TITLE

St. Francis in the Mesquites

ARTIST

Cheryll Anderson

CREATED

February 2023

LOCATION

23rd St. by south of Lark

ABOUT THIS PIECE

The St Francis in the Mesquites pipe mural was created based on my interest in St Francis statuary as a pop icon, outside of its religious context. It has interested me for many years, even though I am not of the Catholic faith. A popular garden staple, St Francis is a mainstay of gardens worldwide as a secular figure of goodwill toward nature and protector of the environment. The cardinals and monarch butterflies also take on meaning related to carrying souls of the deceased or being reincarnated loved ones, in local border culture and worldwide.  - Cheryll Anderson

ABOUT THIS ARTIST

I am Cheryll Anderson of Edinburg TX, an Arkansas transplant of 13 years to the RGV with a bachelor's degree in Visual Arts from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. I have been an artist most of my life but the "time of Covid" gave me a vision for mural painting and a new lust for life. I will paint on wood, cement, metal canvas... you name it! The most interesting work I have done recently has not been put on a wall yet. 

I love doing work that is intensely researched, methodically planned and seemingly complex. My emotional pull to the subject keeps me interested and motivated to do my best work. I love working with local flora and fauna or local history as my content. Color study and color mixing are some of my favorite aspects of artmaking. I think of myself as more of a collage artist than a painter, due to the technological aspects of the mural design process. I love doing public funded accessible art.