If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to paint a mural while dodging tail wags, snack carts, sudden downpours, and spontaneous “Awwws!”—let me paint you a picture. Literally.

At Oceanside’s vibrant API Festival, where culture, cuisine, and community collide in the most paw-some way, I had the absolute joy (and chaos) of painting a live pet portrait mural. Yes, it was fur real. Yes, there were doggos. And yes, my shoes are still drying from the rain.

Here’s the full tail of how it all went down. 🐾🎨

Setting the Scene: Borks, Brushes, and Boba

Painting at an outdoor festival is a wild ride. Picture this: people buzzing from booth to booth, kids in their cultural dance fits, the scent of sizzling skewers in the air, and puppers pulling their hoomans past each stall like they just spotted a squirrel. The vibe? Total paw-ndemonium—in the best way.

Our mural station was set up near the music and food zone (aka prime pet-watching real estate). The mission? To create a large-scale tribute to the community’s beloved fur-iends, all while honoring Asian cultures through playful elements like flying kites, crispy shrimp chips, and one very majestic water dragon.

The Art of the Pawssible: Planning Ahead

Before I even set paw—I mean, foot—on site, there was prep work. I started by sketching out the mural design at home, right on my front lawn like a true neighborhood weirdo (but make it artsy). To my surprise, it turned into a mini block party! Neighbors walked by, waved, and gave me the sweetest shoutouts. One even said, “You’re the talk of the street!” I wagged my tail internally.

We collected pet photo submissions from the community—every furbaby  carefully considered. These pawdels became the stars of the mural. Their humans were thrilled. And yes, some of them called it their pet’s “big break.” Hollywood, watch out.

Painting Live: The Real Petflix Special

Live painting at a festival is a bit like trying to paint a masterpiece while in a conga line. People stop. They ask questions. They ask if you can paint them as a dog. (Answer: I absolutely would, but maybe on a different day.) Kids try to guess which animal is appearing. Dogs try to eat your brushes. Pure magic.

Thanks to some pre-painted sections, the crowd could see how the full piece might look. And when I started painting pets right there on the spot? Instant stardom. I heard not one, but THREE proud paw-rents say, “You made it, buddy!” to their fur babies. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

But of course, Mother Nature decided to paws the fun. One minute it was sunshine and snaccidents, the next it was a full-on fur-cane. Luckily, I had covered my supplies like a Good Dog. I ducked under the volunteer tent while the mural weathered the storm like a champ.

Even with the drizzle, I still managed to capture most of the pets that braved the weather. At one point I was going booth-to-booth saying, “Can I paint your pet? Please? I have snacks!” It worked. (Snacks always work.)

Community Connection: Tails of Joy

What really painted this experience in gold was the connection. When people saw their pet on the wall, their whole face lit up—like someone just told them their chihuahua won the Nobel Peace Prize. Selfies were taken. Happy barks were barked. People shared stories—some sweet, some hilarious, all heart-melting.

One woman told me her dog had been her best friend through tough times. Another said her dad aka grandpaw spoils her furb with fresh salmon almost daily. These aren’t just pets—they’re family. Fluffy, food-obsessed, occasionally scared of their own fart family.

The Finishing Fluff

As the event wound down and the sun dipped low (very cinematic), I stepped back and finally got a good look at the full mural. A rainbow of paws, whiskers, wiggly tails, and wagging personalities stared back. It wasn’t just a wall anymore—it was a heart-on-display, paw-painted love letter to a community and its fur kids.

We snapped some final photos, packed up my soggy supplies, and headed home with sore arms and very full hearts. And maybe stopped home to grab some shrimp chips.

Final Paw-nderings

Painting a pet portrait mural live at an outdoor festival isn’t just a project—it’s a pet-tacular adventure. It’s messy, joyful, chaotic, heartwarming, and a little bit fur-covered. But most of all, it reminds us that art has the power to bring people (and pets!) together—one tail wag and brushstroke at a time.

Until next time, keep those tails waggin’ and your hearts open. And remember—if you ever see me at an event, bring your pup and let’s make them mural-famous. 🐾❤️