2017 wasn’t a very fruitful year for me in the number of realized mural projects. But I applied and created many mural designs that weren’t created for different reasons.
One of them is the mural design for the newly constructed Elizabeth Hotel in Fort Collins, Colorado.
It was a call for three murals 7′ x 35′ that were supposed to be painted on the exterior facade of the hotel’s entrance.
After doing thorough research about the name of the hotel, the history of Fort Collins and surrounding area, I came up with the designs for two mural panels.
- The first one presents a figure of Elizabeth Hickok Robbins Stone, also named Auntie Stone. She was an American pioneer woman who played a vital role in the establishment of Fort Collins.
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Also, the hotel itself is carrying her name. The circle around her head represents the Colorado sun. Behind her shoulders are the houses and buildings of her beloved Fort Collins. To the left of the woman is her wooden cabin, named “Auntie” Stone’s cabin, the only remaining building associated with Collins Camp. Another important part of Colorado for visitors to be acquainted with are the Rocky Mountains that are depicted in the background.
With both mural designs, I decided to bring more nature into the city environment. That is why there are many trees, intricate branches and plant elements and skies.
- The main figure of the second mural design is a Buffalo –a symbol of the American West. The figure of the buffalo pays a tribute to this gorgeous animal who just about 500 years ago were freely roaming on the territory of modern Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. The State bird, Lark Bunting, is another element of nature and also a symbol of Colorado. Trees, plant, and branches create a decorative background for the animals.
Even though the call committee liked my designs, unfortunately, this project never came to life. The Hotel’s administration decided to go with another idea to decorate their facades.
September 2017/ Fort Collins, CO
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