Artist completes his 7th mural in Newton

Newton residents should be familiar with Carl Homstad’s art. After all, they have lived among it for several years now.

Homstad has painted murals at Sersland Park, the printing scene on the side of the Newton Daily News, the flag on the side of the VFW building, a garage scene near Bank Iowa, and illusory storefronts along West Second Street North and West Third Street South. The mural on West Third Street South was actually Homstad’s first work in Newton, completed in 2003. Now, he’s putting the finishing touches on his seventh mural in Newton.

This mural is a Renaissance scene on the side

of the Jerry Koons CPA building owned by Julia Prendergast. The pedestrian walkway is the latest project of Renew Newton. Bruce Showalter of Renew Newton said the group wanted to add a courtyard feel to the walkway.

“We just told (Homstad) that we wanted to decorate the walking alley, to make it more attractive, and we left it up to him. He’s done so many others around town,” Showalter said. “We just saw that walkway as being under-utilized.”

The Renew Newton group may add some more plants and perhaps a bench to dress it up a bit more, Showalter said.

Homstad said the idea of the mural is to create a more open feel, with a perspective from the sidewalk one of a castle vanishing into the far distance.

For more information on Homstad’s artwork, visit the Web site, www.carlart.com.