A Garden for Olivia: Honoring a Beautiful Life Through Art

A Mural for Olivia Helton by Andrea Holmes

Some projects stay with you forever. This one is one of them.

When the Helton family reached out to me, I was immediately moved by their story. Their daughter, Olivia, was a bright, nature-loving little girl who found so much joy in the simple beauty of life—playing in the garden, feeding the animals, picking okra, and dreaming of making her garden even bigger. After Olivia passed away in December from leukemia, her family set out to make that dream a reality.

They expanded the garden just as Olivia had always envisioned. But they wanted to do more—something lasting, something that reflected her spirit, her joy, and the way she made their home feel so full of life.

Together, we created a mural on the side of their home that now overlooks her garden. It’s a vibrant, personal tribute filled with all the things Olivia loved: flowers, fruits, vegetables, plants, butterflies, birds, and tiny details that whisper her memory into every corner.

This wasn’t just about painting a wall, it was about storytelling, healing, and honoring the legacy of a little girl who filled the world around her with color and wonder.

I poured my heart into this mural, working closely with the family to make sure every element felt right. We talked about her favorite colors, her favorite animals, and the peaceful joy she felt being in the garden. The final result is a mural that doesn’t just decorate the space, it belongs to it. It feels like Olivia.

I’m deeply honored to have been trusted with such a meaningful project. Thank you, Helton family, for inviting me into your story and allowing me to help celebrate Olivia’s life in such a personal, permanent way. Her spirit truly lives on in that garden, and now, on the walls of the home she loved.