Sophomores Cailin Downer and Sam Lindemann have taken their artistic ability to the next level by expanding it to Spanish class.

The two are joining forces to brighten up Mrs. Rachael Zahn’s room (C7) and paint a mural above and around the door in her room that connects her room and Mrs. Karen Steffes’s room (C8) by using tempura and acrylic paint.

Lindemann is painting a mandala, and Downer is recreating a Bob Ross painting which will be placed to the right of the doorway. Then together the two will paint around the mandala with an added touch of themselves.

What is a mandala exactly?

A mandala is a circle of various geometric shapes and colors that generally represents a spiritual journey, starting from outside to the inner core, through layers. It’s origins lead back to Asian and Buddhist cultures, but once popular, it spread to Spanish countries and throughout the rest of the world.

This isn’t Lindemann’s first public art project. Prior to painting in Mrs. Zahn’s room, Lindemann painted positive messages in the bathroom for the Day of Giving November 24. Lindemann enjoyed painting there so much that it inspired her to take on a larger scale project in the school.

While in Spanish class Lindemann noticed the blank space around Mrs. Zahn’s door.

“Originally, the mural was just a fun little project to make Mrs. Zahn’s room a little bit less boring. There’s a bunch of posters around and a giant car sticking out of one wall, but there’s one particularly bland wall with the fire extinguisher on it that didn’t have anything on it. So I asked, and Mrs. Zahn was all for the idea. She asked for a mandala above the door, so that’s what I’m currently working on. Now, after painting it for a couple weeks, I feel more connected with the painting since it’s given me something to look forward to every day,” Lindemann stated about the project.

Once Lindemann got permission to paint above Mrs. Zahn’s door, she invited Downer to paint as well.

“I’m doing a Bob Ross painting since I like the style. His tutorials are easy to follow and painting ‘happy little trees’ seemed fun. I also look forward to coming to lunch [outside Rooms C7 and C8] because I like painting and hanging out with my friends. I’m putting my painting, which is on a board, on a blank space on the wall next to the mandala,” Downer said.

Not only did Lindemann and Downer have plans for the mural and Bob Ross painting, but they also added elements of themselves to the mural. They added references from things they enjoyed which included references to Pink Floyd, Pac Man, Bob Ross, Harry Styles, Gravity Falls, nature, and various other vintage video games.

Not only does the mandala reference many popular ideas and liked subjects of the two painters, it also connects back to Spanish class.

Since Mrs. Zahn is both an art teacher and Spanish teacher she wanted Lindemann to incorporate both topics into the mandala.

When translated into Spanish mandala means “sacred circle” or “energy circle.” The colors like cyan, orange, pink, and green used in the mandala are inspired from Spain as well as the color wheel. The colors combined are opposite on the color wheel making the mandala seem as if it’s popping off the wall.

The creations also match what each of the painters would consider to be their artistic styles.

“I like realism and nature so what he [Bob Ross] does works best for me. Other times when I enjoy painting realism is when I draw my friends. I like recreating pictures we take by painting them because that matches my style,” Downer explained.

On the other hand, Lindemann has an opposite artistic style.

“When I draw on my own outside of painting the mural I would consider my style to be quite minimalistic. I enjoy drawing people, but not usually in a realistic style like Cailin does. So now that we’re doing this project together our styles are able to balance each other out and somehow it just works,” expressed Lindemann.

Both painters have very obvious inspirations for their art. Lindemann’s inspiration is Mrs. Zahn while Downer’s inspiration is Bob Ross.

Lindemann says Mrs. Zahn is an overall great person and she’s always fun to be around. Lindemann finds Mrs. Zahn approachable and supportive no matter what including throughout the whole painting of the mural.

Interest in Downer’s inspiration, Bob Ross, started when she was young.

“As a little kid I used to watch his videos and they would be calming and he was just a great person for me to look up to. As I got older I took inspiration from his painting to my own paintings like his famous ‘happy little trees.’ Now that I’m recreating one of his painting for the mural I’m excited to display it for everyone to see,” stated Downer.

Downer and Lindemann aren’t only inspired by people but they are also inspired by they music they listen to while they paint

Every day at lunch when they paint music plays in the background to inspire them. Music they listen to during painting include One Direction, Harry Styles, Twenty-One Pilots, 80s music, and even Christmas music.

Although the painting currently is incomplete, both girls work on it daily during lunch and are excited to see the finished product.

However, the painters worry that in the future is the possibility of it being painted over. For an example, the student-created paintings above the middle school hallway doors and Little Theater entrances have recently been painted over and such a fate could befall the mandala.

“If the mandala did get painted over, I would of course be upset, but it wouldn’t be the worst. I’m just having fun painting it and chilling in Mrs. Zahn’s room,” said Lindemann.

There are no future plans for the two to paint anything else in the school but both have said they would be open to the opportunity.