“Eco Nova” is a large-scale abstraction of form and color. The bold choice of colors and shapes transforms the side entranceway of PS 503, making it a more inviting place for both the students and the residents on the block. The mural design is inspired by microscopic organisms from Ernst Haeckel’s scientific illustrations, combined with the mural team’s sketches from a field trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The design is executed in a graphic, pattern-like composition with attention to positive/negative space through layering of the imagery. Plants and organisms are titled with their Latin names, encouraging the viewer to read more deeply into the mural. During the fabrication process, the mural unknowingly opened up a provocative conversation about the history of language. Even if passers-by did not immediately recognize the language as Latin, they were intrigued by the plant names’ similarity to words in Spanish and Italian. The use of color and composition transformed the space, and the team enjoyed an overwhelmingly positive response from the community to its abstract representation of natural forms.