Chris Dalton is no stranger to painting murals. She has painted four in Sanford that are on display with Sanford’s Mural Art Trail. She is has even created 3D and 2D murals for projects and has had numeral articles about her works.
When the Town of Aberdeen contacted her to paint the mural, they wanted something to showcase the town, from past to present.
She began by researching the town and its rich history and then created a few samples of what she thought the town would like. They gave her several books about Aberdeen to use as resources, and she quickly got to work.
Of course, the town’s Scottish heritage is represented along with the railroad. Music and the arts are playing a bigger part these days, and they are beautifully represented as well. The mural is colorful and dynamic and is a beautiful reminder of all that is Aberdeen.
Artist Chris Dalton and her creation in downtown Aberdeen, behind the post office ~ Sandhills Sentinel.
How do you even begin to paint a mural? Dalton started with a piece of wood that was in scale to the wall she was painting. The wall is 67 feet in length, so she painted a scale mural of 67 inches that she uses to create the one on the wall.
She begins each day around 6 a.m. and stops around 1 p.m., before the heat of the day sets in. She says that throughout each day people stop and comment on the mural. In fact, during Sandhills Sentinel’s interview, someone stopped by to thank her for her hard work and told her how beautiful the mural was.
Dalton has been painting the mural for about five weeks now and hopes to be completed in the next week or so, weather permitting.
If you haven’t seen it, the mural is located behind the post office downtown. Stop and take a long look, and let your mind take a stroll through Aberdeen’s vibrant history.
