VERNON, CT — It was about 7:34 a.m. Thursday and artist Heather Herindeen was busy with a spray paint can working on the newest Vernon mural at the corner of East Main and Prospect Streets.
Several passing motorists beeped, waved and cheered her on.
Yes, the mural is coming together on a wall at the Cornerstone Foundation shelter.
"Painting this mural has been the project of a lifetime," she said.
The mural, "Threads of Community," is a public art installation sponsored by the Vernon Cultural District and supported by the Connecticut Main Street Center, Sustainable Connecticut, Swiss Cleaners and Get Fresh Laundromat, Tri Towne Lube and Repair and dozens of individual and business donors. The premise is the bring life to the Downtown area with a new emphasis on what it has to offer.
"When I first saw the call go out for this one, I knew I had to give it everything I had to be the one to paint it," said Herindeen, who is based in Ellington. "I've never worked harder in my life on something, but I've also never had a project have such a profound impact on me. The support has been overwhelming. Between kind comments while driving by, stopping to say hello, or cheering me on online, this community has truly warmed my heart. Thank you to the Town of Vernon for choosing me to bring this vision to life. There's still more to go, but I'm embracing every part of this journey, because every step along the way has been just as beautiful as these pictures."
Those who see Herindeen working on the mural in-person have been cheering her on.
But one element — those who apparently received their art degrees from Facebook — have been spewing some negative and even downright mean reviews from keyboards far away.
Herindeen on Thursday wanted to make one thing clear. Yes, some many see it as an abstract interpretation of the town and not a straight-forward depiction, but the town already has that on a wall over at the Tri-Towne Lube and Repairs center on Route 83.
She wants to depict, "An artistic landscape with elements of Rockvillle included."
She added, "I didn't want to be redundant and do the same thing."
Herindeen took the time to explain local elements of the Mural with Patch — right on the street at the mural on Thursday. Many of the elements were inspired by comments on a community engagement survey, she said.
They are:
The Hands: They represent unity and the diversity of the town.
The Dog: That's "Amazinbg Grace," the Cornerstone shelter's companion canine.
The Bridge: It is an extended depiction of the David Smith Bridge on the Hockanum River hiking trail system across from the WPCA plant.
The Acorn: That's the adopted symbol of the Vernon Cultural District.
The Fireworks: July in the Sky ... enough said. On a personal note, Herindeen said she and her boyfriend began dating at Vernon's annual fireworks show.
The Spool and Thread: It's to honor Rockville's right textile industry heritage.
The Hills: Herindeen trimmed them from looking "too western" to representing the surrounding foothills.
Herindeen is on Instagram and has been sending progression images of the mural at: instagram.com/lights.and.darks/?hl=en.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Vernon Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.