12 years after artist Kent Twitchell painted Los Angeles’ favorite “Freeway Lady” overlooking the 101 freeway, it was erased by a billboard company. Originally painted in 1974, the mural is a tribute to the artist’s grandmother who lived in Hollywood. She is depicted holding a colorful, handmade afghan blanket that she gifted to Twitchell. In Hi-Fructose Vol. 37, we caught up with Twitchell during the piece’s restoration, which was recently completed on October 10th. In the article, Twitchell shared, “1974 was a long time ago. I’ve learned how to paint since then,” adding that repainting the mural has given him a chance to enhance it’s new location. Twitchell received special approval from the Los Angeles Valley College Public Art Committee to repaint her on the Student Services building facing Fulton Avenue (5800 Fulton Avenue,Valley Glen, CA 91401). Although she no longer looks over the south of the 101, the new “Freeway Lady” is here to stay.
Freeway Lady Alternate Pose, Graphite on Wood, 1974
The New Freeway Lady, 30×20 ft, Acrylic, Hand Painted, 2015
The Freeway Lady in Hi-Fructose Vol 37, available to order online here.
French artist 
Paris-based duo MonkeyBird is known for enormous stencil work on walls across the globe. Their anthropomorphic figures, often rendered as black-and-white line drawings, are set against gorgeously rendered architecture and Nouveau designs. Recent work has always taken the pair’s work inside spaces.
After three years, 