SAN DIEGO — A new mural in Normal Heights is lighting up the night. In this Zevely Zone, I met the artist who is taking normal to new heights with invisible paint.
"So, you can paint it on, and you don't see anything," said Hanna Daly. She is a well-known San Diego artist who we found brushing what looked like invisible paint on her newest mural. "So, people are saying that they don't think it's going to work? Is that it?" asked Hanna.
Her resume should speak for itself. Hanna has painted thousands of murals in San Diego. "I paint about a hundred a year," she said. But Hanna has never tried this before. She is painting with a special UV paint that requires a black light flashlight to see at night. "This is like 6 dollars online, a little UV black light flashlight, I think they are used to find like cat urine," said Hanna with a laugh.
The mural is painted on the back of a building on the corner of Adams Avenue and 32nd Street. A property management company by the name of Urban Coast Properties just moved to Normal Heights. They wanted their building painted so they gave Hanna a call who then came up with the bright idea. "I was like, oh I don't know if they are going to go for it and I told them the idea and they said oh we love it," said Hanna. "And the cool thing is it only lasts about a month."
But will it work? Passers-by had their doubts. I'm not sure, but I would love to see it," said one man. Another added, "We're going to find out." A third resident expressed his skepticism. "Yeah, I guess since I have not seen it yet," he said.
During our shoot, the sun was going down and the pressure on Hanna was rising. She wants to remind mural watchers if you bring a normal flashlight, you will not see anything glow, but with a black light you will.
Hanna hit the wall with the largest black light she could find. Bam!! The mural lit up light a Christmas tree. "I'm never doubting you again," I shrieked. Hanna added, "You doubted me. Don't doubt me. How cool it that? Isn't it fun?"
Sometimes an artist needs to sit back and bask in the glow of a job well done. Hanna hopes you'll come see her mural during the Adam's Avenue Street Fair on September 24th and 25th. For more information about her other projects visit https://www.hannasmurals.com/
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