The following information about the mural is from an August 19, 2011, article posted on the Calhoun Liberty Journal website:
Local artist Jeff Vickery has done what many people dream of. He quit his full time job to pursue his passion. He’s always enjoyed art but longed to do something bigger than life by painting murals.
Last year, he made the wall of the Snowden Land Surveying building on North Pear Street in Blountstown his first canvas. He used some fanciful lettering, a dark background of trees and reproduced a series of black and white photos that prompted passers by to stop for a few minutes just to take it all in.
He did that first mural free of charge to showcase his work. “Rather than tell people about it, I thought I’d show them,” he said.
It worked.
Members of the Blountstown Main Street program took notice, along with just about everybody else who drives along North Pear Street.
Main Street allotted money from past fundraisers to pay for his latest effort, which just went up on the west wall of The Diamond Corner at S.R. 71 and S.R. 20.
Vickery began putting the 10 x 35-foot mural in place on Monday, drawing plenty of curious looks as he installed it in sections. He returned Tuesday to touch up a few spots and make sure everything was in place. After he’s satisfied with his work, he will paint over it with a clear, protective coating. He estimates that he put over 180 hours of work into the mural.
He got plenty of reaction as he worked early this week, with motorists honking their horns and giving him the thumbs up as they drove by.
“The centerpiece of the mural is from an old colorized postcard,” Vickery explained. Main Street members helped select a series of landmark buildings to be included in the mural. “We went through all the old pictures we had and I picked out the ones I thought would be the most memorable and fit with the design,” he said. Vickery, along with the Main Street members, went through three or four designs before coming up with the final layout.
Main Street President Edwin Strawn said that after the group approved the design, he and his wife, Lynn – as owners of the business the mural would be displayed on – had a request. They asked that the image of the 1952 Dodge truck that Strawn’s father once drove, loaded with the boats he had built, be included. It was.
Center Image
Left side, top to bottom
- 1948 - Hwy. 20 & 71 scene - Main tenant at corner is Burns Drugstore, next tenant to right is Stanfill's 5 & 10 and to the left was Dr Finlay's office. To the right of building is Park Trammell's Clothing Store. Park was nephew to former US Senator Park Trammell. http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/137982
Right side, top to bottom
