SAN MARCOS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Step into a world of creativity and inspiration through the new mural at the Children’s Courtyard at the San Marcos Public Library. Local artist Joshua Farrell has transformed the concrete courtyard into a whimsical koi pond by painting directly onto the courtyard ground. The newly unveiled mural is now open to the public during library hours where one can find themselves immersed in an environment filled with painted dragonflies, beetles, crickets and lizards. The koi fish act as both a beautiful symbol of nature and an educational opportunity to talk about invasive species that affect the town’s river.
Farrell volunteers most Fridays at the library with his wife and son as a part of the library’s Friends of the Library organization. The group’s mission is to strengthen the library through fundraising, volunteer work and advocacy.
“A discussion started a while back about how to make the outdoor patio more attractive and kid friendly, so I pitched the idea of doing a mural on the patio itself,” Farrell said. “The thought was it would be like stepping into a children’s book.”
Farrell’s vision started to come to life with the help of Library Director Diane Insley, support from the San Marcos Art League and help from his son Jakob. It took a lot of prep work to prepare the concrete for stain. Most muralists use paint for their indoor and outdoor works, which are usually painted on a wall, but since this mural was on a walking path the artist had to adapt his technique.
“The stain was quite different than paint and there was a bit of a learning curve,” Farrell said. After painting the designs he applied a clear coat with a nonslip additive to protect the work from the elements and foot traffic.
As the mural was reaching completion, one of the staff members noted that it would be cool to do something with the column that resides near the courtyard painting. Farrell asked Insley if he could grow the mural, having it spread up the column and she was instantly on board, saying that she did not want to stand in the way of creativity. The artist added a tree and a native egret bird to the brick column, which helped build out the whimsical environment. Farrell was thrilled with the support from the library staff. He is not a stranger to supporting the community through his art practice. He is the President of the San Marcos Art League and has had over 30 years of art and construction experience, which allows him to take on commissions through a well-rounded understanding of combining art with architectural structure. He has sculptures at Ascension Seton Hays hospital as well as Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin. One can see more of his artwork on display at the San Marcos Art Center at 117 North Guadalupe Street or visit his website at jfarrellart. com Visit the courtyard mural at the San Marcos Public Library open seven days a week. For more information on the Friends of the Library organization and how one can get involved visit their website at sanmarcostx.gov/646/ Friends-of-the-Library
