Local Young Artist Refuses to Give Up on San Ramon Police Painting

Chelsea Edwards didn't have to complete a mural on a wall inside the San Ramon Police Department.

It was supposed to be a project done by Edwards and some of her fellow Dougherty Valley High classmates. But after Edwards and her classmates graduated last year, the other students slowly dropped out of the project to focus on other responsibilities.

Edwards stuck with it though and last week, after more than nine moths of determined hard work, Edwards completed the wall painting inside the San Ramon Police Department.

"I did think about quitting, but I wanted to finish the project for the officers and give something back to the community," said Edwards, who is now a student a Diablo Valley Community College, taking five classes. "I couldn't have done without the support of my mom, teachers and the officers."

The young artist specializes in landscape paintings and had never completed anything larger than had never painted anything larger than an 18 x 24-inch canvas.

With the mural, Edwards stepped out of her comfort zone, painting officers, a police dog, a patrol car and motorcycle. The painting has the message, "End of Watch" at the top, and on the bottom, "Gone But Not Forgotten."

“I had to keep trying until it was perfect,” Edwards said. “The other day I just looked at the mural for a while and thought I came pretty far, I still can’t believe it.”

She said the officer in SWAT gear was her biggest challenge, saying, “I used a really tiny brush to do that...It took forever.”

Edwards was honored by the San Ramon City Council last week for the mural. She plans to transfer to San Jose University where she wants to pursue her love of art.

“When others stopped working on the project, Chelsea did not; she realized she needed to finish what she started,” San Ramon Police Chief Scott Holder said. “Our department places a great emphasis on our Youth Services Programs and spending time in our local schools is a partnership which we value. I’d like to think that this partnership, and our officers spending time in our schools, led to what we will now cherish for many years to come, a beautiful mural and reminder of what just one student can do when they dedicate them self.”