THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 13, 1997 TAG: 9702130026
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DOUG BEIZER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 98 lines
WHEN ERIC HENN is painting murals of dolphins, sports figures or company logos on huge oil tanks 100 feet in the air, it's easy for him to feel close to God.
During the last few weeks, however, the industrial artist felt more spiritual than usual when he donated his time and talent to paint a 30-foot-high mural in the sanctuary of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church on Sandbridge Road in Virginia Beach.
The mural - painted in a classical Michelangelo style - was unveiled to the congregation Wednesday to coincide with Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent. The crucifixion scene is set during the final hours before Jesus died. Below the cross on one side is Mary and on the other side is St. John. The background depicts a dark, cloud-covered scene of Jerusalem. A bolt of lightning hitting Jerusalem's temple represents the rebirth of Christ.
``When I walked into this church, I saw this blank wall and I knew it needed something,'' said Henn, 32. ``It kind of inspired me.''
The Rev. Dwight Shrader said the church, completed in 1995, was designed from the beginning to have a mural on its altar. Shrader said the liturgical consultant who helped design the church recommended using the scene that Henn painted because it is the only scene, according to Scripture, where St. John the Apostle is at the crucifixion.
Shrader said the mural was not painted before now because the church members didn't have the funds or know of anyone competent to do the work. Then, Henn's sisters, Becky Brink and Gina Taft, who live in Virginia Beach, put him in touch with the church after hearing that the congregation was searching for an artist.
``He did an outstanding job,'' Shrader said of Henn. ``It has amazing detail.''
Shrader said one of his less religious parishioners remarked that the mural ``makes you want to kneel and pray.'' And that impact led to Shrader's decision to unveil it during Lent, the 40-day period of penitence observed by many Christians.
``During the Lenten season it is all about prayer and abstinence, and I think this painting just calls one to prayer,'' Shrader said. ``It bespeaks what the whole Lenten season is about.''
Shrader said the scene's reference to the resurrection makes the painting appropriate for the front of the church. A stained glass window planned above the mural will blend into the painting, he said.
This is the second church to which Henn has donated work. Next year, he will offer his services to a church in Ohio, where he lives.
``It's something I've always wanted to do, and now that I've gotten established, I'm able to donate a mural a year,'' Henn said.
``I'm a Catholic, and I'm religious,'' he said. ``I just feel God gave me a gift so I want to share it.''
Henn worked in the church sanctuary alone from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for 18 consecutive days. A tarp kept the mural out of sight until it was unveiled Wednesday. Eventually, Henn hopes to have the time to donate murals to retirement homes and children's hospitals.
Henn began his career in Virginia Beach in 1986 when he designed T-shirts for local surf shops. Then he moved on to painting murals for restaurants and stores. Examples of Henn's work can still be seen at The Waterside in Norfolk, Croakers restaurant in Virginia Beach and the Procter & Gamble plant in Williamsburg.
Five years ago, Henn got his big break when an oil company hired him to paint one of its storage tanks. Since then, several large oil companies, such as Citgo and Exxon, have kept Henn booked solid all year painting murals. He spends an average of nine months each year on the road.
His wife, Shaunna, and their 2-year-old daughter, Emily, travel with Henn to all his jobs around the country.
Murals, which usually take about a month to complete because he works alone, often require Henn to climb aboard 110-foot lifts. One painting in Houston covered 26,000 square feet.
Henn begins projects by sketching out the basic design, based on concepts described by the companies. He continually has to swing the lift away from the tank to scale the figures, he said.
Henn's next big oil tank job will be in Fairfax County, and will be visible from Interstate 95 south of the Washington Beltway. The Exxon mural will include a giant tiger and her cubs. Even though Henn likes the challenge of painting tanks, he said it can't compare to the satisfaction of doing a church painting.
``I don't normally get a chance to do this type of work, which is what I'd really rather do,'' he said. ``It really gives me a lot of self-satisfaction doing this kind of work.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color
PHOTOS BY STEVE EARLEY / The Virginian-Pilot
RIGHT: Eric Henn, of Franklin, Ohio, paints a mural of the
crucifixion scene in St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in
Virginia Beach.
ABOVE: Henn carefully applies the finishing touches on the face of
the Virgin Mary.
WHAT IS LENT?
Lent marks the 40-day period from Ash Wednesday through the
Saturday before Easter. It does not include the six Sundays during
that period. The 40 days are marked by fasting and penitence by many
Christian churches and are symbolic of the 40 days that Christ spent
alone in the desert before he began his public ministry.