Local artist uses talents to welcome people to community
Terri Westover posses with the mural she painted for the Encampment Dirt Diggers. The painting is done in acrylic and has a car clear coat to protect it from the elements.
Those traveling along Wyoming Highway 70 through Encampment may have noticed a new mural highlighting the wildlife around the community.
Painted by local artist Terri Westover, the mural uses earth tones in the background to make the profiles of the various animals around Encampment stand out to those passing by. The mural is simple yet eye catching as the animal profiles surround bright red wording that reads "Encampment, Wyoming".
Westover is no stranger to art or to painting. One can find her art throughout Encampment and, last year, all one had to do was simply look to the ground. As part of a welcome back for Encampment students, Westover had painted a number of rocks which were placed around the campus for students to find.
The local artist has been painting for decades and, though she has worked with oils in the past, her preferred medium is acrylic paint. It was that medium that she used to paint the mural, which was commissioned by Encampment's garden club, the Dirt Diggers.
"I did it for 240 hours, four hours a day," said Westover. "It took me two months to do that."
The process wasn't easy as Westover required a base coat on the piece before she could add the animals and the wording. Fortunately for Westover, various members of the garden club were able to help. Also, fortunately for Westover, her husband was more than understanding as she required the use of his garage for the project.
Because the painting will be exposed to the elements year round, and acrylic paint is susceptible to the weather, Westover sprayed a layer of car clear coat over the painting. As the snow has fallen and the wind has blown, that clear coat has kept the mural from slowly disappearing.
Westover said that she will likely apply another layer of car clear coat in the spring to be able to continue to preserve the mural which grets Encampment visitors. While the artist has painted small items, such as rocks, and larger items such as parade float banners this is her first mural. When asked how it felt to have her art on display for residents and visitors alike to see, her excitement was evident.
Said Westover, "It's fantastic!"
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