What was the reaction when people from the neighborhood saw you doing touch-ups on your King mural after more than 20 years?
From the first few hours, I was besieged with locals wanting to know what the hell I was doing messing with their wall. Some were downright angry. Everyone was fearful MLK was coming down. The personal stories of how the piece had affected their lives were truly touching: I had a sweet Muslim girl crying in my arms because she thought he was coming down. When she found out I was the original artist bringing the piece back to life, she totally broke down because it had been so important in her life. Crazy moving moments.
That mural has gazed down on 20 years of Seattle history. What would you say the most significant changes have been during that time?
The neighborhood has changed—new faces, new families, new construction. For sure it is a different world. But the thing that struck me was that people kept saying we need this now more than ever with all the stuff going on. I guess some things haven’t changed that much…
Were you good at math in school? I’m assuming these large-scale murals involve a fair amount of geometry in the planning stages?
It’s an age-old process. Michelangelo used the same basic process: Take a drawing and make the large cartoon using a grid system. Once you have your scale correct, it’s all about bringing the painting to life. 
