The Making of a Mural

Study for the Cooper Museum Mural Jack Stewart, friend and avid supporter of the Cooper  Museum, a regional history museum of the Inland Empire, located on ‘A’ Street in old downtown Upland, asked if we could do an exterior mural design that honored one of the landmarks of Upland– Cable Airport. Not too big, it would only be 5 feet by 8 feet tall, but Jack wanted to make sure both Dewey and Maude Cable, the builders of Cable Airport, were included.

hmmm– with some thought and a few rejects,  we created a study using a 1944 Stearman, painted in Navy training colors, as Dewey used to work at the Ontario Airfield, a training base for aviators during WWII.

With approval from the Board, we (Terri and I) set up the projector one dark night and sketch the image onto the wall using rough charcoals.     Then, we spend half the next day taping up the very porous concrete pillars on each side of the mural, to protect them from careless drips and ‘whoops’.  We also head over to the Paint Bucket, and buy custom quart sizes of   ceramic-saturated 100% acrylic paint, that will last just as long as the wall remains standing…

The first thing to tackle is the sky background.  The board thought the study was nice, but would have more interest on the wall if  there were clouds. So, the Stearman sketch  is taped off so we don’t have to redraw it later.

We spend some time taking reference photos– the Cable Tower, the old Beacon light, that flashes alternating white and green (fuel available) nightly.  We also hunt around for the right vehicles – trucks and work vehicles that Dewey and Maude Cable might’ve used to clear the runway of the endless boulders that make up the foothill floodplains.

Putting in the Stearman and the runway

Putting in the Stearman and the runway

We’re two weeks into the project, spending about 5 hours a day painting.  James Borders, a local artist, gives a hand to paint the rubble, boulders and stones that Dewey and Maude spent months unearthing, to create a dirt runway, 1700 feet long that wouldnt pierce tires or cause a plane to ground-loop.
Cooper Museum mural details

Airport details are laid in

With the Stearman done, we can stop painting from a stepladder, and paint at arms-level, or sit on stools.  much more comfortable!
We’re adding details into the vehicles, filling in the smaller background elements, such as the red, 1941 Porterfield that Maude Cable used to fly for the Civil Air Patrol. The Porterfield was the first aircraft to land at Cable, hence we felt it important to include one here.
Cooper Mural- airport complete
With much of the background and major elements done, we need to get Maude and Dewey painted in.  Maude was  a big helper in creating the airport. She’d haul rocks, build sheds and dig fuel pits as good or better than most.  She’s at the front, while Dewey sits atop the tractor, as they both watch the Stearman  fly overhead.
Cooper mural done- no text

No text yet...

The mural is done, except the text and sealing it, which comes last.
We use old fashioned rulers and tape to lay in the text. With fine-edged brushes we paint in the text.  With a couple of days to dry, we then add several coats of acrylic sealer, designed to keep pollutants out and the paint fresh for years and years.
Many thanks to Jack and Marcie Stewart and the directors of  the Cooper Museum for letting us do what we really enjoy.  Also thanks to Al Carter, a great muralist’ assistant, as well as James Borders.

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