SPOKANE, Wash. — A small detail painted onto a large Spokane mural is helping a family heal and the the artist says it is times like this that makes his job meaningful.
If you drive along Post Street and make your way into Spokane's Emerson/Garfield neighborhood, you will see a beautiful work of art.
Local artist Daniel Lopez spent an entire month painting a canvas that is more than 200 feet long. It is especially meaningful to one local family.
It may be hard to see if you are just passing by but if you are walking up close you will see Christopher Heitner in his element, clinging to a tree.
Heitner was a husband, father and graduate of Lewis and Clark High School with a passion for climbing trees. He passed away at age 46 in early October.
Spokane artist's mural helps family heal
A man approached Lopez with a photograph in his hands as he was painting a mural one day. The man then asked Lopez for a small favor: He wanted Heitner to live on in the community through his mural.
"He loves climbing trees and he handed me this picture and I was like, 'Yeah, man of course," Lopez said. "I mean, I do these paintings and stuff but to actually do something meaningful for somebody, it's just a huge bonus. It's not just a lonely area to walk through now. There's a little bit more peace to it."
Lopez said Heitner's family is very thankful for this tribute.
The mural was paid for through donations from the community and Lopez was commissioned to paint it as part of a city project.