Local artist Clint Clarneau works on a Patriot mural he designed for Liberty School. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

A really, really big face.

Local artist Clint Clarneau has painted the school mascot, the Patriot, about 20 feet tall on the wall over the main foyer.

"It's paid for with fundraising money," said Principal Tim Harwell, standing in the lobby and looking up, watching Clarneau work from an electric lift. "It's part of the beautification plan and something I wanted to do for the school."

"Most people, when they walk in a building, don't look up," said Clarneau.

"They will now!" said Charlotte O'Dell, a fifth-grade teacher at the school. "There's a lot of drama to it."

The pose is eye-catching, the Patriot with one foot braced forward, an American flag carried in his hands and unfurling behind him.

"It took me a while to figure out exactly what I wanted to do," said Clarneau. "It had to be striking."

"It's really what I was envisioning," said Harwell. "Even more so."

Clarneau doesn't take long when it comes to actually painting the murals. Working with easy-to-clean Latex paints, he can finish it in a day. The longest part is transferring the original sketch to a grid on the wall.

"It's hard to freehand anything that big and have it come out accurately," he said. "Even with the grid, it doesn't come out that accurately."

Clarneau, a native of Oregon, followed his father to Middle Tennessee 20 years ago. He studied art at Lewis & Clark College and was an intern scene painter for Washington State University. He wasn't sure what he was going to do for a career -- but he knew it would involve art.

"I'm an artist full-time," said Clarneau. "I mostly work out of town, under contract."

His work can be seen in Bell Buckle, both on the buildings and the sidewalks. The bridal shop on Depot Street in Shelbyville has his work on its side, as does the SunDrop plant in Tullahoma. That doesn't necessarily mean he favors one drink over others.

"I've done work for Coke and Pepsi, too," he said.

Clarneau and his wife, Valerie, have five children, all of whom have shown an strong interest in art, especially their 4-year-old son, he said.

"That's all he does," the artist said. "He'd rather draw than watch TV. He draws such recognizable things at his age, he'll be better than I am by the time he's 12."

Kids and art go together, he said, and he's making sure of it by leaving his mark on their school to inspire them.

"The school motto will be underneath the Patriot," said Harwell. "Building a better world, one student at a time."