Dad Flies Across Country, Spends 90 Hours Painting 'Breathtaking' Mural on Nursery Wall for 1st Grandchild (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Mark Hendron painting mural on incoming first grandchild’s nursery wall.Photo:Makenzie Walters

Makenzie Walters

Despite living across the country, Mark Hendron is ready to welcome his first grandchild with open arms and artistic flair.

“My dad will be finishing up the foreground of the painting when he returns in October,” says the mom-to-be. “He will be adding some tall grass, a field of daisies, a few more trees to create a forest on the left-hand side of the mural and finish shading the river running through the painting as well.”

Considering Hendron’s masterful approach to the project, it’s no surprise to learn that he recently retired after a 20-year career as an art teacher. Walters says he continues to express his creativity through a number of mediums. “He’s currently writing and illustrating a children’s book he is hoping to publish soon,” Walters adds of her dad.

And he’s no stranger to murals either, both in the home and elsewhere. Hendron has been commissioned to paint them professionally, and he painted his kids' rooms when they were younger, when the idea of having grandchildren was still a long way off.

Makenzie and Tyler Walters posing with sonogram of their first child.Makenzie Walters

“Firefly took place in what they called the ‘Woodlands,’ " Walters explains to PEOPLE. “We wanted to have a woodlands-themed nursery, but more of a whimsical vibe than festival vibe!”

She says that “a hot air balloon flew high in the sky” during the festival, so the couple wanted the symbol to be present in the wooded scene. Beyond that, they let Hendron take total control of the nursery wall.

Mark Hendron with her daughter Makenzie Walters on her wedding day.Andrew Graham Todes Photography, LLC

Andrew Graham Todes Photography, LLC

“We gave him full creative freedom because we knew he would create something breathtaking, and we were right,” Walters adds.

The proud daughter is already certain that the mural is only the first of Hendron’s many heartfelt gestures in his new role as a grandfather. She expects there will be “countless adventures, trips to amusement parks and hours spent playing games,” just like Walters experienced with him when she was a little girl.

source: people.com