mall. On electrical boxes near the pier. Inside the Huntington Beach High School theater. Outside the Sunset Lounge on PCH.
Homegrown muralist Melissa Murphy is colorfully visible all over town.
She’s also left her mark throughout Orange County — including the Santa Ana Family Justice Center, Avila’s El Ranchito in Newport Beach and a San Clemente wall celebrating the U.S. Olympic surfing team.
“I spent years supplementing my income with an office job until my career as a muralist took off,” said Murphy, a former graphic artist with the County of Orange.
Murphy grew up immersed in the Huntington Beach lifestyle, working as an ocean lifeguard for a decade. At Edison High, she played water polo and surfed competitively — all the while, dabbling in mural painting.
In 2008, Murphy graduated from Long Beach State with — against her parents’ wishes — an art degree.
“They didn’t think I could make a living as a professional artist,” she said. “But now they’re pretty amazed and proud.”
Her most acclaimed work — the intricately detailed mural inside the theater at Huntington Beach High, can’t be seen from the street.
Dedicated in 2018, the huge mural delineates the history of the city—from vintage buildings of the 1920s to midcentury landmarks like the Meadowlark Airport to familiar modern-day scenes.
“Interior walls don’t have to withstand the elements of saltwater air, so they require less maintenance,” Murphy said.
Still, she most loves painting outdoor art displays.
“I enjoy talking to passersby all day long,” she said. “It’s a big part of being a muralist.”
Exterior walls require her to be part construction worker, part artist.
“I sand, caulk and prime. Then I seal the mural with two coats of epoxy,” she said.
For multistory buildings, Murphy might work from a 60-foot lift.
“I probably should have a fear of heights, but I don’t,” she says with a laugh.
Outdoor painting also doubles as free advertising. Impressed spectators often hire her to beautify their backyard or illustrate their pets.
Murphy paints on surfboards and canvasses in real time, entertaining guests at nonprofit fundraisers — which then auction off her creations.
“I meet great people every single day,” she said. “I feel so lucky.”
For more information about Murphy’s work, go to melissamurals.com