Tampa Bay Murals - Wall Murals by St. Petersburg Artist JW Spruill

Before any manner of recorded writing, man began passing down rituals and lore, and recording important events in the form of mural painting. The ancient civilizations that predate even Greece and Egypt had brought this art form to a high degree of perfection. There are many fine examples scattered throughout the ancient world of entire walls of seaside villas or cosmopolitan city residences given over to landscape compositions or fanciful renderings of mythological figures. After the demise of the Roman Empire , mural painting declined and was mostly within the province of the church.

The world has Diego Rivera to thank for the resurgence of interest in the mural. In post revolutionary Mexico ,Rivera and other young artists were commissioned to paint huge murals in public buildings showing scenes from Mexico's history and the revolution. Soon world renowned, Rivera and his brethren have made the mural the most monumental of art expressions. Rivera aimed to combine the art of the native Mexican culture with that of the post colonial era. He placed a dwarf-sized Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico, next to a large figure of the revolutionary Zapata mounted on a white horse  .

Murals with a strong message are not usually used in domestic settings, yet views on important topics can be subtly conveyed by the subject matter. Destruction of the rainforest habitat or the coral reefs, protection of endangered plants and animals;or the conservation of the countryside and folk traditions all can be woven into subject matters for murals.A large mural can impact a room entirely or a smaller mural be used as a focal point and basis for other decoration.

I have continued this long tradition with several large scale works in public places and businesses in Tampa and St Petersburg, as well as many works done in private residences.