After a year-long payment dispute, the artist was compensated thanks to Rusty’s global office — and is now donating the funds to charity.
CARLSBAD, Calif. — A muralist in San Diego says she has finally been paid more than $15,000 for a Carlsbad mural she completed last year for Rusty Surfboards — but only after her viral social media post brought national attention to the issue.
On Sunday, artist Hanna Daly posted a reel to Instagram showing herself painting over the Rusty logo featured on a mural she created on the side of Big Pig Liquor in Carlsbad Village in 2023. The caption read:
“That sweet moment when you paint over a company’s logo because they never paid you for the mural you painted a year ago.”
The video quickly went viral, garnering millions of views and widespread support from fellow artists and advocates online.
Viral Attention Spurs Action
According to The Coast News Group, Daly said that shortly after her post went viral, she received a letter from a lawyer representing Rusty founder Rusty Preisendorfer, warning her about potential legal consequences of her public claims.
By Tuesday, however, Daly confirmed she had been paid the full amount of $15,750 — not by the local Rusty Surfboards shop, but by Rusty’s global office in Australia, which operates as a separate entity.
“Rusty Australia @rustyworldwide stepped in and did the right thing by paying me,” Daly shared in a follow-up Instagram post. “This wasn’t their responsibility, and they’ve handled the situation with dignity and fairness.”
Rusty Surfboards has not yet released an official statement, but one is expected soon.
No Contract, But Clear Expectations
Daly, who runs Hanna’s Murals, has completed more than 1,500 murals in San Diego County and beyond. She says she was approached by Rusty Surfboards last summer to paint a mural featuring a wave, a surfboard, and the Rusty logo — a project she completed with enthusiasm.
Though no formal contract was signed, Daly said there were multiple email exchanges with mutual agreement on payment terms. After receiving positive feedback from the company, she waited months for compensation — but no payment came.
“Essentially, they hired me to paint this mural, and they just wanted a surfboard and their logo and this really sick wave,” Daly told The Coast News Group. “It’s a really beautiful thing on a great street corner.”
Daly said she even spent about $1,000 of her own funds on supplies and a lift rental, and despite repeated attempts to resolve the issue professionally, she eventually warned the company that she was prepared to take legal action.
A Message Beyond the Money
What surprised Daly most was the overwhelming response to her video, which she said has given her faith in the creative community and those who support it. While she never expected to make headlines, she also never expected to go unpaid for work she was proud of.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I painted this gorgeous mural for them, they loved it, and all I want is to be paid for it,” she said.
Now that the matter is resolved, Daly is taking her message one step further: she is donating the entire $15,750 to two local charities, emphasizing that her decision to go public wasn’t about the money, but the message.
“I did it to show them — this isn’t about the money. It’s about treating creatives well.”
About Rusty Surfboards
Rusty Surfboards was founded in 1985 by Rusty Preisendorfer and has since grown into a major name in global surf culture. The company maintains its headquarters and surfboard operations in San Diego, with additional locations including Del Mar. The Rusty Australia branch, which paid Daly, is operated independently.
📝 Editor’s Note:
This story will be updated once a statement from Rusty Surfboards is made available.
📸 Image Credit: Instagram / @hannasmurals
📰 Original Reporting: The Coast News Group
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