Ground terrain shadows, clouds, green foliage, wingtip details on butterflies and the individual red petals of blooming California poppy clusters all make the new community mural along Auburn Boulevard truly richly come to life. Photo by Thomas J. Sullivan

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) – Large golden three-dimensional letters reading “Welcome to Citrus Heights” now welcome motorists traveling along Auburn Boulevard starting at Cobalt Way towards the Stock Ranch shopping center as the finishing touches of a 50-foot portion of a new community mural are now finished.

Over the weekend of Sept. 12 to 13, more than 50 volunteers including local families, city council members and community members led by the non-profit Citrus Heights Arts, took their brushes in hand to transform a drab beige cinder block retaining wall into a colorful expression of civic pride.

The mural artist, Erse, who provided the general outline from which the volunteer painters followed, recently returned to work on the mural to add three-dimensional shadowing effects to each of the letters “Welcome to Citrus Heights.”

Erse also added a considerable amount of foreground and background detail to the panoramic mural, inviting pedestrians to pause for a moment, engage and take a much closer look.

Ground terrain shadows, clouds, green foliage, wingtip details on butterflies and the individual red petals of blooming California poppy clusters all make the new community mural along Auburn Boulevard richly come to life.

The mural artist, Erse, who provided the general outline from which the volunteer painters followed, recently returned to work on the mural to add three-dimensional shadowing effects to each of the individual letters “Welcome to Citrus Heights.” Photo by Thomas J. Sullivan

The community mural project along Auburn Boulevard was coordinated by the non-profit community group, Citrus Heights Arts, with participating private property owners and the city of Citrus Heights.

A previously completed panel near the corner of Auburn Boulevard and Cobalt Way identifies Auburn Boulevard as part of the original U.S. 40 also features a red and white milepost sign with a guidepost marker set against blooming orange poppies that the city of Sacramento is just 14 and a half miles away.

Ron Ferns, a long-time Citrus Heights resident and jogger, who helped clean up trash and clutter along the length of his Auburn Boulevard jogging route originally planted flowers from his garden in the bed along the soundwall.

Ferns was among the early group of volunteers at the recent September event who was ready to pick up a roller and brush to help paint the new community mural.

During the community mural painting event, volunteers carefully walked around some of the flowers and plants which Ferns had previously placed.

Next spring, those flowers will bloom once again, adding even more real-life beauty to a rejuvenated portion of Auburn Boulevard.

Citrus Heights Arts director Gigi Rayford said a protective anti-graffiti coating will be applied at a later date.

“We’ll return at a later date to complete the second half of the wall,” Rayford said. “Before Phase 2 of the mural project begins, the final design will be presented to the city of Citrus Heights for design and approval,” Rayford said.

For more information about Citrus Heights Arts, and future mural projects, visit: www.citrusheightsarts.org or email [email protected].