Laney Riley to Head Up Mural Project

New Project for SAW Coalition for the Office on Youth


Staunton muralist Laney Riley discusses restoration of the Crozet Trestle Murals with Crozet artist Meg West. The restoration of the twenty year-old murals was done in May of 2012.

Kristina Elaine Riley (Laney) has worked on a number of large projects, beginning with Underwater Atlantis, a mural she painted at Lee High School. She partnered with me on the Journey to Jesus murals at Staunton Alliance Church and has helped me with a number of projects since, including the restoration of the Crozet Trestle Murals. [1.] She has provided illustrations for Core Knowledge Foundation's UK partner, Civitas Foundation, for What Your Year One Child Needs to Know. [2.]

Here She is Featured [click to read] on the Bridgewater College Website as she begins her latest project, designing and heading up a mural project for the Staunton Augusta Waynesboro Coalition for the Office on Youth. Congratulations Laney!

The Bridgewater College article says: "Sharing her artistic expertise with elementary- and middle-school children from broken homes and difficult situations, Laney is in charge of designing a mural to be displayed in a community classroom.
   
Laney’s role in the project includes creating the design and directing the children in painting the mural, as well as building relationships and serving as a role model for them."
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"Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank." -- Proverbs 22:29

Spring is in the (Plein) Air

Miller School Event Draws Painters to Scenic Campus


Art Lesson.

Once again, Miller School of Albemarle hosted local plein air artists for their annual painting event. My daughter puts it on every year so I'm always invited. It is a great time, beginning with breakfast in Old Main where I enjoyed some art talk with my fellow painters.

Not feeling particularly inspired, I walked toward the lotus pond. All of my past visits had resulted in paintigs of the lotus pond, so it was time to expand my vision. A very round and red plum tree caught my eye.

Ordinarily one wants to avoid "lollipop" trees, but here was my challenge... my mission for the morning, as it were. I set to rendering the little plum and her majestic fellows. But the resulting painting was... er... plain, not particularly plein. It was time for some subtle glazing to try to capture the aerial perspective and lighting of the entire scene.

Then came the realization that much of the richness of the scene came from the play of light, not only in shadow, but within the eye. There was more happening here than the camera could record. I recalled the experience described to me by my assistant this past Summer, of being given a coloring sheet in Kindergarden: "Color the tree trunk brown, the grass green and the leaves green." the teacher said. Her reaction had been to paint the tree trunk green, the leaves orange and the grass brown... all colors that can be observed on those subjects in certain subtle variations. If I remember correctly, the teacher was not amused, and initiated a parent conference over it.

Occasionaly I have had the opportunity to speak to school groups. One of my favorite opening questions is: "What color is grass?" Someone's hand shoots up and before it is recognized, a child will invariably blurt out: "Green!" Then the fun begins: "Do you see any OTHER colors in the grass?" and (if a large window is available) it is amazing to see how many colors the eager little minds actually see. Let's just say I've been surprised and educated by the words of the students.

I laid down a challenge for myself, to paint the glazes with the contrasting color suggested by the casting off of conventions, to achieve the lighting and mood of the actual scene. That is why I gave the top painting the title: "Art Lesson." A light green glaze went on the trunks (there was actual lichen there), orange and brown hues had to be used in the deepening of field and foliage.

As the morning passed into afternoon, I noticed a big oak's golden new foliage overlaying the windows of Old Main, Miller's grandest building. Now my challenge would be to render as simple as possible, a recognizeable portion of Old Main while avoiding "Architectural Rendering." The resulting painting is below.


Old Main.

Crozet Shopping Center Murals Refreshed

Retaining Wall Tells the Story of Crozet Community


Meg West has created a treasury of Crozet scenes on the retaining walls...


...and led volunteers in refurbishing them last week as well as the trestle murals. Here she discusses the restoration with Laney Riley.


Debbie Little touches up the mural of Mint Springs Park's beach...


...while Morgan Munson repaints a mountain.


The Blue Ridge Mountains.


We have no idea who created this chalk drawing on the wall of the shopping center itself.

Work Continues Today on Crozet Mural

Crozet Gazette Features Restoration Project

Bob Kirchman, Laney Riley, Soobin Choi and Shuhui Wu begin the mural restoration. Photo by Mike Marshall for the Crozet Gazette, used with permission.

The Crozet Gazette featured the story: Trestle Murals Get Refurbished [click to read] in the latest issue.






The project artists: Meg West (top), Laney Riley (center), and Bob Kirchman. Photos by Mike Marshall for the Crozet Gazette, used with permission.

Work Continues Today on Crozet Mural

Bridge Mural is Now Mostly Repainted






Repainting the train. Photos by Linda McNeil.


Freshly repainted Monacan.

Work Continues Today on Crozet Mural

John Pembroke, My Fellow Crozet Muralist


Nineteen years ago, John and I partnered to create the Crozet Mural project for the Crozet Community Association.

Work Continues Today on Crozet Mural

Restoring the Mural Continues with Repainting


Meg West works on the forground...


...While Laney Riley repaints the Monacans.


All day long people stopped to watch. Here Meg and Laney work while a gentleman observes the progress. Many people shouted "thank you!" to the muralists as they worked.

More Pictures [click to view].

Work Begins Today on Crozet Mural

Monacans, Settlers and Railroad Builders


Student volunteers clean the mural...


...while Meg West touches up damage.

The Painting of the Crozet Historical Mural

Scenes from the Original Painting of the Mural


On October 26, 1993 the work began with power washing the concrete...


...then continued with Western Albemarle High School students painting the landscape...


...and was finished by December of that year. An earlier post incorrectly dates the mural to 1992.

Restoration to Begin on Crozet Mural

Volunteers to Refurbish 20 Year Old Painting


Monacan Indians fishing in lickinghole creek using a fish wier. Detail of a mural by Bob Kirchman and John Pembroke, 1992


Crozet Artist Meg West discusses restoration with Laney Riley, owner of Laney Mural Art for Young People's Spaces. Laney, who's heritage is Native American (Cherokee), Irish and French will add her special touch to the restoration of the Monacans, the tunnel builders and Claudius Crozet in the mural.

The first week of April will see volunteers refurbishing Crozet's historical murals. Teams will concentrate on the railroad bridge murals and the Crozet Shopping Center retaining walls. Crozet artist Meg West originally painted the Shopping Center Murals. The bridge mural was painted in 1992 by John Pembroke and Bob Kirchman. Crozet Hardware provided paint and supplies.

Meg and Bob will be coordinating the restoration joined by Staunton artist Laney Riley, owner of Laney Mural Art for Young People's Spaces. The team will concentrate on stabilizing damage and repainting areas where the paint has fallen away.

Students from Western Albemarle High School originally helped with the painting of all of the murals. Crossroads Waldorf students helped paint the background in the bridge mural. Western will be closed for Spring Break, but many students are expected to participate. The bridge mural was originally financed by people donating $5.00 to have their names put in the mural. Ten dollars got your family listed. No experience is necessary, there will be a variety of tasks to be performed. Work begins Monday, April 2 at 9:30am. Volunteers will be required to fill out a waiver form.


Twenty years of exposure to the elements has caused damage to the painting which will be repaired beginning next Monday.


Bob's son joins a Monacan fishing party when the mural was freshly painted!