PHOENIX — A Phoenix artist had a unique opportunity to create an art piece that would represent Arizona and be featured on LIFEWTR water bottles across the country.
Lauren Lee, who has painted murals at venues that span the Valley, said the water company reached out to her about a year ago to see if she would be interested in creating something.
"Honestly, it took a couple days for me to realize it was real," she said.
Once she did, she said she bought a bunch of water bottles to see what designs were already out there before brainstorming her's.
"If I got too intricate, I felt like it would be lost in translation, and I wanted to do something iconic, which really is our skies and our Saguaros, " she said. "I also had to put parts of me in there because that's what makes my art mine, so patterns and bright colors."
Her piece, called "Arizona," features two large Saguaro cacti, mountains in the background, and the state's beautiful skies.
She said she prefers to paint her skies with her hands instead of brushes, which means you may be able to spot her fingerprints among the clouds.
Water bottles with her artwork on them should be on store shelves now, she said.
There is also a large print posted at the Valley Metro light rail station at Roosevelt Street and Central Avenue.
As part of the promotion, Lee is hiding swag featuring her mural around the Valley each week. She is sharing clues on her Instagram page, @MsLaurenLee.
Artists in California, Colorado, Nevada, and Washington were also tasked with creating designs inspired by their home states, part of LIFEWTR's West Coast collection.
