Artist Christopher Santer works on painting the mural on the outside of the flood wall in Point Park Thursday. The mural features the railroad bridge with scenes of Parkersburg between each pier. (Photo by Art Smith)

PARKERSBURG — Artist Christopher Santer has been working six days a week, often more than nine hours a day, on the latest installment of the Parkersburg Floodwall mural — even in 90-plus-degree heat.

“I’ve had to leave a couple times, at least for a few hours,” he said Friday. “Around 2 to 4 (p.m.) is the toughest time. Usually (outside of that) I’m in the shade.”

A Parkersburg native, Santer returned to the area from his home in Minnesota more than a week ago to begin his third summer of work on the mural, which he designed. His goal for the month he’s here is to complete the railroad bridge segment that will frame images of Parkersburg’s history.

“I’m going to try to get the bridge, the sky, the piers, all the framework done,” Santer said.

That will span an additional 215 feet from where he left off last year, with the section that frames his aerial image of Blennerhassett Island, which he also plans to finish this summer.

Artist Chrisopher Santer works on the Parkersburg Floodwall mural in Point Park Thursday. Santer plans to finish the railroad bridge piers that will serve as frames for various historical scenes over the next few weeks. (Photo by Art Smith)

Besides the heat, the glare caused by the direct sunlight at certain times also poses a challenge in terms of visibility.

“When I’ve worked through those, I’ve usually just been rolling some base colors, (not) doing any detail work,” Santer said.

Three other artists will be contributing to the project this summer with their own panels.

Parkersburg South High School art teacher Abbie Burge and Caleigh Griffin, who earned a master of fine arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2019, are working on theirs now using the polytab process, said Edward Escandon, project director for the mural. They will be painted on fabric and installed on the floodwall, like the mural recently placed around the entrance to Point Park on the wall’s other side.

Santer said he is considering that method for one of his future panels, so he can work on the project back in Minnesota.

These railroad piers serve as frames for images by Christopher Santer and other artists on the Parkersburg Floodwall mural. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Paul Mullins, an art professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who went to college with Santer and has assisted with other portions of the mural, will come to town in mid-August to paint his panel on the wall, Escandon said.

While his work is cut out for him this summer, Santer is already looking ahead to 2024. That’s when the bridge section will be connected to the rolling mountains painted in 2021 and the staff of music depicting the opening notes and words of “Country Roads” will be started on the other side.

“It’s an absolute thrill to be doing this, working on such a scale,” Santer said.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.

Work on the Parkersburg Floodwall mural in 2024 will focus on linking the mountains and railroad bridge imagery, as well as starting the musical staff for “Country Roads.” (Photo by Evan Bevins)