Store owner completes mural of park

Who: Gail. L. Fluno of Watertown, a partner in the businesses Basket World and Colonial Woodshed, West Main Street, Watertown.

What: She painted a 21-foot-long mural featuring historic scenes of Thompson Park on an inside wall at Basket World, 403 W. Main St.

What inspired you to do this project?

"I grew up two blocks away from the park. Our family was always up at the park. We did our sledding there and my brother even had his Boy Scout activities there.

"I love all the historical stories about Watertown. My grandfather (Lewis J. LaHare, who died in 1944 at the age of 59) built a lot of the walls up there. He was also the contractor who did the pavilion. I found out a lot of information when I searched files at the Watertown Daily Times. As I went further along, I got more attached to it."

Is there a story behind the woman on the stairs in the mural?

"It's a scene from the 1920s. The woman is from a snapshot I found in my father's collection. There's no name on it. On its back someone wrote, 'Take a look at her dress!'"

Was it your grandfather's wife?

No. She died previously (in 1912).

Tell me about the two other scenes in the mural.

The one on the left is known as the pinnacle, on the overlook. The other is of the wading pool I remember when I was young. The water tower is in the center of it now."

How long did it take to paint?

"It was supposed to take me a few months, but it took a few years."

What happened?

My dad (Leroy D. Fluno) fell next door while making a display case and almost died in my arms.

I see you are having an official unveiling Thursday night (at 7)?

"That's just to tell people that it's done. They can finally see it. A lot of people were interested in it."

Any special challenges creating it?

"It was painted in black and white, adding to my vision of the park's views of yesteryear. I mixed gray and black (eggshell) paint and made different shades of gray. But the paint doesn't dry as the same color you start with. You have to guess at what color shade it would dry and back up."

If you have an artistic endeavor to suggest for a Q&A feature, contact Times staff writer Chris Brock at cbrock@wdt.net or write to him at the Watertown Daily Times, 260 Washington St., Watertown, N.Y., 13601.