Category: Murals

Today was a very pleasant day on THE WALL. I met the four Dumas brothers who chose Exeter as the destination for their annual reunion from several parts west. The lovely, gracious, and always accurate free lance reporter Lisa McEwen interviewed me for the Tulare County Lifestyle magazine (’twill be in the Visalia Times-Delta the second week in May). She learned how to climb up and down off the truck sans ladder and painted 2 trees (which I inadvertently and regrettably covered up this afternoon – I am sorry, Lisa!) And, after taking a short break at Larry Lee Photography (they have fine facilities, a Mac and a cat, I returned to the truck to find a cup of ice water, a bag of cookies and a brief note – “From Hometown Emporium for the painter” – WOW! Thanks, Hometown! What a day! Tomorrow I hope to finish this section all the way to the bottom of the mural, because I would like to drive the truck forward rather than in reverse this week!

Today I was greatly and ably assisted by Betsy, my “boss” from the Mural Team. Wow, it certainly does help to have help. It is difficult for me to determine what my helpers can do because I am not always certain of the next step. Or, sometimes the next step is actually a week or two away! Have a look at the detailing that I was able to complete today (around the “postcards”) because Betsy attended to other tasks for me. As time passes, I will continue to add to these parts, much as I keep adding detail to the “postcards”.  This scribbly and wrong-colored stuff was my buddy Shane using up the leftover paint on my palette at the end of the day. I could just let it all dry overnight in the palette, but it gave Shane a new experience and seemed better than just wasting the paint. It will get hidden under layers of the right paint and detail as I make my way down the wall. Here is some of Betsy’s base coat, along with Ellen’s work from Friday! Thank you, friends!  

Today my dear sweet thoughtful capable friend Ellen helped me! She really really helped me! She declined any publicity photos, so instead you can see the tremendous progress we made together. She did the base coating that has been haunting me. Yes, I know this is sort of weird and not lined up, but lookylooky! I began second coating the bottom parts, adding detail, and as is my preference, working from left to right. The overwhelming need for completion somewhere on this wall is causing me to revisit the left end (thank you, dear Ellen for the common sense suggestion and for the help!) I’m not yet doing that odd brownish hill, because it would mean the projection signers would be covered up. As per instructions from Mr. Mural Team President, that won’t happen until the very end. (Aren’t I a good girl?) 

Today my friend Sandi called. She asked what I was doing, and I said i was wiping up blue paint from the bed of the truck. You know how paint glues the lids on the containers? Well, all you have to do is WHAP the lid smartly against a hard surface and it knocks it loose, just like that! (unless it splits the lid and paint flies everywhere).Nice color. If I sit on that exact spot, I won’t get any splinters. (There’s always a bright side!)Today the truck went forward about 8 feet and I began rebuilding Farewell Gap. The sloppy projection is still exacting its toll from my arse, literally. I had to just sit and study this thing and the photos and try to get it right. (Sitting on the truck means splinters.) It looks right now. S brought me a Dr. Pepper, oh joy, that is my guilty pleasure, Thank You, S! And I mixed the most perfect shade of gurple, which, as you may guess, is green + purple. (Former drawing student Robert and I decided that sounded better than “preen”, which was already taken anyway.) The trees in the distance are definitely gurple in color.

MARTA, THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL LUNCH! THE SANDWICH WAS PERFECT, MUY FABULOSO!! Today I had beautiful wonderful perfect new brushes to use! Now Cabin Group Two is completed, and tomorrow I will move the truck forward and paint Farewell Gap! (Lord willing and the creek, etc.) Wow, lots of exclamation marks going on – must have been a great day!Compare this view to the first day on this picture (Day Twenty). Further, I HID TWO ITEMS in the mural today. You’ll have to come see for yourself, and that’s all I’m gonna say about that! 😎 

Today my yarn shop called about some yarn I wanted – having no paper or pencil, I wrote the amount on the wall! Just doing what I can to keep the economy ticking along.Here is the day’s progress – detail in the a.m. and broader stuff in the afternoon. Betsy brought an umbrella, and as the shadows lengthened throughout the afternoon, the umbrella became more and more effective. That seam in the wall is the half-way point! (I know, I keep telling you that, but it helps me to repeat it like a little kid saying “I won, I won” until you just want to smack him.) The details are getting better and better, doncha think?? 😎 It took great discipline to stop fiddling with it when the wall heated up. Tomorrow I will buy some new brushes so the ones that are all splayed can be used for less precise tasks.  Oh, today a most thoughtful gentleman inquired if I would like a cup of coffee. He then returned with black decaf, exactly to my specifications! Thank you, Chester!

Today it became apparent that the detail work has to happen in the a.m. The broader base-coating work is for the afternoon when the wall is too hot for my brushes to behave.  This was a frustrating learning experience, but forward motion happened anyway. I moved the truck forward another 4 feet, and now I am painting at the HALF-WAY MARK!!! See that crack/seam to the left of Tulare Peak (the one on the left side of Farewell Gap)? As an aside, have you ever noticed how many people let their diesel engines idle incessantly? It occurred to me that perhaps it wasn’t good for this truck to run for 30 seconds, so I became one of Them: those people who let their noisy smelly diesels run for no apparent reason. I hate to sound like someone who makes her own yogurt (I do, but that is beside the point), but it is Really REALLY annoying to listen to and smell diesels idling while I paint! But I digress. . . here is today’s work:Slightly better than yesterday. I found myself in that weird middle-aged dilemma – reading glasses or sunglasses?? Opted for the reading glasses and found much more information in the photo – funny how that works! Goodbye, Banjo Guy. 

Looks sort of icky in the early layers, but you have confidence in my abilities, right? Say goodbye to Banjo Guy – he will be gone tomorrow. 

See the vertical seam on the left? That marks 1/4 of the mural. There is solid paint on the first 1/4 of the mural now. Not all the details are completed, but visual forward motion is taking place. The truck is a FANTASTIC platform for painting!  Today PBS interviewed some Exeter dignitaries and me, and filmed me detailing those trees. I’m sure I look fat, make weird  faces and say stupid things, so I may not let you know what program and when. (I really don’t know!) 

When I got to the mural this a.m. there was a beautiful sight to behold awaiting me! Now I can paint without bars in my face or blocking my arms or casting shadows across my work.  This is WONDERFUL! (Huge thank you to Keith!) Another wonderful thing: an angel named Susan brought me some of those little handwarmer things – Wow, what a lovely thoughtful thing to do! Thank you, Angel Susan!Next step: re-detail these mountains and snow patches, add a detailed layer to the more distant trees, and then re-detail the closer trees.   Isn’t this working platform grand? 😎