Faces of Humanity

One of my first mural experiences was in El Salvador at an orphanage where I painted a few large walls.  No compensation could equal the excitement and the joy of the children as I painted for them.  I found that I loved painting big and I loved to see the art bring joy.  It is a hard world, but sometimes a piece of art can lift a person's eyes from the ground and bring a smile to their face.  That is my goal; to lift peoples' eyes.
 
My more recent pieces have not been met with as much enthusiasm as the ones in El Salvador, but they have been a pleasure all the same.  I started doing murals for the city of Delta about 4 years ago.  The first mural the city commissioned me to do was on the Delta County Independent newspaper building.  For the second mural, Phil Wassel partnered with me to paint a large perspective scene with a steam engine rolling into the station.  We took days snapping lines and figuring out perspective points.  It was a great lesson in team work and the end result was satisfying. The third mural I've done in Delta was a private commission from the owners of the Delta House which sits right on the main drag.  Though it is the smallest of the three, it is my favorite.  It simply depicts a ragged old man sitting on his favorite bench with a cup of coffee and a cigarette in hand.  His name was Art Briggs, a long time resident of the the Delta House and a town icon.  As the painting developed, more and more people stopped by to smile at the memory of Art and tell stories of his life.  With each story, my passion for the painting grew.  When I reached the point where I was signing my name on the side one last visitor walked up.  He was a man with special needs and he walked right past me and stood inches from the painting.  He said, "Hi Art.  I miss you a lot buddy.  I love you.  Well, I'll see you tomorrow."  As he walked away smiling, my eyes filled with tears.