"WHERE
THE WONDER BEGINS"
Monroe,
WI - This 90-foot long mural, painted in the children's room of the Monroe
Public Library began as a simple discussion between the Children's Librarian,
Kris Ault, and myself back in the summer of 2006. As a mom of younger children,
I had spent many hours in this area of the library and agreed it needed a
little spice to inspire young readers. By February 2007, I was starting sketches.
INSPIRATION
& DESIGN
I have been
an avid reader my whole life and have been very much influenced by the books.
I wanted to show the progression of children's literature from the time a
child views a book from the lap of that special someone to when, as a young
student, the world of knowledge is there at a turn of the page.
Above,
toddlers discover the world of A,B, C's and 1,2,3's through picture book stories.
Here,
a librarian (with an uncanny resemblance to Miss Kris!) reads stories to youngsters
with the help of Mother Goose herself.
Above, a young child reads aloud with her
grandfather (my earliest memories of reading).
Accompanying them is a young princess exploring the world of fantasy and fairytales.
Reading
in trees, reading in tents, wizards, snakes and volcanoes with vents!
Astronomy
and mystery, sports and egyptology.
Studying
pirates under a tree...
From
Firetrucks to Fairies, to Frog Princes and Fire-Breathing Dragons, children's
literature is an endless
adventure.
Exploring the world under the sea.
THE
PROJECT
The research,
sketches and scale drawing took about 30 hours to complete. I used a 1 ft.
grid system to make an accurate sketch and then painted for approximately
100 hours. The final brush strokes were the signature painted on June 6, 2007.
This mural brought together my love
of books, children, and painting and will forever remain one of my most memorable
projects. Many thanks to my good friend Kris Ault, Library Director Barbara
Brewer, the supportive library staff, the Friends of the Library group, The
Monroe Literacy Council, The Monroe Kiwanis Club and the numerous other people
and organizations who made this project possible.
