Reviewed by: Michael Seale
5 things you need to know about Huntsville muralist Honey Blood
Reading time: 3 minutes
You may not know her name, but you’ve definitely seen her art—Huntsville muralist Honey Blood has painted some of our favorite pieces in town over the last three years.
Read on for 5 things we learned about this Huntsville creative, including the story behind her moniker.
1. Her name isn’t actually Honey Blood
But we didn’t have to tell you that, right?
The person behind Honey Blood is Jessie Andrews. When Jessie decided to start sharing her art professionally, she didn’t necessarily want to attach her real name to the Instagram account, which inspired her to use an old high school nickname—Honey Blood—as her professional name.
Jessie loves the juxtaposition of the name. “I feel like it represents the good and bad of life,” she said.
2. She’s a North Alabama native
Jessie’s work has become synonymous with Huntsville in the last two years, and locals should be proud to know that she’s from the area. She’s a self-taught artist who was born in Huntsville and grew up just down the road in Athens. She returned to the Huntsville area after studying nutrition and psychology in college.
3. She painted her first major mural in 2019
…and you might have even posed for a photo there. Jessie’s first large-scale Huntsville mural is the out-of-this-world piece on the corner of Holmes and Washington downtown.
The multi-media piece includes colorful planets, painted on metal rounds, attached to a starry background—she drew inspiration for the planets from smaller, round abstract paintings she’d been working on at the time. It’s also one of her favorite pieces that she’s produced.
4. You can find her pieces all over the city
The galactic mural on Holmes has since been joined by lots of other pieces, including public art and private commissions like:
- The Chandelier on Clinton
- Good Fortune at MidCity
- Inspirational utility boxes at Big Spring Park
- The World is Your Oyster at Sea Salt
- A logo at Honest Coffee’s new Madison location
- Michelob Ultras with personality at The Orion
- Plus lots of smaller-scale murals and logo paintings at local businesses
She also creates smaller, abstract pieces to take home if you want something a little more portable.
5. She loves Huntsville’s creative community
The buildings of Huntsville have become a sort of canvas for Jessie’s art, and she’s grateful for the city that’s allowed her to grow and evolve as an artist.
“I love it here and it’s been a really good place to be an entrepreneur. There’s been a lot of great feedback with my work and I’ve been able to really thrive…It’s crazy to think that my art is everywhere, because I wouldn’t have thought that it would have been that way five years ago. It’s unfolded in a really organic way.”
Jessie Andrews, Honey Blood
Her encouragement to other artists looking to make a living off their work? “It is absolutely possible,” she said. “It is super daunting, but it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Make sure to follow Jessie on Facebook and Instagram.
What’s your favorite Honey Blood piece? Tag us in your photos (@hvilleblast) and make sure to use #hvilleblast when you share.
