Who: Susan Dailey and Juli Schrader
Medium: Acrylic paint, mosaics, handmade tiles
Their story: It took these artists five 15-hour days to install their 35-foot mosaic mural, “Along the River,” at Roger’s Grove Park near the St. Vrain Greenway in Longmont.
The biggest problem? Doing it in the midst of a heat wave.
“It was really grueling,” Dailey said.
The result, unveiled at the recent “Rhythm on the River” festival in Longmont, evokes the region’s agricultural heritage – especially the windmill embedded in the art.
These Fort Collins artists are known for their work on the area’s growing public art legacy, from Berthoud to Longmont and beyond.
Dailey is a muralist whose most popular work is the stylized “Poudre River Tribute” at Avogadro’s Number, a Fort Collins restaurant.
Schrader is a painter who specialized in stained glass, a talent that is particularly helpful with cutting mosaic tiles.
The duo first worked together, along with artist Eleanor Yates, on the 80-foot “Berthoud Roots” mural painted on a historic grain elevator in downtown Berthoud.
They’ve developed a collaborative approach that encompasses style and method.
First, they brainstorm on the theme. For this agriculturally inspired project, they scoured farming books, trade magazines and websites about the St. Vrain River.
The central symbol of the farming history, they decided, was the windmill. So they contacted a museum of windmill history in Lubbock, Texas, and did extensive research. As a result, the mosaic includes a large windmill, complete with a working turbine.
Deer, rainbow and brook trout, lifelike river rocks: These too symbolize the local history.
The river mosaic includes tile the artists made by hand.
“Part of the problem with this climate is that we have a freeze-thaw (cycle),” Dailey said.
“There is a limited availability of tiles that can withstand that. Most are made for Southern climates or indoors. Sometimes it’s easier to make our own tile.”
To seamlessly fuse their separate styles, they take turns doing each part of the work.
“It looks like one person did the painting and the mosaic,” Dailey said. “It doesn’t look like a mishmash of styles.”
Philosophy: They seek to portray something positive with their art, something that uplifts the entire community. “The artist’s job is to interpret the desires and wants of the community, so we listen to the community,” Dailey said. “We’re a visual voice for the community.”
Where to find their work: Some of Schrader’s other works will be at the 16th Annual Loveland Invitational Sculptural Show, held Aug. 10-12 at Loveland High School, 920 W. 29th St. Dailey teaches plein air painting at the YMCA of the Rockies during the summer. For details, and to view her other work, visit her website, .
