Petit Jean

The “Big Mural”

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Back in September I wrote about “The Opportunity of a Lifetime”. In that post I mentioned a second mural my daughter and I would be working on at the Museum of Automobiles in Morrilton, AR. We finished that mural this weekend. It is now the largest mural we have done at 6′ x 25′. The car is approximately 17′ with Petit Jean Mountain in the background. It was an honor to create this lasting memory mural for the Hoelzeman family.

Here is a little more about the car: 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Hardtop owned by former long time Museum of Automobiles Director Buddy Hoelzeman and his wife Tootsie.  He worked at this Museum for 55 years from 1966 to 2021, being the Director 53 of those years from 1968 until his retirement in 2021.

If you are in the area, stop by and take a tour. The murals are in the lower level of the museum.

Now on to the final mural…stay tuned.

Opportunity of a Lifetime

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I was honored to be asked if I would paint a mural at the Museum of Automobiles in Morrilton, AR. Why is this an opportunity of a lifetime:

  • My art was recognized and made a big enough impression that I was asked by members of Mid-America Old Time Automobile Association (MOTAA) to create their vision.
  • I was able to share this experience with my daughter Evelyn, also an artist.
  • I always hoped someday my work would be in a museum, I’m counting this!
  • The rich history behind this museum. Winthrop Rockefeller founded the Museum of Automobiles, opening on October 18th of 1964, just a few years before he passed away in 1973.
  • The thrill of meeting a member of the Rockefeller family while we were working on the mural at their grandfather’s museum. (Evelyn said she wasn’t going to wash her had after that.)
  • That honor will continue as we’ve been asked to create two more murals of 8′ x 25′ each.

This mural is a 1912 Ford Model T Touring, it is 6′ wide by 8′ high. It is the largest, most complex mural we’ve done to date. It challenged us, we learned a lot, and I could not have done this without my daughter! Art is even more joyful when I can share it with her.

Welcome to Caprise Studio

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Welcome to Caprise’s Art Studio, where I share news and images of my pastel paintings.  If this is your first visit to my website, I’d like to share a little about myself and my art.  

About Caprise

I work primarily in pastels but also explore oil and pencil. I’ve been passionate about art since a very young age and began collaborating and studying with other artists at the age of sixteen at Studio in The Woods in Wauconda, IL.

I have an Associate’s Degree in Fine Art from the College of Lake County and won several awards throughout my career. After a 20-year break to raise a family, I returned to my practice at Mainstreet Art Center in Lake Zurich, IL.

My new studio is in Arkansas on Petit Jean Mountain, an area adjacent to the Arkansas River between the Ouachita Mountains and Ozark Plateaus. You’ll find much of this area represented in my work.

Lost in the Moment – Petit Jean Mountain

 Thank you! 

To see a full range of my work, please visit my online gallery.

Petit Jean State Park

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CCC Overlook

My studio is in Arkansas, on Petit Jean Mountain in Petit Jean State Park. CCC Overlook is my favorite spot on the mountain. The colors of the rocks just glow during sunset. It is a peaceful place where I like to bring my sketchpad. The CCC Overlook is on the bluff of Cedar Creek Canyon. Named for the Civilian Conservation Corps, which built it in the 1930s, this native stone overlook offers views of the Canyon and the Petit Jean River.

CCC Overlook
24 x 12
oil on canvas
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