Thomas Mullany: New Mural Project for William Jeffrey's Tavern

 Thomas Mullany is my wonderfully talented artist/brother and I am excited to be writing about him on my blog today. We have represented him in our gallery for many years, and he is also included in many corporate and private collections throughout the United States. He not only does murals but also sculpture, decorative painting, and paintings on canvas and board. Click here to see the current selection of his work in our gallery.

This mural project is his biggest commission to date. Last night he had a little preview of his completed work for family and friends before the canvas was to be gently rolled up and transported to the soon-to-open William Jeffrey's Tavern in Arlington, VA.

Tom did lots of historical research on the 1920's Prohibition Era--clothing, architecture, interiors and exteriors--and also studied the history on the specific location of the restaurant. He included many details from the Arlington of the past, including streetcars, Model-T Fords, and delivery trucks of the time.

Here are a few sketches he did in preparation for the mural, and also the final painted sketch that he had on display at this gathering. 

Below are more detailed images of the completed mural.

The huge canvas was stretched onto a wooden frame and attached to the railing on the upper level of an old apple-packing building. Tom needed to rent a large space with high ceilings that would accommodate the canvas.

There are so many interesting vignettes of bootleggers, musicians, bartenders and a well-dressed crowd all imbibing what was then an "illegal substance" of the day, alcohol.

Notice Tom's signature carved into the wine carrier.

Love the not-so-hidden flask...

 

I've included some bonus images from his rented studio setup. Loved seeing his clothesline of paint rags, the ladders and lighting, his suitcase filled with paint tubes, the numerous paint-mixing bowls, and the paint-splattered tarp still on the floor.

 Clothesline filled with paint rags.

 There were many buckets of paint brushes.

He had a few much-needed ladders in the studio for reaching the higher parts of the mural.

This is the long tube which was going to be used to roll up the final canvas and transport it to it's final destination.  I am really looking forward to seeing this mural, and all of his paintings, which will be installed at William Jeffrey's Tavern in November 2011.