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British born Lucy McLauchlan's large-scale monochromatic paintings have covered multi-story buildings worldwide, from massive billboards in China to Italian water towers and village huts in the Gambia. For the 2011 edition of the Nuart Festival, she was invited to paint the coastal lighthouse located on the north side of the small farming village of Obrestad in Hå municipality, Rogaland. The square tower was first lit in 1873 and sits right on the edge of the North Sea.

The artist notes that a deep respect for nature is fundamental to her work. She often draws inspiration from her immediate environment, incorporating it into her process. For the lighthouse project, McLauchlan blended the organic forms she is known for with several silhouetted figures engaging with the composition. The final 36-foot work wrapped around the entirety of the lighthouse, and the project was pre-approved by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, a necessity because of the structure's listed status.