In conversation with My Dog Sighs: A West Coast Journey Through Murals, Community, and Connection

GraffitiStreet

Your trip started in Blaine, where you painted two walls with Overall walls. Did you have a specific vision in mind for them? Can you share what that experience was like and how it set the tone for your adventure down the West Coast?

My Dog Sighs

I was invited to visit Blaine, a sleepy coastal town on the U.S. side of the border with Canada, for Overall Walls—a paint festival in its infancy.

I had an official wall planned for the festival gallery, but I was hoping for more opportunities to paint, which I’m happy to say there was. The bad weather on the first day led me to paint the festival organiser’s garage as a thank-you for their hospitality, as I stayed with them. The mural features them and their beloved pets.

For the main festival wall, I created an eye mural, which is a signature of mine. The subject of the reflection is determined while I paint; for this eye, it was based on the grandson of the lovely lady who lives in the back half of the gallery building. To say she was happy would be an understatement!

While in Blaine, I hit two more walls: one on the side of a school …

…and another wonderful trackside wall featuring my ‘quiet little voices’. The wall was massive but access not possible for a lift so I kept it low and busy. I do love painting these characters.

During Overall Walls, I met Brian (@kaotik954), a Miami-based street art photographer. We hit it off instantly, and when I mentioned I was travelling to Sacramento for my next mural project, he suggested we take a road trip instead of flying. Brian negotiated with his wife to extend the trip, and with the help of Overall Walls, we swapped a plane ticket for a rental car and hit the road!

It was a journey from Canada to California—a part of the country I had never travelled to or painted before.

GraffitiStreet

You mentioned exploring Seattle and sneaking in a quick eye painting. What were some highlights of your time in the city, and how did it inspire your work? Did you discover any hidden gems?

My Dog Sighs

As a fan of ’90s music and a coffee fiend, I was excited to visit Seattle. Our schedule however was brutal with the aim to get from Blaine to Portland Oregon in the first day (via Seattle!). So, using Brian’s extensive knowledge of the street art/graffiti spots of the entire US we headed to ‘that part of town’.

Neither of us had contacts to hit up an official wall so we went self sanctioned, found a spot, and got busy. It was a highly visible but illegal spot, in daytime, so there was no hanging around. With the buzz of the trip and the adrenaline of the situation I think it was the fastest eye I’d ever painted in just 57 minutes. We knew that because the parking meter hadn’t run out!!

There’s something magical about self sanctioned walls. And while little loose, I left it buzzing!

We then headed to the famous pike place fish market to check that out, where the ‘Gum Wall’ was both gross and beautiful at the same time. We also stopped to see a lovely Findac wall along the way.

Within three hours of arriving in Seattle, we hit the road again, and I didn’t even get a coffee!

GraffitiStreet

You stopped off in the city of roses, Portland, for some fun — what did you get up to?

My Dog Sighs

I loved Portland from the moment I arrived. I had a connection with ‘RXS Skulls’, a prolific sticker dude whose stickers I had seen everywhere. He introduced me to ‘Portland Streetart Allience’, who, in turn, hooked me up with a great little one day spot.

After trading stickers with the entire RX sticker team, I got busy working on my design. If you look closely, you can see a nod to RX in the reflection. I really want to go back to Portland; it has such a great vibe!

GraffitiStreet

From Seattle to the Redwoods, you made quite a journey. You described the trip through Redwood National Park as epic. This stretch of highway has been called the "Finest Forest Drive in the World", and for good reason. Tell us more!

My Dog Sighs

The whole redwood experience was magical. We arrived in the redwood forest pretty late after the Portland wall and the experience of driving through the epic redwoods at night was something else.

We stayed in a sketchy as hell motel. The sort of place every American horror movie had been made. Even the ancient receptionist, sat under a flickering bare bulb. We arrived well after midnight and left before sunrise. That says it all.

GraffitiStreet

Your visit to the famous Clarion Alley in San Francisco to paint was a key moment. What's special about that location for you, and how did you feel about painting there in just one day?

My Dog Sighs

The drive from the Redwoods to San Francisco was epic in many ways. The distance was huge, and the weather and landscape changed dramatically, shifting from forest to desert as the temperature soared. We had decent air conditioning and enjoyed some In-N-Out Burger stops along the way, so there’s no need to feel sorry for us. Brian hooked me up with the spot in Clarion Alley through an artist ‘Maxehrman’. A lovely chap and awesome artist who I painted with in Miami recently.

