In a barn-turned-studio just outside Woodland, retired painter David Hollowell has put down his brush and walked away from a seven-year mural that once consumed his days. The room-sized piece, a dizzying, Escher-like landscape titled “Enchanted Hanging Garden of Unearthly Delights,” now sits unfinished on his 20-foot walls, its surreal illusions overshadowed by the story of the man who can no longer easily tell his own.
Hollowell’s life changed on May 9, 2021, when he fell roughly 10 feet from his roof. The accident fractured his skull, left him with 27 broken bones, and led to a 62-day hospital stay. He was diagnosed with expressive aphasia, a condition that severely limits his spoken and written expression. His daughter Adrienne began documenting his recovery and daily life on TikTok, and the internet showed up in force. A Nov. 4 clip pulled about 17 million views, and her channel has drawn roughly 245,000 followers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Mural Left Unfinished
Hollowell started the mural about seven years ago, covering the barn’s interior with columns, family portraits, and surreal garden figures that climb and twist around the towering walls. He used a lift and a camera to nail the perspective, turning the space into a kind of private labyrinth that doubled as a local curiosity.
Earlier this year, he stopped painting. The vast room now pauses mid-thought, its grand illusions halted where his brush left off, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
A Life in Teaching and Making
Before he was the subject of viral videos, Hollowell was a fixture in the UC Davis art world. He began teaching painting and drawing at the University of California, Davis, in 1983 and stayed there for decades. His daughter, Loie Hollowell, grew up in Woodland and later built a high-profile career as an artist herself, according to the Manetti Shrem Museum at UC Davis…