A fine vintage can take years to create, but Lompoc’s newest mural, depicting vineyards and the community’s role in the wine industry, took just a day.

The mural, at 111 South H St., and dubbed “Lompoc Vintage” stretches 45 feet down the alley. It uses three drain pipe ridges running down the walls to depict grapevines stretching upwards, with branches and leaves reaching to one another, creating a three-dimensional aspect to the art.

The scene was painted by the Lompoc Mural Society on Saturday, as part of the 16th “Mural in a Day” event. “Lompoc Vintage” is the latest piece of public art to be added to the city’s “Art Alley,” so named for its many murals and artistic additions.

The master artist, Colleen Goodwin-Chronister, from Keizer, Ore., submitted the winning design to the mural society, and was on hand Saturday to guide 20 local volunteers painting the full-scale version.

Goodwin-Chronister said she was able to plan and sketch out a very detailed mural, knowing the number of local artists who would help with the painting.

“It definitely makes it easier,” Goodwin-Chronister said.

“It’s always interesting in the beginning, and by 10, 11 a.m. the big blocks of color go in as it comes together,” Vicki Andersen, the mural society’s project administrator, said.

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By mid-morning the blue sky and the basic rows of the vineyard scenes were up on the wall. Several artists worked their way around the white-and-red checkered border.

“It looks good,” Goodwin-Chronister said from the ground, up to artist Carol Patton, standing on scaffolding to work on a wine drinking scene.

“Does it? It’s hard to tell from this distance,” Patton said.

As the sun broke through the Lompoc morning, more detailed work began to appear in color on the wall, such as the wooden grain of the grape vines, and the purple hues of the hills. Angie Hamlin began adding bursts of fall color to the vineyard on the left side of the mural.

“I wish I could do that,” said Jerri Phillips, of Lompoc, while she sat in the alley watching the artists bring the mural to reality.

Phillips, and many other members of

the mural society, along with others in the community volunteered their time to help the Mural in a Day happen, providing food and supplies for the painters.

“It’s a wonderful entrance to the alley,” Phillips said, adding that plans have begun to add more murals, a garden and night lighting for the alley.

Area artist Hattie Stoddard, who had worked on indoor murals for the Santa Maria Children’s Discovery Museum, took a short rest in a shady spot of the alley during the nine-hour project.

“OK, back to my piece of the puzzle,” she said, returning to the wall after a few minutes.

Goodwin-Chronister, and her husband Warren, who previously worked on the “Fields of Gold” and “Monarch Magic” murals, began preparations Tuesday for “Lompoc Vintage,” sketching the outlines and mixing the paint colors to bring her 45-inch concept rendering to the bigger canvass. Her concept was to show the many periods, and facets of the wine industry in the Lompoc Valley, beginning with the introduction of wine making by the Spanish missions, through the city’s temperance colony beginnings, to the modern day Vintners’ Festival and wine tasting.

Shortly after 5 p.m. the scaffolding came down, and the artists formed a line to sign their names to the work of art. Mayor Dick DeWees, who also serves as the co-chair of the mural society, handed out awards of recognition to all the artists, and thanked by name the sponsors who supported the effort.

“Thank you to all the volunteers. It’s such an honor to work with so many talented, professional people,” said Lompoc Mural Society Chair Ann Thompson.

“I’d rate it as one of the better in the community,” commented Rick Starbuck, who might be biased as the building owner.

“I’m very happy with it,” he said.

Glenn Wallace can be reached

at 737-1059 or gwallace@santamariatimes.com

September 7, 2008