Jonathan Sandberg’s whimsical, geometric tree design spans 430 square feet on Woodward Avenue

Detroit muralist Jonathan Sandberg has transformed a Pleasant Ridge dispensary wall into a vibrant work of art after winning a community art contest.

The 430-square-foot mural by Sandberg, also known as Seymor, now covers the side of Noxx Cannabis at 23622 Woodward Ave., where thousands of motorists pass daily.

His design, a teal-accented mural featuring a wispy white tree with mist-like roots and glowing square leaves, was selected in May through a public vote after more than a dozen local artists submitted proposals.

Detroit muralist Jonathan Sandberg has transformed a Pleasant Ridge dispensary wall into a vibrant work of art after winning a community art contest.

The 430-square-foot mural by Sandberg, also known as Seymor, now covers the side of Noxx Cannabis at 23622 Woodward Ave., where thousands of motorists pass daily.

His design, a teal-accented mural featuring a wispy white tree with mist-like roots and glowing square leaves, was selected in May through a public vote after more than a dozen local artists submitted proposals.

Sandberg worked on the mural over the past three weekends and recently finished it.

The result is a vibrant, whimsical and head-turning mural that brightens up Woodward Avenue.

Sandberg says he was inspired by Detroit street artist Jordan “Tead” Vaughn,” who died in 2017 after falling through a roof while painting a mural. Vaughn was known for his unique, dreamlike bursts of color and hallucinatory landscapes.

“He did these really trippy industrial landscapes,” Sandberg says. “I remember seeing those for the first time, and I always loved graffiti, but it wasn’t necessarily how my brain worked. But seeing how he used spray paint, like my brain works, I decided I’m going to learn this, and I started figuring it out.”

For the first six months or so, Sandberg began experimenting with graffiti, and the results, he says, were some “bad paintings.” But Sandberg persisted and found his style. He’s been painting beautiful murals since.

Tead’s mother Jenny Vaughn encouraged Sandberg to enter the Noxx mural contest. He also served in the Tead One Memorial Artist in Residence Program, a residency program set up in Tead’s honor.

“It really came back full circle,” Sandberg says.