Rust TACOMA Watercolor City Blocks Map: ORIGINAL PAINTING

Rust TACOMA, Washington. Original Watercolor City Blocks Map, Brick Paint, Framed.

An homage to Tacoma‘s industrial past and a celebration of the reclamation of the Ruston Way waterfront. Remembering that industrial past while removing piers and constructing memorials over the years, this is a transformation of an industrial waterfront into a recreational promenade and hopefully a return of species.

I’ve gathered some of the softer, water-worn bricks over the years while my kids climbed and played at the shoreline on the ruins of the mills, ground brick into a fine powder, added a binder to transform it into paint and painted the city blocks with this brick paint, as well as some complementing tones in watercolor.

With each block painted by hand, an original watercolor of Tacoma's city plan and unique shape outlined by the Puget Sound and Commencement Bay is just stunning on the wall of your office, business or home, or a wonderful wedding or anniversary gift to be treasured. This Watercolor map includes the entire width of the "peninsula" between the Port and the Tacoma Narrows, from Point Defiance to Lincoln District. It includes Ruston, Fircrest, and University Place, as well as Browns Point.

*This is an original watercolor block painting created in Tacoma, October and November 2026. The watercolor is variegated tones of rust, brick, yellow ochre and brown. The colors of nineteenth century industry. Each block watercolored by hand.

Original Watercolor on thick 140pound watercolor paper, signed & dated by me.

Paper size: 17" x 17"

24” x 24” Custom Wood Frame with double mat, glass face. Framed by Artco Tacoma.

{copyright © Kirsten Sparenborg 2026}