One thing that Nashville is known for is its hundreds of magnificent murals inside and outside of buildings all over town. For those of us who appreciate art but can't really create it, I thought it would be fun to get to know one of these artists.

Devin Wright originally hails from the Los Angeles area. His great-grandfather was a jazz musician from New Orleans, and his family has been involved in the entertainment business for generations. But Devin Wright (who can also play jazz) has always focused on visual art.

As a child, Wright spent nearly every spare moment drawing, often getting in trouble for doing it at school. As a young man, he picked up a camera and learned to tell stories via video. However, working in the L.A. film industry was not the healthiest lifestyle. “That world is full of big egos and big demands,” he explained.

But Wright's passion was and is drawing. Initially, he returned to caricatures, then got back into the film industry, working on storyboards. That opened more doors. But once he became a father, his priorities changed.

Soon after meeting his soon-to-be wife, Julia, he moved to Tennessee. This life event sparked a transition from film to fine art. "I wanted my kids to grow up in a safer, more authentic environment grounded in nature," Wright shared. That's when he and his wife created Rabbit Trail Studios, a place where he could showcase his skills.

The name Rabbit Trail Studio is highly intentional. In conversation, a "rabbit trail" is a tangent—a wandering path that leads to unexpected places. For this studio, it represents the creative freedom to pivot naturally between mediums. Because our core focus is storytelling, the medium simply adapts to the narrative. Sometimes that story is told through traditional dip-pen ink; other times, it is told through a massive commercial mural or a hand-crafted piece of furniture. Wright does everything from custom art/illustrations to full-scale murals.

Because I have seen Wright at work, one of the things that fascinated me was his ability to freestyle draw on a mousepad with a digital pen, in much the same way any artist draws on paper or paints on canvas. When you see the completed artwork, you aren’t sure whether it was done by hand first or directly on a digital platform. I wanted to know how he learned to draw digitally.

He recalled, “My father was in the Air Force, and sometimes he would take me on the job with him, where he was working in an office. When I went with him, I would sit at his desk because I had nothing else to do. I would open old Microsoft Paint right there on the computer, and I'd draw with a mouse. I'd sit there for hours figuring out how to draw with this mouse until I got pretty good at it. I was about eight years old.”

This skill is what sets Wright apart from other artists. When a client wants a custom art piece, he can digitally create a mockup. If the customer wants to make a change, it can be done easily before the final piece is created. It doesn’t matter if it’s an album cover or a huge wall mural; he can create the customer’s art project, just as they envision it.

“It takes a different kind of brain to draw digitally,” he stated.

I wondered if he was worried about AI taking him out of business. Wright explained, “Not really. There are some components that AI is not good at. There’s always a place for the human element. AI would not be able to interpret where the client was coming from.”

Even if AI created a rough draft of a mural, it would not be able to account for doors, windows, and other irregularities, and it certainly would have no way of getting the mural onto the wall accurately.

Murals are important in business and school environments.

JC Bowman, Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, stated, "Schools need bright colors and artwork because they shape how students feel, focus, and learn. Visual design turns dull buildings into welcoming spaces that encourage creativity and exploration. When students enter a joyful and inclusive environment, they feel valued and excited to learn."

Wright agreed, "When students see art prominently displayed throughout the school, they may think, 'Hey, I can draw that.'"

Although Wright has been a professional artist for years, he did not begin painting murals until he moved to Nashville. “That, too, takes a different kind of brain. It’s very cool to see something small from my computer become the large-scale piece it was meant to be,” he said.

But depending on the size of the mural, it could take several weeks to get the draft like the client wants it, then a week or two to get the graphic on the wall. It’s a more complex process than a smaller piece of art.

Not only that, when Wright first moved to Nashville, he trained under master craftsman Kelly Maxwell at Little Branch Farm. Now he has the skill and ability to make high-end rustic furniture. From live-edge cherry slabs to custom builds, he can create heirloom pieces designed to anchor a room and last for generations.

Now living outside of Nashville in the country with four children, chickens, guineas, a dog, cats, and a big barn for woodworking, the California kid has found a place that he loves, a place that is home. He is giving his family the life he only dreamt of.

“I really love making story-driven art and art that's also connected to nature and connected to the spirit of what things are,” he shared.

You can see a sample of Wright's artwork in this picture gallery. To contact Devin Wright, click here.

You can follow Devin Wright/Rabbit Trail Studios on their website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and TikTok.