Designing the Mural

I grew up fascinated by the flowing lines Al Capp used to create the Lil' Abner comic strip. The summer I was 17 my family spent a month camping in Mexico; we saw the fascinating murals of Diego Rivera. When I was in college I discovered the work of Jacob Lawrence. In Sanctuary and Deliverance, I attempt to capture the fluidity of Al Capp, the narrative power and hypnotic repetition of form of Diego Rivera, and the blunt way of expressing oppression and suffering, as well as the dynamic color combinations, of Jacob Lawrence.

This is the fifth mural I've designed; it is by far the most ambitious project.

I'm grateful for our committee. They keep me challenged, and help me see the story through the eyes of our community. They've made many suggestions which have changed the mural for the better.

I'm also grateful to my apprentice Kendall Rucker, and to my advisors Jerry Schlundt and George Purlee.