28 Aug 31st–sept 6th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | The Writing on the Wall Phoenix artist Isaac Caruso’s murals are the lifeblood of his new children’s book. BY GERI KOEPPEL L ocal professional muralist Isaac Caruso, who has painted works for clients ranging from APS to Z’Tejas, has published a chil- dren’s book showcasing 56 murals he painted in 24 communities throughout Arizona over four years. It’s the first children’s book ever to be illus- trated with photos of murals. The idea for “Sam and Sara,” a book about the transformative power of daydreaming and imagination, had been in the works for more than a decade. But it took the pause of the pandemic to give Caruso time to travel and create. The inspiration came from his own experience with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Although Caruso got specialized attention in gifted classes, he says, “Teachers didn’t appreciate my learning style, how energetic I was, how independent I was in the classroom.” He adds, “It can be a blessing and a curse if you don’t know how to handle it. I’ve always been able to do five things at once but never been able to do one thing at a time.” “Sam and Sara” traces the life of two “figments,” as Caruso calls them, who have adventures on land, in the sea and even in the air as they ride astride a hawk in search of Phoenix. In it, Caruso wrote that he “hopes it will inspire our creative, neurodi- vergent community to embrace their imagination.” Another goal of the book is to spur tourism in some of the smaller cities around Arizona. Caruso encourages people to hit the road and see as many murals as they can in real life. “This whole project is my love letter to Arizona as a state,” he says. Caruso, who grew up in north Phoenix, started developing the idea for the book in earnest while attending Northern Arizona University about 10 years ago. He wanted to write a story and illustrate it with murals that he painted in various places. The first mural went up in Montevideo, Uruguay, while Caruso lived there for a month in 2013 doing murals at hostels up and down the nation’s west coast in exchange for boarding. However, he notes, “I realized that I was biting off a little more than I could chew.” Caruso returned to the U.S. and from 2015 to 2017 worked as a creative director for a website technology startup, where he became a partner. But he yearned to be a full-time artist, so he sold his shares and began looking for commissions. His first big win was landing a $30,000 grant to paint a 500-foot-long mural at Spaces of Opportunity community garden in South Phoenix. Caruso was chosen over many of the Valley’s top artists, and has been making a living as an artist ever since. Caruso’s murals, which are about 80 percent spray-painted with the remaining painted by brush, are in almost every community across the Valley. APS commis- sioned three behind The Churchill on Roosevelt Row, and he’s worked for entities including Free Arts, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Scottsdale Public Art, among many others. He even did a residency in the Arctic for two weeks with other artists and climatol- ogists to comment on global warming. He wasn’t able to leave a Main Street in Cottonwood is one of 24 communities hosting 56 murals that Isaac Caruso painted for “Sam and Sara.” (Photo by Isaac Caruso) ▼ Culture >> p 31
