VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A man who's currently locked up in the Virginia Beach City Jail is nearly done painting a beautiful masterpiece on the jail's beige walls.
News 3 got a first-hand look at a new mural that’s highlighting the special aspects of Virginia Beach.
The word "freedom," King Neptune, the state emblem, the ocean, a fighter jet and many other images are part of the colorful tribute to the Resort City.
Michael Fetter, the artist, says painting the mural has been very therapeutic.
“That’s me on those walls. That’s my heart, that’s my soul, that’s everything in me that’s bleeding out,” Fetter said,
Jail officials recognized Fetter’s talent and offered him the opportunity to create the mural. Every night he works on it for a few hours.
“We walk down here and look at the different things that represent our city. It’s awesome to me and I’m happy to have it here in the jail,” said Chief Deputy Rocky Holcomb.
Fetter said it helps keep his mind off being in jail.
“It’s therapeutic in every aspect of the word. Physically, mentally and spiritually," Fetter said. "God has been very good to me. I don’t know why. I don’t know why he keeps helping me out, I really don’t, but he does. I’m tired of breaking his heart and I’m tired of breaking the hearts of my loved ones."
Painting is a talent he’s had since childhood. He previously worked as a tattoo artist, and now he's embracing the opportunity to work on the mural.
“This is a very talented individual who is serving his debt to society, and this is helping him pass the time,” Holcomb said.
It's a work of art that brightens up the hallway for deputies and inmates.
Fetter's signature is also a tribute to the women in his life.
“It reminds me of what I do have out there, not what I’ve lost,” Fetter said. “It’s never too late to be what you should’ve always been.”
Fetter said he wants to pursue a career in making murals.
To follow Fetter’s work, you can find him on Instagram here.
