Nature mural comes to life

ISABEL BRAVERMAN
Posted 1/18/17

HONESDALE, PA — Over the past four years, artists Kathy Dodge and Helena Guindon have been working on a larger-than-life mural in the Wayne Conservation District’s office. The nature …

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Nature mural comes to life

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HONESDALE, PA — Over the past four years, artists Kathy Dodge and Helena Guindon have been working on a larger-than-life mural in the Wayne Conservation District’s office. The nature mural covers three walls as it spans the length of the office.

Dodge explained that the mural moves through both the seasons and the time of day, starting with spring in the morning and going to winter in the night. The painting has exquisite detail; it portrays the smallest flowers to the largest trees. Not only native wildlife, but animals too are represented, as well as people, houses and other structures. For example, Dodge, a member of SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support), incorporated windmills and solar panels that face the right direction.

The project started in January of 2013; it took the artists 3,000 hours of work. The idea for a natural habitat mural started when the Wayne Conservation District wanted to display its large collection of animal mounts. Through a joint effort, the plans for an educational habitat room began, and by July the artists started hand-painting the mural. The conservation district obtained educational grant funds in order to take on this project and purchased educational trunks with a fur kit, skulls and animal tracks, to name a few. These are available for instruction to any group that is interested.

Dodge has a background in illustration and Guindon in painting. Together they combined their talents. “It isn’t very often two artists can come together,” Dodge said. “Elena and I worked so well together.” She said they shared ideas and used each of their backgrounds to teach each other. Dodge is a naturalist and an educator with the Audubon Society, so she was knowledgeable about all the species of flora and fauna (there are hundreds pictured in the mural).

The mural is made three-dimensional with the addition of the taxidermy collection and other objects like tree branches, a beaver dam and a maple-syrup bucket. Dodge explained that as they worked the mural continued to grow in depth, and they kept adding to it, another hill or another stream. “We grew along with the mural,” she said. “It’s a creative process all the way through.”

The Wayne Conservation District held an open house last Friday to unveil the mural, and all who attended were very impressed.

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