Most people do not have to work on scaffolding while holding a paintbrush and can. But for Derek Donnelly, a local artist and muralist, a little thrill and danger are all part of the work.
The painting may be seen from Pier 60 and further along the beach. It shows a woman with her eyes closed and hibiscus blossoms blooming from her hair.
It takes Donnelly about 10 to 15 minutes to walk the stairs to the top level, which is around 105 feet up.
“It’s freaky, man,” Donnelly said.
“You have to concentrate, though. Make sure you’re watching every step, and you’ll be in good shape,” Donnelly said, looking down to the ground in the middle of the mural.
Donnelly said they used the scaffolding as a grid system to pull off the mural at this size and scale.
“Essentially, it turns into, I think, 60 abstract paintings to compile this whole image,” Donnelly said. “Pretty simple but effective way to go about doing something at a scale.”
The mural watching over Clearwater Beach is more than just art.
“She’s representing mother nature,” Donnelly said. “And, it’s a gentle nod to Hinduism with the flowers to bless the land. The hibiscus flower is one of those that they offer to the goddess Kali.”
Paluska spent the past year profiling Donnelly’s work.
He’s been a local muralist in the Tampa Bay Area for decades, operating Saint Paint Arts. As an artist, he survives job to job.
“It’s really neat that a big hotel, like the Hilton Hiatus, wants to have something unique and separate themselves from all the other hotels and the resorts on this beach,” Donnelly said.
“A nice payday to help make the year a little bit. And, probably helps elevate me a bit where I could go after some bigger jobs like this with other hotel franchises and different things.”
The developer 3H Group commissioned the painting as a management partner for the new Hiatus Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton.