Don Rockwell has been painting the murals outside Tower Records at the corner of Fifth Avenue North and Mercer Street for about a year. With its proximity to the Seattle Center, the building and its murals (120 feet by 15 feet on one corner, 18 feet by 100 feet on the other) are a bit of a landmark to locals and tourists alike.

But given that the building is scheduled to be torn down for redevelopment of the site, and that Tower's parent company filed for bankruptcy reorganization last week, Rockwell, 46, may well be painting his last mural (this one of Jimi Hendrix).

When you got this gig, were you kind of jazzed about it?

"Oh, absolutely! I drove by here and every time (the mural) changed, I'd think 'Oh, that's the dream job!' ... I'm actually hired through O'Mega Graphics -- this is their contract, but they've pretty much let me do it. Sometimes both walls come up at the same time, and then someone else will come help, because you just can't do it fast enough."

How much, in terms of weight, does it take to do one of these bad boys?

"I'd say probably 10 or 15 pounds of paint."

Have you ever been asked to paint an artist with whom you're totally unfamiliar?

"Oh yeah. Although I'm familiar with (Hendrix) it kind of adds to the prejob jitters I get. I get butterflies before every job. But because he's so familiar (to everyone) you know you need to be very accurate with capturing his likeness."

As an artist, how does that figure into it?

"You do your homework by studying the artwork or the photograph -- whatever it is you're working from -- and try to separate colors and lights and shadows. The first step ... is to try to lay those colors and shadows and light and back up a little bit and do the finer tuning to make them blend and come alive with actual shape. So it's almost a mechanical process right up until the last touches, when it feels to me like I've stepped over into art, where you have some latitude to add some flair or punch it up a little bit."

How long does it take to do each wall?

"That side over there (featuring Pearl Jam) took a little over one week, and this side is going to take a week and a half to two weeks."

Do you get any particular feeling when some kid graffitis over your work, or do you distance yourself from it?

"It's frustrating but I certainly don't feel violated or anything. I don't really approve of the graffiti thing but at the same time, it is an expression. Some of these guys actually do some pretty innovative stuff and I've even seen where some of them show respect to what I'm doing by where they tag it -- in the line or they try not to mess up the work."

You've gotten to know them quite well?

"Yeah. Never seen one, but I certainly know their tags. One in particular shows respect to my work. He tags it, every time ... Ghoul. He's all around this block. It's on the wall out here, the Dumpsters back there, and it's funny. I did the Misfits (mural), kind of a spooky motif, and with the name Ghoul, he jumped right on that one and where he tagged it, it's as if the artist was including him. He owns this corner, I guess."

How did you feel when you heard your dream gig will disappear?

"It's disappointing, but I'm really, really glad that I got the chance to do it. I'll carry that always. I have the pictures; it's something that I've done. Of course I hate to see it go but things change."