Accomplished mural artist, Cheryl Foley, recently completed a whimsical mural on two walls of the newly renovated children’s section of the Cortez Public Library. The mural was unveiled at an open house to celebrate the grand opening of the children’s section Thursday evening.

Foley, who moved to Durango two years ago, earned the commission by submitting a finished sketch of the mural along with a proposal of how she would complete the project. Foley earned a BFA in Illustration from Moore College of Art in Philadelphia.

The intention of the two murals, each 9 by 15.5 feet, was to bring the outdoors in. The walls are now covered with beautiful trees, local flora and whimsical animals. Two black bears hang out in a tree, a mama and baby raccoon, a fawn and chipmunks, and some delphiniums and lupines add color and a three dimensional feel to one wall.

An aspen grove, mountains, pine trees and a lake with a beaver’s home, a canoe with geese flying overhead and a deer grazing in the grass adorn the second wall. Foley uses high quality, non-toxic, fade resistant and washable latex paint designed specifically for murals.

Foley has garnered quite a reputation designing and painting murals in exclusive homes in Los Angeles, working for interior design firms. Custom designs include floral lines and borders, as well as sunsets, mountain vistas, Southwest desertscapes, and borders around bathtubs. She also has created undersea scenes and outerspace visions for children’s rooms based on clients desires.

Her 26-year career also includes commercial projects such as painting birds, and a lake scene surrounded by trees and mountains in the swimming pool area at the Holiday Inn Express in Prescott, Ariz. There, she also restored the mural on the ceiling of the Elks Theatre, as well as murals in the ballroom of the historic Hassayampa Hotel.

“I never do two murals exactly the same,” Foley said. “Murals create a mood, an atmosphere, by changing the environment. They can transform a room, adding unique drama, which is much different than just putting a piece of art on the wall — the whole wall becomes the artwork.”

Foley’s work can be seen at: www.angelsandmurals.com. She is available for residential or commercial projects in and around Durango.