Katie's Wahl

I had responded to a call for submissions for a new round of viaduct murals to be commissioned in Oak Park similar to what I pursued a year ago.  As in last year’s request my first submission was rejected but my second was accepted.  It was based on a painting that combined elements of realism, abstraction, and cubism.
       Immediately after I was assigned my viaduct panel I went to work beginning around three in afternoon.  I quickly discovered that my 6 foot ladder was woefully inadequate to tackle a 12’ high wall.  So painted what I could on the first day and borrowed my neighbor’s extra long extension for the rest of the project.   By loosely gridding and transferring the image I could begin very quickly.   I worked for 3 hours in the heat and thoroughly exhausted when I got home.   The second day was back working by 6:30 am and continued nonstop until the rain washed me away.   But as soon as I got home the sun returned with a vengeance.   I had planned to return and finish up the following day but seen as it was only about 1:30 pm  I decided to return to the wall.   I finished everything up a few ours later and applyied two coats of clear varnish for protection.  It was a very quick run.

So why the title ‘Katie’s Wahl’? An older man had been watching me work on the mural from across the street.  After a short time he approached me and asked if he could speak to me.  As climbed down the ladder I could see that he appeared to be somewhat distraught  as if on the verge of tears. I  asked him if he was all right and he apologized and seemed to be looking for the right words to reply. Then after a few moments he confided that his daughter had suffered a devastaing accident just a few days earlier and was currently in the hospital.  I asked what happened and he told me.  Apparently she had been injured in a diving accident and was now completely paralyzed.  He kept apologizing for his obvious grief and I felt completely at a loss for words.    
    Then as he apologized again he  made an unusual request.  Somewhat embarrassed he asked me if I might be able to insert his daughter’s name somewhere in the mural.  I vacillated for about half a second.  "Of course," I said, "of course,  yes."
He told me that her name was Katie.  As he left I asked him what his last name was and he said Wahl.   Katie Wahl.   Suddenly the significance of the  mural  took on new meaning. I  decided to add  Katie's name to some geometrically intermingled patterned shapes, like pieces that may be fit back together again.  I don’t know this young woman but I decided to dedicate the mural to her and called it ‘Katie’s Wahl.’ I hope she will be able to visit it one day.