The art of storytelling
CANONSBURG – James Sulkowski began at the beginning, and went on until he came to the end. Then he stopped. (Apologies to Lewis Carroll and “Alice In Wonderland” for the paraphrase)
Sulkowski, an acclaimed artist who lives in Canonsburg, completed “Literary Classics,” a 5-foot-by-12-foot mural that will be unveiled at Frank Sarris Public Library Aug. 6.
Sulkowski featured a dozen local faces in the two-panel tableau, which depicts notable literary figures and authors including Peter Pan, Oliver Twist, King Lear, Jay Gatsby, the aforementioned Alice, Edgar Allan Poe, Toni Morrison and Alex Haley.
Canonsburg residents Alex and Leah Drain, John and Terri Startore, Ellen Sims and Armand Dellovade, along with Stan and Cheryl Rockovich of Cecil and Dr. E. Ronald Salvitti of East Washington, contributed financially to the painting, which landed them (or someone they chose) a spot on the canvas as a literary character.
Sarah Drain, 17, and her 12-year-old brother, Alex, portray Meg in “Little Women” and Oliver in “Oliver Twist,” respectively (their dog, Reggie, is shown following Oliver).
“We were quite honored to be a part of it,” said their mom, Leah. “We’re a small part of this community, and to be put on the mural which will be here probably for my children’s children and their grandchildren to see is a special feeling. It was an experience we won’t forget.”
Rockovich and his wife appear in the painting as Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan.
Rockovich, a friend of Sulkowski’s since grade school, joked that Sulkowski “made me look better than the actors who played Gatsby in the movies, Redford and DiCaprio.”
Sulkowski worked from photos of the Rockoviches and incorporated details from “The Great Gatsby” and the Roaring Twenties; hence, Rockovich’s/Gatsby’s salmon-colored suit and pencil-thin mustache and Cheryl’s/Daisy’s pearls and flapper dress.
It took Sulkowski three years to complete the mural, including months spent researching the books and the characters before he sketched a rough draft and then put paint to canvas (he adheres to Old Master techniques, so Sulkowski grinds his own paints and prepares his own Belgian linen canvas).
Peggy Tseng, director of the library – which includes the Athena Sarris Art Gallery, a venue for area artists to exhibit their work – said she is happy to have an original Sulkowski work on display and hopes the painting draws patrons to the library.
“The murals are magnificent; they are gorgeous. We are so proud of him and thankful for his willingness to donate his time and his talent to let us have those murals to showcase at the local library. It’s a masterpiece by an internationally known artist that everybody can enjoy for a lifetime,” said Tseng. “A lot of people don’t know all the exciting things happening at the library and what we provide. We’d like them to come in to see the mural and see what we offer.”
Sulkowski said he has long admired the Malcolm Parcell mural at Citizens Library in Washington and was excited about creating his own library mural.
Even while he was painting, Sulkowski made revisions, sanding down portions and repainting.
“It evolved over the three years. There was a different version of Moby Dick when I started, and I had John Steinbeck in here originally and then sanded him out and put in Alex Haley. It was hard to decide who to include and who to leave out. It was a conundrum,” said Sulkowski.
A planned third panel has not been completed, but Sulkowski said it’s a project he would like to undertake.
Sulkowski’s paintings hang in homes and galleries throughout the world. In 1979, the Saudi Arabian royal family commissioned him and his twin brother, Joseph, to paint two murals depicting the Ikhwan Revolt of 1929 and the scientific and mathematical achievements of the Saudi Arabians.
The mural is not the first painting Sulkowski has displayed at his local library. The first art show he and Joseph ever held was at the former Canonsburg Library when they were 15 years old.
“They let us hang some of our paintings there. That was almost 50 years ago, so our connection with the library goes way back,” said Sulkowski, laughing. “I’ve always been a reader. Ultimately, this mural is meant to inspire people to read and to bring these stories to life, to get people excited about reading. I think that’s the point.”
Note: Sulkowski’s mural will be unveiled at a ceremony that will be held at Frank Sarris Library on Aug. 6 from 6-8 p.m. The public is welcome.