The Creek Carves a Path features arizona passion flowers (Passiflora arizonica), desertbells (Phacelia campanularia), and butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa). The critters featured are a great blue heron (Ardea herodias), olive warbler (Peucedramus taeniatus), Costa’s hummingbird (Calypte costae), melissa blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa), and painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui). 

Located inside the lobby of the Washington Street Payment Center, the mural embodies the calm characteristics of water by using a cool color palette of blues, greens and violets. The foreground is abundant with botanicals, birds and butterflies that are native to Arizona. When looking at the mural, I want the viewer to feel as if they are at the base of a creek, among the birds and botanicals, witnessing an ecosystem that flourishes due to the water that nourishes and sustains it. The great blue heron prominently featured on one of the walls is considered a bellwether in nature. They are an indicator that ecological health is present while embodying stillness and patience.