San Mateo is getting a free facelift from muralist Erin Tajime Castelan, who is turning what was once a window into a serene painted picturescape which is already brightening the day of passers by.
The mural is being funded by John Baer of JMS Development partners, owner of the building which houses Aaron Brothers Art and Framing on 180 E. Third Ave. Both Baer and Store Manager Francisco Reyes agreed that rather than fill the hole the same old way with cement or glass, that the city would benefit from a creative artist's image - good timing in regards to autumn's impending gray.
"The painting is a compilation of two Maxfield Parish paintings," Castelan said, "I was looking for something serene."
The scene is of an elegant woman simply dressed, seated and looking skyward amidst white pillars and a stone arch over her head - the sky is blue, and the surrounding landscape, while not quite complete, is a green field hedging up to a quiet pale lake with distant mountains in the background.
Baer came up with the mural idea because he spends so much time in Palo Alto, where murals are not all that uncommon, and two of Castelan's holiday murals stand in supermarket windows. Castelan was recommended to Baer by Von Ko Horn & Kitzmiller, an architectural detailing firm who has used Castelan's services in the past.
According to Castelan, Baer originally wanted a painting with children and bright colors, but when he saw the preliminary drawings of the mural he opted for its simplicity and contrast to the downtown area.
"We all thought public art was a neat idea," said Baer, "The painting is whimsical, it's a very strong country setting amidst the noise of downtown."
Three months ago, Baer was surprised to learn that no city permit required if a building owner paints their property with public art if there is no advertising or publicity involved.
This could be good news for painters and building owners in the city, who, in the name of art might be able to bypass the often time-consuming permitting process. Castelan received her Bachelor's in Fine Art from University of California at Santa Cruz, and for the past ten years has focused her artistic ability on street paintings, ranging from temporary murals made on sidewalks with chalk, to the permanent chalk on cement canvas sealed with a liquid varnish to give the paintings the depth of an oil painting.
Castelan's sponge painted mural is being applied with a permanent water-based acrylic mural paint that will seal it with a protective varnish.
Castelan's artist statement posted next to the mural accurately points out that she enjoys creating an image you feel you can walk into, creating a, "Spiritual enlightening vision that brings inspiration."
"People have really, really enjoyed the painting, nine out of ten people stop and gawk. Most people comment, 'Wow, this is really cool,'" Castelan said, "I have to say, the people in San Mateo have made it really fun to work here."
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.