Main Street Tower Murals Are Nearly Complete

BEL AIR, MD — Artist Jack Pabis took a few moments off the ladder to speak with Bel Air Patch about the two-part mural he is working on in downtown Bel Air. It consists of two paintings of windows along the side of the Main Street Tower restaurant at 29 South Main Street.

The first mural features a chef who looks like he is about to come out of the frame.

That was completed last week, Pabis said.

The second mural will depict family members related to the Tower restaurant’s owners. They are going to be standing on a balcony reminiscent of Italy.

He used Photoshop to come up a composite of the figures and scenery. "Usually I sketch with pencil and paper, but for this one, I used Photoshop...because there were so many different elements," Pabis said. "I had so many different references." He researched balconies, for instance, so that he could make it look authentic.

While working, Pabis said he will sometimes tape a photo or sketch onto the wall as a guide or look at it on the ground. When Bel Air Patch caught up with him on Wednesday, June 12, he was working with his photo next to his ladder.

Pabis started on the murals on June 3, according to Bel Air Economic Development Coordinator Angela Robertson.

"The Cultural Arts Commission has been talking for a number of years about commissioning a trompe l'oiel style mural on Main Street," Robertson said. Trompe l'oiel means the paintings look real. "We were inspired by a mural in Frederick, Maryland," she added.

"Once we had the concept, we began thinking about locations, and the side of the Main Street Tower Restaurant seemed to be a great fit," Robertson said, "as it is highly visible and already had several windows along the side of the building that were not evenly spaced."

The two window murals that Pabis is painting are on a wall facing the parking lot.

"They're supposed to fit in with this stretch of real windows," Pabis said. "That was the concept."

Pabis said he was inspired by the idea of "la dolce vita," or the good life, and the two murals will reflect the rich Italian heritage and cuisine of the Main Street Tower restaurant.

"That guy was supposed to be the behind-the-scenes guy," Pabis said of the chef. "He's supposed to be in the window but gives you a little three-dimensional feeling."

He said that the second mural will look much more 3-D.

The owners of the Tower gave him photographs of family members who will be in the picture, and he said he decided to put them on a balcony to allow for them to come out of the frame.

The murals are expected to be complete in the next few days.

Funded by the Bel Air Arts Commission, the project will total $2,700.

Weather has been cooperating for the most part, Pabis said, with a brief stint of rain putting the painting on pause.

Before Bel Air Patch spoke with him, the artist said he did have one other interview.

A class from Southhampton Middle School stopped by as part of their study of public artworks.

"They asked a bunch of questions and were super nice. It was fun," Pabis said. "They asked me when I did my first mural. I said 'middle school,' and they said: 'We're in middle school!' So that was cool."

His first mural while in middle school was a patriotic collage that included the Statue of Liberty and fireworks, he said.

Since then, Pabis said he's done murals for "a couple of NFL guys," including Ravens and an Eagle as well as a professional female wrestler. He also painted the Lee Street mural on the side of the Bel Air Armory.

SEE ALSO: New Murals On Main Street Underway At The Tower