About the Mural

Sunshine on My Mind

This eye-catching mural by St. Pete artist Leo Gomez shares the words, “Sunshine on my Mind” in 3-D swirly cursive backed by bright electric blue.

At 1955 3rd Avenue South, the mural is massive, 130 feet wide by 20 feet high. It faces east, visible to drivers passing overhead on I-275 South. The electric blue background is a burst of color on this street of businesses and warehouses.

Standing out against the blue and spreading from the center, the elegant words, “Sunshine on my Mind” swoop and curve across the wall, with a wide blue border on the left and right.

At first, the words seem to be painted in swirling pink. But the letters are bright white, surrounded by 3-D shading in pink and rose. The rosy 3-D shadows spread wide, toward the right, as if the words are carved from colorful calligraphy. Freestyle flourishes and curlicues sprawl around the letters, undulating all around the wall and seeming to continue up beyond the roof and down below the ground.

Leo Gomez chose the phrase to represent the positive energy of St. Petersburg. He explains, “I wanted to represent St. Pete the best way possible. And to me that is through happiness and joy.”

His slogan is, “Handcrafted Lettering with Soul and Purpose.” Many of his murals are painted inside buildings. Leo is dedicated to the craft of carefully hand-painted signs, often with a classic, old-time feel. Check out his website and you’ll quickly realize that Leo’s signs are all around St. Pete.

At first, Leo Gomez planned to paint the letters yellow. But once he got started, he decided white was a better fit. Bright white and pink is a pleasant shock against the vivid blue.

When he painted this for SHINE 2019, it was the largest mural Gomez had created. He completed this huge wall in nine days, using only brush paint – and the help of several friends.