Alva Review-Courier -

In its second year, the Northwest Mural Fest continues to grow with four commissioned artists spending the weekend in Alva to paint and visit with bystanders. Some of the artists began to paint on Thursday, but the official event kicked off Friday evening with a chance to meet the artists at the Graceful Arts Gallery. The murals are scheduled to be finished for a final artist signing on Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. at the Cushenbery building.

Jason Pawley

Mural artist Jason Pawley of Oklahoma City says he usually paints things he sees during his daily activities which include walking his two dogs. That means nature in some form is frequently incorporated in his work. He uses both spray paint and latex paint applied with a brush.

On the back of the DHS office, located in the Ryerson Building, Pawley is painting a farmer looking at a sunrise. "Farmers are kind of becoming a thing of the past a little bit, and we want to make sure people know them and still think of them. They're very important to us," he said. The sunrise is "kind of abstract".

When locals checked out his work, they told him the outlined farmer looked a lot like Alva resident Truman Cookson. Apparently they also told Cookson who stopped by the alley and stayed for an hour visiting with Pawley. Others have said the image resembles Teddy Roosevelt (but clad in overalls).

Painting a sizable mural in a limited time can be challenging. Pawley said, "Having a good plan helps, but you can always run into snags. It's nothing set in stone." He said unexpected wall texture, rain and wind can affect timing. "Having a time frame can be a little sketchy, you know," he said.

The weather seemed to be cooperating Saturday as Pawley was making good progress on his work. His two dogs, tired from a nice hike in Hatfield Park, dozed in his vehicle with the lift gate open for a breeze occasionally opening their eyes for a lazy look at his progress.

Aditi Heins

The crisp lines of her work show Aditi Heins' interest in typography. The Norman artist does a lot of work involving lettering. "My work is typically more abstract and has a lot of signage and typography, and all are with bright colors that really stand out and make the viewers happy," she said.

"Most of my murals are for local businesses so that mostly dictates the theme, but I like to participate in festivals like this that allow me to just paint whatever," Heins added. "I'm really drawn to nature and flowers and stuff like that."

Heins says the mural she's painting in Alva is about the difficulty she faced earlier in her life and overcoming challenges. It shows wildflowers which spring up in all kinds of conditions and triumph over adverse circumstances. Heins grew up in India and came to the U.S. at the age of 19, attending the University of Central Oklahoma to study art.

Her mural is located on the Cushenbery building at the northeast corner of Alva's downtown square. The lettering on the painting says it all "Growing through what you go through."

Chris Cargill

Chris Cargill of Edmond has always been painting and drawing. About 11 years ago he decided to pursue painting professionally. "Mainly I do 2D (two dimensional) mixed media entered in art shows," he said. "But the opportunity to get out of the studio and do something that's more accessible to the public was appealing." That caused him to gravitate toward the "mural world of art." He enjoys the opportunity to interact with people while painting as opposed to being alone in a studio.

The theme for a mural usually comes from collaboration between the building owner and the artist, he said. "Sometimes they leave it wide open, or they may have seen a piece that I've done before as a 2D piece and they want something similar to that." The process is give and take with both parties coming to a happy medium.

As for his favorite kinds of art, Cargill says, "I'm kind of inspired by pop art and street art. Every time I go on a trip, I kind of wander by myself in alleyways and kind of seeing the color palettes people are using."

Cargill's mural in Alva is located on the front of Gambino's Restaurant which is located just across Oklahoma Boulevard from the Northwestern Oklahoma State University campus. It seems fitting that he's painting an NWOSU Ranger. However, this Ranger has a lot more color that the usual logo. He's being assisted in his work by Don Martin. Cargill says he has the fun job of creating while Martin has the boring task of filling in color of already defined outlines.

Rhiana Deck

Her mural on the Cushenbery building is completely different from her usual painting said Rhiana Deck of Oklahoma City. She generally prefers abstract, expressionistic, freehand designs as opposed to realistic painting. Lately, she's had a dry spell when it comes to painting her original designs. "The crazier things are, the more I want to get out and paint," she says of working on murals.

Marione Martin

Aditi Heins paints lettering that will read "Grow through what you go through" on her mural located on the east side of the Cushenberry building at the northeast corner of the square. Below, her husband Dane adds paint to a leafy stem.

Deck said she appreciates her Native American heritage, but she doesn't use any of the traditional art in her work. However, she likes to go to festivals where she can talk with Native American artists. She also enjoys social events hosted among the tribes. Since the pandemic she's cut back on those activities.

Preparing for the Northwest Mural Fest, Deck said she submitted design ideas for approval. Since her work is next to that of Aditi Heins, they needed to be compatible. Her first submission was turned down but she tried another. It was approved just days before she began to paint.

Deck's mural of bright, colorful flowers and a hovering monarch butterfly pairs well with Heins' work. Both were attracting attention from visitors in downtown Alva Saturday.

All four artists will be signing their work on Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. Signings will begin at the Cushenbery building, then move to the DHS alleyway and conclude at Gambino's.

The Northwest Mural Fest is sponsored by the Alva Mural Society with some financial help from Alva tourism taxes.