International Mural Artist Creates the Unique, Beautiful Visual
Imagine yourself in front of a blank canvas wondering what to paint…now imagine that blank canvas measures 90,000 sq. ft. and is 200 ft. up in the air!”
Over the past few weeks, you’ve probably seen the gradual work of the rendering of a giant sea turtle, dolphin and other sea life on a water tower in Destin.
In June, Destin Water Users, Inc. (DWU) celebrated the completion of its newest water tower, Tower 5, off Calhoun Avenue in Destin with a valve turning ceremony honoring all of the companies and individuals who worked on the project.
Tower 5 is a 750,000-gallon water tank that reaches 169 feet into the air. It is able to take on more water from DWU inland wellfield and reduces the demand on coastal wells. It provides much needed storage, improves the operation of the distribution system, and provides enhanced firefighting protection for those service members in the area.
The ceremony honored Poly Inc., who conducted the initial engineering report and crafted the design for the tower, along with Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors, who manufactured and erected the tank itself. The beautiful outer appearance of the tank is due to the combined efforts of American Suncraft and artist Eric Henn who painted the unique coastal mural consisting of local sea life.
Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Eric began working on the mural this past February. When most artists work in a studio or home, Eric has taken his unique talent to lofty heights! With no formal training, he began painting murals at age 19 and has now painted large-scale murals throughout the world for more than 30 years! His artwork is seen by millions, most often when they are behind a steering wheel. He is a master at transforming eye-sore structures into life-like works of art.
He creates his own patterns and uses various techniques with brushes and paint rollers in order to achieve a cohesive blending of colors. Millions of gallons of paint, hundreds of thousands of brushes and a multitude of colors are a normal item list to complete each project.
For us, Eric created a stunning mural consisting of a sea turtle, dolphin, various species of fish, scenes from the ocean floor and a coral reef in order to cover the vast canvas of Tower 5. You can view some of his other projects at erichennmurals.com.
“Since the Tower is located in the heart of Old Destin, we wanted to paint something that paid tribute to the heritage of our community,” said DWU general manager Lockwood Wernet.
The State of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection was also honored at the ceremony as they provided a low-cost State Revolving Fund Financing to pay for the labor and staff who managed the project from its inception to completion.
Destin Water Users, Inc., is private, not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Destin with a service area covering most of the city of Destin and portions of unincorporated Okaloosa County. The company provides service to over 12,000 people in the winter months and over 40,000 in summer months. To learn more about DWU, visit dwuinc.com.
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