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I said I could do it, but this
would be my first mural so I asked
the well-known muralist, Hans Gabali, for advice.* I'm grateful to him for
sharing many tips. He said that it helps to be physically strong
and definitely to use big
brushes!
Gathering resources: I
had the photo, "Engine #39's Last Run Out Of Manorville Station,"
then took photos of the actual engine which was in Riverhead awaiting
renovations. Then Bob got a bumper sticker with a drawing of
Engine #39.
The bumper sticker
|
Huge
Blank Canvas |
In late October 2004: On
that first
day, I stared at the wall for an hour. Such a huge blank canvas! I
said a prayer and began and it took three weeks to complete the drawing. The
mural would be made to scale. It was unseasonably cold so work was done weather permitting.
I had Lyme disease (again) but that's another story. By mid-November,
it became apparent that I wouldn't be able to finish until the
following spring. So we painted a clear coat over the prime coat and
drawing which I hoped would make it through the winter.
In May, 2005, I went to see a fully restored G-5 Engine in the Railroad Museum in Strasburg,
Pa. and took pictures, excellent resources
for the realistic details. This project was
a
great challenge. It also had a lot of meaning. Manorville was my
hometown and for a while, The Maples was even owned by my aunt's family. My Mom met my stepfather there and
2004 marked 24 years of their happy marriage. There is a rumor that my Mom
had danced on the tables back in the
1950's. It was also nice to be working for an old school
chum. Although Bob said,
"It's your canvas," he had a good knowledge of trains and sometimes
questioned a crooked
line or a misplaced tie rod.
In the spring of 2005, I went there many days
because I was only able to work a few hours at a time, due to the Lyme
disease. Bob got used to seeing me working on the mural and
barely nodded while he went on with his work. One could see Martie working
inside when dining on The Maples' great steak tidbits and beer. So, that was the story for then.
2004-2005
See a Slideshow
of the mural's progress!
* Hans passed away several years
ago. His wonderful work may be seen throughout
Long Island and at hansgabali.org/MURALS/ |
