HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A couple of Pasco County art teachers have decided to branch out into business for themselves, doing what they love — painting murals.
They say there’s a new canvas in every direction they turn, just waiting to be splashed with color.
There is no request or wall, fence, or garage that Ashley Cassens and Olga Gunz will turn down in Tampa Bay.
They say murals are like tattoos, you start with one, and then it becomes an addiction.
“I started doing murals during summer and winter breaks, and that business just started rolling and picking up,” said Cassens.
“The effect of murals is just so gratifying. It's just so miraculous you’re like, ‘Oh my god, it's so big,’ it's like, ‘You did that? Yes, I did,’’’ said Gunz.
So the teachers decided to take a stroke of faith. They retired from the classroom to focus full-time on creating murals.
“It’s an artist world right now, it's an artist market, and I just love being a part of it,” said Gunz.
From patios to backyards to garages, they say a mural can completely change the atmosphere of a space.
“Got into like a fence niche where people are really interested in painting ugly, wooden fences,” said Cassens.
No day of work is ever quite the same.
“Every client wants something totally different that’s unique to them,” said Cassens.
For their most recent job, Tampa homeowner Dan Gorman wanted a mural that would stand out on AirBnB.
“This house is 1906, so they wanted all of the imagery to be referenced to that time period,” said Cassens, who designed a scene from Ybor City in the early 1900s.
“Put this photo up on any type of marketing, people are going to stop on it, and click on it, and say, 'I think I want to stay in this place,”' said Gorman.
“It invites you in, and it makes you think, and the goal for an art piece is just to build conversation,” said Gunz.
Gunz has painted over 100 murals in Tampa Bay while Cassens has done more than 30, but this was the first time they were working together, two former teachers branching out on their own, leaving a lasting impression.
“It was so exciting to have somebody in the community that we can collaborate with, we can team up, we can help each other, build each other up, especially as women,” said Gunz.
