When Tom Ellis’ grandmother handed him his first bundle of crayons as a child, he knew he would grow up to be an artist. Today, at 68, he is still achieving his dream.
On Thursday, Ellis had the opportunity to use his talent to help his hometown of Iola. He hoisted himself up into a cherry picker crane and painted the murals on the old windows on Denny’s Sports Center.
“There are a lot of people involved in this building, it’s not just me,” Ellis said. “And after I leave there will still be a lot to be done on this building and a lot of others.”
Ellis worked roughly 50 hours on the building’s mural, not including the time he spent thinking about what he would do, he said.
The pool hall has six windows altogether. Two of the windows were replaced with glass and the other four windows were painted with Victorian drapery and ball fringes.
Ellis used an effect called trompe l’oeil, which is French for deceiving the eye. This makes passersby stop and do a double-take.
Ellis came across the opportunity to get involved when he read an article in the Register and saw that Thrive Allen County was looking for volunteers to work on the old building.
He called up Thrive’s office and shortly after they began the project of painting fake curtains.
Some people wanted Ellis to include a cat or a person, but he wanted to keep it simple and believable, Ellis said.
“Thrive has been amazing,” Ellis said in regard to Thrive’s ability to bring in donations for the project.
Ellis also expressed how impressed he is in the work Thrive has been doing with the Humboldt to Iola rail trail extension and hopes to see progress the next time he is in town.
ELLIS, WHO LIVES in Los Angeles, grew up in Iola and went to the Kansas City Art Institute studying painting under Bill McKim, a student of painter Thomas Hart Benton.
Ellis and fellow Iolan, Troy Singer, started rock bands in New York City beginning in 1969.
“After 12 years of rocking and rolling, I moved to California and went back to art, and have been doing that ever since,” he said.
Ellis gets his inspiration from artists such as Kandinsky, Picasso, Walt Disney and Miró.
He does paintings, restorations, faux finishing, landscaping, jewelry, high fashion clothing and “anything else I can get my hands on,” he said.
