Since 2019, Brandon Bell and Deserea Martin of We Are Limitless Studios have been transforming the landscape of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, one wall at a time. With a mission to inspire individuals and strengthen communities through large and small-scale public and private art, the duo collaborates with local artists, non-profits, businesses and municipalities to create art that fosters a sense of pride and conveys the stories of each community.

Their Story

Brandon and Deserea initially discovered their passion for art as a hobby. Deserea’s artistic journey began with her admiration of interior design, nature, photography and clothing, cultivating her appreciation of aesthetics, composition and beauty, which continues to guide her work today.

“Believe,” a mural painted on the side of the DVB building on East Market Street in downtown Salisbury, which was created by We Are Limitless Studios of Salisbury.

Brandon started his artistic path by honing his skills with woodburnings and painting canvases in his home studios. Over a decade ago, he brought his love for painting and wood burning to the public’s eye by showcasing his work at Third Friday events in downtown Salisbury.

“I gifted one of my paintings to a friend of Deserea’s who ended up displaying it in her place of business. One day, Chris Eccleston of Delmarva Veteran Builders, saw the painting and asked if someone local did it. It sparked his interest and an idea. When I met him, he asked us to paint a mural on the side of the DVB building on East Market Street in downtown Salisbury.”

“My goal with the mural was to find someone who had never done it before,” said Chris Eccleston, Delmarva Veteran Builders. “I wanted to give a local artist the opportunity to try something new. The mural, titled “Believe,” symbolizes transformation, reflecting the ongoing changes in our downtown. I wanted it to evoke emotion so when people look at it, they feel something. We added “Believe” at the end because this is just as much about Brandon and Deserea believing in themselves as it is about believing in our community.”

“Believe” was also a statement of encouragement to the community during the challenges of a global pandemic,” said Brandon. “Anyone who faces tough times knows that overcoming obstacles or making good things happen starts with believing what’s possible.”

The mural was completed in less than a month, with the final evenings dedicated to involving others in painting the last design element—a large sunflower. This allowed Brandon and Deserea to share the creative experience with DVB staff, their families and local community members.

The “Believe” mural marked the start of something much larger as it quickly caught the attention of other businesses and community members.

Ken and Maria Waller of Quality Staffing Services knew their Salisbury office building was in desperate need of a cosmetic overhaul. This was a first for Brandon and Deserea as it required an additional step in wall preparation prior to laying out a design. The newly painted mural titled, “Dream,” has transformed a deteriorating space in a high-traffic area into an inspiring visual landmark.

Building on this momentum, one of Brandon and Deserea’s next murals was immense in scale — the western-facing wall of Evolution Craft Brewing Co. The mural, “Sun and Suds,” was a community effort led by SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate, the city of Salisbury, Chesapeake Utilities and Evolution Craft Brewing. This was the first time Brandon and Deserea contracted a local artist, Peter Mueller, better known as Pedro Mule, to craft the design of the mural.

“This project is near and dear to my heart because my mother helped us with the mural before she passed away,” added Brandon. “It was a challenging time in my life, when we found out she had been living with undiagnosed lung cancer that ended up taking her from us. We were also juggling the demands of the federal railroad administration, the sizzling summer sun, permitting and the logistics of using a lift on very uneven and complex terrain including old and current railroad tracks to get us high enough to cover the entire wall of a 4,000 square foot building.”

From the façade improvements at Crown Sports Center in Fruitland and the multi-building project for HealthPort in Salisbury to a monumental portrait of Frederick Douglass on the side of the Perdue Training Center and Pocomoke’s first public art piece created with Pocomoke High School students, We Are Limitless Studios has consistently transformed environments with uplifting and unmistakable imagery.

The Process

It is no surprise that painting a “larger than life” mural on an exterior wall takes careful planning, preparation and execution.

“As an artist, my ego wanted me to just use my hands but that was short lived,” said Brandon. “We learned quickly that efficiency trumps ego when someone hires you to do a job. We use mathematics, a projector, grid layouts and lessons learned along the way from trial and error. Each client is unique and often has a vision for the emotion they want to convey, which guides the creation of each mural.”

Brandon also pulls inspiration for his work from other cities with robust public art programs.

“Jersey City’s mural art program invites 10 to 20 artists each summer, compensating them to create art. This program allows artists to connect with property owners, city officials and community members, fostering collaboration to enrich the area with vibrant artwork. Witnessing such synergy in other regions is truly inspiring. We’re thrilled to announce that we have plans to start a similar program right here in our own community.”

Brandon and Deserea discovered early on with three young, home-schooled children, juggling the demands of family, project timelines, business development and growing the business, they would benefit greatly with some helping hands.

They hired Kayla Allen, an SU graduate from Cambridge, to help. Initially Kayla was tasked with running errands and getting food and supplies for Brandon and Deserea, so they did not have to break focus from their work. However, her skills in assisting with the murals soon made it clear that her potential was being underutilized.

Brandon and Deserea decided to involve Kayla much more in the creative process. This collaboration not only elevated the quality of their projects but also enabled Brandon and Deserea to learn and grow alongside Kayla in the art of spray-painting walls.

Community Collaboration

We Are Limitless Studios is dedicated to enriching communities with their talents by collaborating with non-profits, community organizations, businesses and schools.

They are taking it to the next level by educating artists about available funding and providing a vehicle for artists to learn and create public art.

While cities like Baltimore and Virginia Beach have thriving public art scenes, the studio sees it as their duty to catalyze similar growth on the Eastern Shore.

By fostering interactive and engaging art projects, Brandon and Deserea are paving the way to evolve into an artist agency, tapping into the amazing talent pool in the area driving We Are Limitless Studios’ mission forward.

For more information, contact Brandon Bell at 443-859-5152 or visit www.wearelimitlessstudios.com.