Explore Nico Cathcart's Mural Process
Nico Cathcart
Nico Cathcart is a Deaf/Hard of Hearing painter and muralist from Toronto, now based in Richmond, Virginia. Known for vibrant murals and detailed canvases, she explores the intersections of nature, humanity, and resilience through bold color and rich symbolism. Birds, portraits, and organic forms become powerful reminders of both mortality and renewal, urging conversations about sustainability and connection.
Her work has appeared in museums and galleries across the country and can be found in the permanent collection of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. In 2023, her piece Age and Grace earned a National Mural Award, and in 2025 she received the Susanna Kelly Art Award and a Sam and Adele Golden Artist Residency. Beyond her studio, Cathcart has delivered a TED Talk on art and disability, appeared in the Emmy-winning documentary Mending Walls, and helped lead the Artists 4 ERA campaign.
First
I do most of my murals with Golden Mural Paints, just the primary colors. I find and photograph all of my sources. This allows for a completely original, and handmade design. Very little digital manipulation is involved.
Second
I use a traditional grid method to transfer my drawings to the large scale. I will make my photo at a 1:1 scale of the actual measurements of the building. Allowing me to drop a grid line on top of the photo at the same scale.
Third
At the wall I use a tape measure and level to draw the grid on, usually with sidewalk chalk, which allows me to paint over it without any trace left behind. If the weather is looking a little iffy, I will put a tiny drop of paint to the corners to protect against rain. I like to add numbers to help my brain easily track where I am in the grid when I draw. This method allows me to zoom in square by square to get the proportions just right.