Hall paints her first mural at Old Mexico

Lake Hall, who has been painting since middle school, recently had the opportunity to paint her first mural at Old Mexico Restaurant.

“I feel like it gives the whole restaurant a different and homey feeling,” Hall said. “Being able to sign my name and knowing that it’s here in my hometown is so rewarding.”

Her best friend since fourth grade at Neshoba Central, Natalia Euyoque, who also dabbles in painting and makeup artistry, assisted her with the project.

The mural took 22 hours to complete and was finished on June 30. It depicts a vibrant scene of a farmer leading his donkey to a stream of water, surrounded by buildings, a church, trees, mountains, and a few chickens. 

Jose Euyoque, Natalia’s father and owner of Old Mexico, wanted a larger painting on the wall, so Hall gathered ideas from smaller paintings around the restaurant and sketched a design on a small canvas before tackling the mural.

“He’s always collected artwork that reminds him of back home,” Euyoque said. “He wanted Lake to create something with her own twist because he wanted something on a bigger scale for everyone to enjoy.”

Hall said that the mural differs from her usual work, as she typically paints on items like shoes and clothes for her online customers.

Euyoque’s main job was to provide support and constructive criticism for her friend throughout the process.

“The mountain, for example, I didn’t know how to make the shadows, so she stood back and helped me make it come together,” Hall said.

For the mural, Hall cut up a few sponges for the trees and the shadows on the buildings. She also used her hands for blending.

In a funny moment during the Old Mexico mural painting process, Euyoque accidentally dropped a whole tin of paint on the ground while moving the ladder early one morning.

“I didn’t know it was up there, and we just looked at each other at 3 a.m. We were so tired,” Euyoque said. “We cleaned it up, but it was funny.”

Hall said she faced some challenges along the way, like getting all eight quarts of paint in the right colors, as she doesn’t typically use that much. 

She ended up mixing them to create her own colors like a true artist and said she was very excited and satisfied when she saw the finished mural for the first time.

“I was a little iffy about it during the process, but it turned out how we expected,” Hall said.

“I was super proud of her and so happy with the outcome,” Euyoque said. “I knew my dad would really like it. She really captured what he wanted displayed here at the restaurant.”

Hall said people have really admired her mural and are proud of her, which gives her hope that she can pursue painting professionally in the future.

Her next art project will be painting her second mural for a school in Brandon.

“I want to get my art out there to reach people,” Hall said. “I feel like the world is my canvas.”