Work has commenced on the new mural behind Pat Coursey Park in downtown Brownwood, which is being painted by renowned mural artist Calina Mishay.

The City of Brownwood issued a press release last week stating the “design for the mural features wild horses running through water with vibrant colors and depiction of movement. This mural design pairs perfectly with the metal horses on the fountain at the park and offers a modern twist on the rural vibe of the area.”

Mishay shared her vision of the project, which she began Tuesday morning.

“We thought it would be neat because you already have the water fountain with the horses and everything, and my work is usually really colorful and layered,” Mishay said. “Close up horses, really colorful horses’ feet running through the splashing water, it’s one of those wild and free walls that inspires you to be bold and kind of a Instagram moment. It’s something to draw people down here with the murals that are already around and it connects the color dots.”

Mishay also discussed how she became a street artist.

“I was behavioral analyst and worked with kids with autism and I loved it, but I just didn’t feel like I had found my thing yet,” Mishay said. “I had never stopped doing canvas pieces and I was in between jobs when I went back to Haskell and begged them to let me have a wall because I’d followed street art and I thought it was the coolest thing.

“I’m not from a city I’m from a small town and I wasn’t going to move or Dallas or Austin to be a street artist, but it just so happened at the same time there was a push to revitalize these smaller towns and bring the energy back. It just took off after that. Once I did my first mural people just wanted more of it. Each one I did was like a billboard for more work. The rest is history and it’s been really amazing. I’ve gotten to see the best of small towns, the little jewels, and share them with my audience.”

Mishay further described herself as follows on her Facebook page:

“I am a professional artist that in the past has done one-of-a-kind private commissions for individual collectors,” she wrote. “Recently, I have dove into the world of large street art murals. I have been told what differentiates me from some is that I enjoy working with the people and committees of cities to encompass what they love about THEIR city and what THEIR story is… just help them tell it through my gifts.

“I am a champion for the revitalization of small towns. I believe in inspiring others around me to empower and encourage them to do something bigger than themselves. Art is my passion but it is not my ultimate goal. My goal is to be remembered for caring about the people I meet, inspire them to live the life of happiness they saw for themselves when they were small, encourage growth and calm fears, be bold with color, and bring even the most divided communities together through art. I have seen all of these things happen in the towns where we have finished street art and now I am passionate about spreading this dream and experience around the world.”

Mishay expects her work on the downtown mural to be complete by the end of the week.

“I started today and I should be done by Thursday, Friday for sure is the plan,” Mishay said. “So that’s three or four days which is pretty standard for a wall about this size.”

Mishay also shared how she was contacted by the city to paint the mural.

“Amanda Coers and Marshal McIntosh reached out to me, and I do this for a living and I’ve been doing this full time for four or five years, so they found me and followed my work,” Mishay said. “She talked about their vision of having downtown being a really artful place. You have so many neat restaurants and things going on already, street art is just one of the ways you can make a pretty big impact quickly and show people that you care about the community and there’s change coming that’s hopefully a positive thing and people take to it. So when they reached out, I like to go to small towns, I like to see everything and be a part of what’s going on.”

Though she’s been in town for just a short time, Mishay has been impressed with what Brownwood has to offer and would welcome the opportunity to paint another mural in the future.

“It’s been amazing,” Mishay said. “I’ve only been here a day but they put me up in a good spot and everyone’s been so nice. I have a list of things to do while I’m in town, check out the book store, the cigar shop, the Runaway Train, the winery, I was a little surprised about how much cool stuff is going on here. It’s neat.”

For more information, visit information about Mishay and her works of art, visit streetartbycal.com or her Instagram page @calinamishay.