Veronica Farren is a talented Los Angeles-based muralist and artist who is enthusiastic about enriching the lives of students through her vibrant art. She creates custom artwork for schools and is happy to accomodate their particular style and standards, paint their ideas, or simply paint their logo.
Veronica’s most recent project is a stunning staircase mural for Clairbourn School’s students. The design reflects the student body’s love of reading and displays 18 of their favorite books. The mural concept was inspired by the “Stairs of Knowledge” at Lebanon’s University of Balamand.
To prepare for the mural project, Clairbourn middle school students were asked to list and then vote for their favorite 18 books. Once the titles were selected, Veronica painted each step with images of the book spines using her significant graphic design and typography experience. She also incorporated design modifications along the spines to help the book titles fit the width and height of the steps. Additional artistic touches included playing with the book-title arrangements and harmonizing the overall color-scheme for dramatic impact and visual balance.
The creative process fascinated the students as they watched the mural take shape over several months, and they were not only artistically inspired, but also pleased with their contribution to the project by choosing the book titles. What was once a pale and drab concrete climb to the language classrooms, is now a colorful, ascending experience that evokes the students’ vibrant love of literature and learning.
Members of the school community, who have seen and experienced the stair mural, celebrate Veronica’s delightful contribution to the campus. Comments from parents, students, and staff include:
“The stairs mural is one of our favorite spots around our campus—but not only for me—my kids love it too! It’s so wonderful!!! Thank you for creating this magical special spot around the campus! It’s truly brilliant! My kids want to read on those steps. Our goal is to finish reading those books.”
-Jeanette Zamora, Clairbourn Parent
“Thank you for painting the stairs with books we love. It will look beautiful for the years to come.”
– Kerry
“Just saying, those stairs look amazing! I can barely draw a straight line. To see someone do what you just did- it’s breathtaking. Thank you.”
– Kennedy K., eighth grade
“Thank you so much. It is almost like I am stepping into every book that I want to read.”
– Kyle
“Thank you so much for spending time on painting the stairs. I’m sure many other 8th graders will appreciate it as the years come.”
– Amir E.
“I really appreciate that you took the time to bring something plain to life. It is beautiful and I now love looking at the stairs to see the books you have painted. Again, thank you for being thoughtful and making this school better- step, by step.”
– Sarah
“The stairs used to be so boring, but with your beautiful artwork I feel creativity walking up the stairs. Thank you!”
– Natalie
“The staircase cascades compelling stories that demonstrate the best and most noble of humanity – a perpetual reminder we all need”
– Dr. Janny Chang, Clairbourn Director of Development
Coordinator of the project, Nancy Ward, who is Clairbourn’s Director of Communications, notes that “Veronica’s stair mural on Clairbourn campus has greatly enriched the atmosphere in the middle school area. It has created a sense of place that also sparks students’ imaginations. It is also important to point out that Veronica demonstrated to our students how art projects go from idea to completion. Nothing is more powerful than seeing an artist develop and implement a concept through to its completed form. I am quite sure she has inspired students to pursue their own artistic projects as well as to indulge their love of reading.
Veronica donated her own time and materials to complete this project, as part of her desire to build her childrens’ mural portfolio, and we sincerely thank her for her extraordinary generosity in addition to producing an amazing mural for us.”
More About the Artist Veronica Farren:
“I have a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts (2013) and several years of experience in graphic design and mural work in retail and residential settings. I have painted two community murals in Shanghai and London and have several upcoming projects in Los Angeles. My work has been published on the cover of several holistic and nature-centric magazines and I completed an installation residency in Marnay Sur Seine, France. I specialize in transforming walls and other plain spaces into a vibrant, eye-catching works of art that kids will love!”
Veronica can be contacted at veronicafarrenart@gmail.com.
Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) | Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information.