A while back Bo and Wendy Maxwell approached me about doing a painting for them. They wanted this painting to depict old/time Devine as Bo would imagine it in the 1800s. His vision was the young town nestled down in the valley with the train passing through. He wanted bluebonnets, oak trees, a horseman, a road runner and a rattlesnake, (which I almost refused to do), a house and barn, children playing in the lane, a farmhouse and cattle in the distance, and, of course, the hill country on the horizon. I can do that. But wait. This is no ordinary painting on canvas. This is going to be a mural painted on the Maxwell‘s dining room wall! This is going to be a 14 feet wide and 5 feet tall mural painted on site! Well, this is a new venture, but of course I can do it!
So, when the time came around in February of this year, I gathered up my materials – paint, turpentine, brushes, acrylic paint for the base and headed to Devine. For the next six weeks, I showed up two or three times a week for a 3 to 4 hour afternoon painting session.
It didn’t take long for Bo and Wendy to learn that I loved Big Red and chips, especially Cheetos. So, every time I showed up, they brought out the refreshments.
Day One, with the scaffolding in place, I climbed up so I could reach the ceiling! The wall was painted dark maroon, a 14’ wide and 8’ tall maroon wall. Bo had planned to put up a rustic wooden siding along the bottom 3’, so he had taped it off. Remaining was the 14’ X 5’ wall that I had to prime with acrylic to neutralize the maroon!
The scenario of me on the scaffolding lasted for weeks. But, eventually I painted my way down to ground level!
On occasion Bo would make suggestions. It’s always good to have a fresh set of eyes. But the coolest thing about this project is how special Wendy and Bo Maxwell treated me and that, regardless of whether it’s true or not, they think the painting is wonderful. I recently asked Wendy if they were tired of looking at it yet. She assured me that they still enjoy it, and I certainly hope so because it’s there for posterity.
Maxwell Mural depicts a “young” Devine– 1800s imagined
