Every morning around 8 a.m., local artist Jim Welsh, 65, sets up his paints along Famosa Boulevard, just a few blocks from the freeway exit in Point Loma. What was once a graffiti-covered wall has slowly transformed into a colorful mural — one brushstroke at a time.
When I arrived to interview him, Welsh immediately offered me his seat. The gesture matched his quiet, generous demeanor. As cars roared by, he spoke about his perfectionism and his need to constantly refine his work.
“I just keep fixing little things until it looks right,” Welsh said. “If I die tomorrow, I want it to look good, you know?”
Welsh said he began painting on the wall earlier this year after noticing repeated tagging on the same surface.
“Everybody used to tag on it — tag after tag,” Welsh said. “I saw all that tagging and thought it was just a waste of paint. So, I figured I’d turn it into something beautiful instead.”
The mural, located near Famosa Boulevard and Nimitz Boulevard, features ocean-themed shapes, palm trees and abstract blues inspired by the nearby coast. Though Welsh works without sponsors or a social media presence, his art has spread online through photos shared on TikTok and Facebook community pages, such as Point Loma Connection, where local residents often post updates about events, lost pets and neighborhood art.
Welsh attended Correia Middle School, located less than two miles away, and said his love for painting began when he was young. Before murals, he painted T-shirts in Las Vegas shops and surfboards for coastal stores up north.
“I’ve been doing art all my life,” Welsh said. “It’s wild — I see things and just want to make them better. Every wall, every canvas, it can always be better.”
Welsh said art means more to him than simply putting a brush to a wall.
“It means freedom,” Welsh said. “As long as you’re not copying somebody else, you’re creating something new.”
Despite not having an online portfolio, his work has caught attention. Welsh said he prefers “the brush over the camera,” and though he admitted running out of brushes often slows him down, he refuses to rush.
“I go through brushes fast,” Welsh said, holding up a worn-out blue handle. “They were all new at once, but I used them up quickly.”
Welsh’s mural has become a small local attraction for residents of the surrounding neighborhood. People driving or walking by often stop to wave or chat.
Paula Ables, a North County resident whose boyfriend owns the property behind the mural, said she and her partner pass by regularly on their bikes.
“I thought it was great when I first saw it,” Ables said. “It’s really nice to have some memories on the wall, and you can tell he’s just enjoying himself.”
She added that her boyfriend, who has lived in Point Loma most of his life, loves the artwork.
“He thinks it’s great,” Ables said. “Jim’s painting a beautiful mural and working really hard at it.”
Students from Point Loma Nazarene University have also noticed the mural.
Kirra Sullivan, a fourth-year multimedia communication major, said she has passed the mural more than 10 times since the summer.
“I became aware when I saw it in person for the first time, but I didn’t know who the artist was,” Sullivan said. “I thought it was really cool.”
Sullivan said she believes the mural adds positivity to the neighborhood near campus.
“I think that art is very positive and brings light to any environment,” Sullivan said.
The mural’s colors stood out most to her.
“There’s a lot of blue tones, which I think reflects Point Loma nicely,” Sullivan said. “I also like how there’s a portion of what I believe to be Sunset Cliffs on it, which feels very specific to Point Loma.”
If she could say something to Welsh, Sullivan said she would thank him for how naturally the mural fits into the community.
“It reflects the cliffs, the ocean and the overall beach-town vibe without feeling forced or overdone,” Sullivan said. “It’s the kind of art that makes you stop for a second and feel more connected to where you are.”
Welsh said his mural is still in progress and will eventually include palm trees, waves and a lighthouse — “something that shows what Point Loma really is,” he said.
“Ocean Beach has murals everywhere — seagulls, waves — but Point Loma doesn’t,” Welsh said. “That’s what I want to change.”
Welsh smiled when thinking about what inspires him to keep going, gripping a brush stained with multiple shades of blue.
“Keep creating,” Welsh said simply. “If you’re at it, keep at it. Same with tagging — if you’re going to tag, make it into something better.”
As I left, the sound of traffic faded, replaced by the rhythmic scratch of bristles against cement. Welsh had already returned to work, carefully blending another layer of color into the wall that now speaks for a neighborhood.
Adee Tulcan