This was a funny wall. Very close to it stood a group of intoxicated heavys! They clearly ‘owned’ that corner and were intrigued by this English artist frantically throwing paint at the wall. We chatted amiably (despite not speaking each other’s languages), bought them beers to keep the mood friendly, and I painted their reflections into the artwork. You should have seen their faces; they were enthralled. I’m confident in saying that the wall isn’t going to be painted over anytime soon, at least not if they have anything to say about it!

GraffitiStreet

After an exciting trip through the Redwoods and down the California coast, what was the atmosphere like when you arrived in Sacramento? 

My Dog Sighs

To be honest, we were both pretty broken! By this point, I had painted six walls in six days, and Brian had driven close to 1,500 miles! But David from Wide Open Walls who I was due to paint for had hooked us up in the swankiest hotel in Sacramento so we collapsed in a heap for 24 hours!

I had painted for Open Walls before, which meant I knew a lot of people in the area. This part of the trip was all about catching up with lots of friends …as well as hitting walls!

GraffitiStreet

You mentioned having thirty eager helpers for your Wide Open Walls project at Del Campo High School in Sacramento. How did their energy contribute to the overall atmosphere and outcome of the mural? what did you paint in the reflection?

My Dog Sighs

I did. This was my ‘official wall’ for the Wide Open Walls project, and the students at the school were eager to participate. I got them busy with stencils and the rainbow splatters, and they did a fantastic job. I also included two teachers and two students from the school in the final reflection.

Still having some paint left and knowing I couldn’t fly home with it, I decided to hit two more walls up in Sacramento, both for ‘Roc & Sol life’. One an eye featuring my good buddy ‘Aslyfilm’, while another wall featured some more of my quiet little voice characters. The last one was particularly poignant, as a woman came to watch me paint. She had recently lost her 16-year-old son to suicide, and since he was a fan of my work, she travelled quite a distance to honour his love of my work. Every now and again I’m truly floored by the power of art. It was an emotional painting experience.

GraffitiStreet

You've acknowledged several friends, including Brian (kaotik954), and collaborators. How important is your support network when embarking on such ambitious projects?

My Dog Sighs

I couldn’t have done it without them. That’s what makes a trip special. Whenever I have the pleasure to travel, I meet new people, and my network of street art friends continues to grow. Just 20 minutes in a bar with Brian was enough for me to realise we’d be friends for a long time. That was proven right when I visited Miami in December, and Brian hosted the AWalls project party where I painted the Kaotik Clubhouse.

During my last visit to Sacramento, ‘Asly Film’ filmed me, and we’re already planning for him to come to the UK to work on projects together. Zoe ‘ZoeWatsonart’ was my assistant during my first visit to Sacramento and has since become like a little sister and a good friend. David Sobon helped make things happen in California, and Margaret at Overall Walls was a logistical queen, helping me in connecting all the dots. There are many more friends, but you get the picture.

GraffitiStreet

With ten walls painted, how do you keep your creative energy up!

My Dog Sighs

It’s not hard. This is a dream. There’s no way, in the real world, I’d be able to say this is my actual fucking job!

GraffitiStreet

You shared many food reels — what was your favourite meal during the trip? Did you try any unique local dishes?

My Dog Sighs

I had the best steak of my life in Blaine, and Brian’s love (and knowledge) for Mexican food, meant that we ate really well during our drive. There’s one particular burrito from a sketchy drive-thru in an industrial area of Seattle that will stay in my memory for a long time!

GraffitiStreet

Your road trip sounds fun! Now that you've had some time to reflect on the trip and the ten walls painted, what have you learned about yourself and your creative process during those two weeks on the West Coast? 

My Dog Sighs

I reminded myself of how much fun small walls are and how painting them creates amazing connections. I’ve worked on huge, large walls, and while that can be great, I often find that my heart lies with small walls and side missions. I consider myself more of a street artist than a muralist.

GraffitiStreet

What was the most memorable moment you experienced during the journey?

My Dog Sighs

Gosh, that’s hard to say. I think it’s an accumulation of all the small things that make trips like this special.

GraffitiStreet

With this incredible journey behind you, what are you looking forward to in your future projects in 2025?

My Dog Sighs

Launching the film has been a huge achievement, and one I’m really proud of (you can watch it for free on my website). I’m really looking forward to more walls and festivals. I’ve locked in projects in Northern Ireland, France, and the US, but I would love to paint in more places.

It’s a tricky time for street art festivals, many of which are struggling with funding. Having been part of a team organising one, I understand the dedication and hard work involved. I have some festivals lined up, but love to paint more. Hit me up!

I’m also continuing to work on a few under-the-radar projects that will take some time to come to fruition.