A well-known train mural near Little River Park on East Main Street in Laurens has been brought back to life by local artist Janette Marvin of Clinton. The original artwork, painted years ago by the late Skip Shelton, had been fading away and was in danger of disappearing completely before Marvin stepped in to restore it.
Marvin, who has been designing and painting murals for more than 40 years, is responsible for several prominent works throughout the area, including the city mural in Clinton and another on Musgrove Street. She recently completed a mural in Cross Hill and noticed Shelton's train mural was deteriorating rapidly. The original piece featured the now-closed River Tracks Café and served as both an advertisement for the business and an artistic landmark for the location.
"My kids used to play in the park there. It was likely done to advertise the café but it was well done," Marvin explained. "I knew Skip. He was such a good artist and this mural really identified the location. I didn't want it to disappear." Having experience in refurbishing old murals, Marvin enlisted the help of her daughter Kathryn Lee to tackle the challenging restoration project.
The restoration process proved to be quite demanding due to the deteriorated condition of the original artwork and the difficult surface conditions. "It's a rough surface to work on and we had to scrub the concrete to get rid of mildew and moss growing on it. It was quite the effort," Marvin said. "It had faded so much it was really sort of a ghost mural. We could just barely see the outline to bring it back." The two artists had to conduct research to locate photographs of the original mural to guide their restoration work.
While staying true to Shelton's original vision, Marvin and her daughter made some strategic modifications to the piece. They chose to add a sky to the mural, explaining that more paint coverage helps prevent moss from growing back on the surface. They also decided to omit the River Tracks Café advertisement from their restoration, focusing instead on preserving the artistic elements of the train scene. Despite these changes, they worked diligently to recreate the mural as closely as possible to Shelton's original work.
"We tried to get as close to the original as possible. There were spots we couldn't make out the color even in the photos and it was so faded you couldn't tell," Marvin noted. "Having known Skip and knowing that we have a similar style, I think I did something he would have approved of and we did the best we could. Hopefully, it cheers up that spot and adds something to the county."
Shelton's artistic legacy continues to be visible throughout the Upstate region, with his murals adorning various locations including Dr. Steve Crow's building, the train depot in Owings, and Westminster Elementary School in Westminster, among many others. His work has left a lasting impact on the communities where his art can be found.
Marvin's own extensive portfolio includes works at the Joe R. Adair Outdoor Education Center, Martha Franks Retirement Community, and near the United Way of Laurens County's community garden beds, among other locations. Her canvas artwork is currently on display at both the Clinton Art Gallery and the Artist Coop in Laurens. Those interested in learning more about her work can visit her website at janettemarvinstudio.com for additional information about her artistic projects and services.
