The Teen Artists at Howell Library are in the process of creating a beautiful mural with artist Amber Dora Opal , on the wall near the teen section of the library. The design of the mural was inspired by the painting "Luncheon of the Boating Party" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir but with a modern  twist.

Renoir used his friends, fellow artists and patrons as the figures in his famous painting. Because this mural will live in the library among the books, the Howell teens took their inspiration from books and stories of their childhood and teen years. The figures in the mural have been transformed into the favorite characters and animals from the stories and books that they loved, and the result is absolutely wonderful!

The pictures above show the teen painters hard at work. The first task was creating a sepia toned underpainting of the design, which was sketched onto the wall. Once the tonal painting is complete, the artists will add color and final touches. Artist Amber and the teens have painted for many hours and the work is just gorgeous!  Patrons of the library have enjoyed watching the mural develop too-- the artists have worked during library hours, often with an audience!

This project is part of the Teen Arts Connection; other projects in Belmar, Red Bank, and Keansburg have begun too, just for teens.

Visit the Howell Library and see the artists at work !