Project Overview
This project transformed a standard pull-behind RV into a fully mobile retail experience for CBD Essentials For All (CEFA)—a Charlotte-based business expanding beyond its brick-and-mortar location into festivals, events, and on-the-road visibility.

Designed to function as both a traveling storefront and a moving visual presence, the RV eliminates the need for temporary signage while increasing brand recognition across environments.

While mural-based in execution, this work extends beyond a traditional wall—positioning it within public art through mobility, accessibility, and continuous exposure to a wide and shifting audience.

Concept & Design Intent
The primary goal was immediate, unmistakable recognition.

The visual language centers on CBD leaf motifs and layered green tones, creating a cohesive identity aligned with the product while remaining bold and readable at scale. The composition flows across the full structure of the vehicle, maintaining visual continuity from every angle while ensuring clarity from a distance.

Business information—including name, website, social handle, and phone number—was intentionally integrated on all sides, ensuring visibility whether the RV is traveling or set up at an event.

Rather than relying on separate signage, the RV itself becomes the message.

Scale & Surface
Spanning approximately 20 feet in length and over 9 feet in height, the RV presented a large-scale, non-traditional surface. Due to the vehicle’s elevation on its wheelbase, the lowest painted areas are elevated about ground, effectively increasing the working height and physical reach required during execution.

Across both sides and the rear, the project encompassed an estimated 400+ square feet of paintable surface area.

Unlike flat wall applications, the RV’s ribbed metal exterior, curved edges, and segmented panels required careful adaptation of linework and composition to maintain visual continuity. The design was developed to account for distortion across ridges, transitions at corners, and consistent readability from multiple vantage points—including while the vehicle is in motion.

This combination of curvature, texture, and mobility introduced a higher level of complexity, requiring both technical control and spatial awareness to ensure the artwork performs as intended in real-world conditions.

Surface Preparation & Materials
To ensure durability and long-term performance, the RV underwent a complete surface preparation process.

The entire exterior was sanded, primed, hand-painted, and sealed.

A marine-grade protective topcoat was applied to safeguard the artwork against weather exposure and physical abrasion. This added durability is especially important for a vehicle in motion, where contact with roadside brush, debris, and environmental elements is unavoidable.

This approach results in a finish that is more resilient than standard vinyl wraps, which are more susceptible to peeling, tearing, and surface damage over time.

Function Meets Visibility
This project was driven by a practical challenge.

Prior to the RV transformation, CEFA relied on banners and signage at events—solutions that were often compromised by wind, crowd movement, and setup limitations. By embedding the branding directly into the vehicle, those issues were eliminated entirely.

The result is a self-contained, weather-resistant marketing system—one that travels, parks, and performs without additional installation.

Process & Execution
The project began on-site in Charlotte, North Carolina, where all surface preparation—including sanding and priming—was completed, along with the first phase of exterior painting. Final painting, detailing, and protective finishing were completed off-site at my home studio, allowing for a more controlled work environment with better access to lighting, power, projection setup, and extended work hours.

This adjustment also reduced commute time and travel expenses, allowing more time to be directed toward the work itself while helping lower the overall project cost for the client.

During the off-site phase, I also brought on a crew member for several days—an established artist expanding into mural work. In a paid support role, he assisted in execution while gaining hands-on experience with large-scale application, reflecting my ongoing commitment to sharing knowledge and supporting the growth of other artists in practical, real-world settings.

Working across the RV’s ribbed metal surface required adapting linework and layering techniques to maintain visual consistency across uneven textures and structural breaks. The scale and mobility of the vehicle also required designing with movement in mind—ensuring the artwork reads clearly both up close and at a distance.

Transformation & Use
Following completion of the exterior artwork, the RV was fully gutted and renovated by the client to function as a mobile retail unit—similar in operation to a food truck.

The finished piece now operates as a traveling storefront, appearing at events and festivals while extending the brand’s reach across locations.

Outcome
This project sits at the intersection of public art, branding, and utility.

By turning the vehicle itself into a fully integrated visual system, the work reaches audiences far beyond a fixed location—encountered on the road, at events, and within communities it travels through.

It demonstrates how mural practice can expand beyond static surfaces into mobile, functional forms of public engagement, where art is not only seen—but carried, encountered, and experienced in motion.

RV Mural