Sol Flowers
by Jennalee Whiting
My inspiration for Sol Flowers literally came out of thin air. As I was reaching for my drawing tools to sketch out some ideas, three sun prints I had recently created fell to my feet in a perfect layout. I’m pretty sure a beacon of light was shining somewhere. I immediately imagined the facade of this building covered in botanical images on a vivid cyan background. The images are inspired by native grasses and flowers growing throughout our city - which are just as captivating to see on the ground as they are five stories up.
After giddily accepting this very cool opportunity, I took a stroll down to the parking ramp and realized the… ahem, height? With that, this undertaking could not have been possible without my dad, Grant Grassle, my sister and co-painter, Jamie Quamme, and a 4:17 YouTube video on boom lift operation.
Location: Civic Center Parking Ramp on the corner of First Avenue & First Street SE.
About the Artist:
Jenna Whiting was born and raised in Rochester, MN. As a self-taught artist, she specializes in mural work, digital design, children’s book illustrations, and acrylic painting. Her designs reflect a sense of whimsy and childlike wonder, but are also balanced with simplistic and sophisticated methods – good, clean, fun is her motto. When Jenna is not creating, she and her family enjoy travel, home improvement projects, and kitchen dance parties.
Find more of Jenna’s work:
Acknowledgements:
Presented in partnership by the City of Rochester, Destination Medical Center, and Threshold Arts.
Photos by Choochoo-ca-chew