By Charlotte LeVasseur

Driving down Eugene O’Neill Drive, you can’t miss the mural of the whales by renowned artist Robert Wyland completed in 1993 and lovingly restored in 2007 by a local preservation group. While whales represent the history of New London, the mural is a well-known and much loved landmark in the City. Local artist Carolyn McNeil recently undertook the expansion of this original mural. The background colors of the sea were continued along the entire building along Eugene O’Neill Drive.

She was commissioned by property owner Bill Cornish to create a unique mural to promote the soon-to-be-finished sports bar, The Copperwood Grill. Bill’s whimsical concept for the mural came from a business card that he had designed using a seahorse ridden by a jockey, exemplifying the Off Track Betting component of the new sports bar.

The new restaurant took its name from the Copperwood Tree, which was incorporated into the mural on the hill overlooking the racing seahorses. The old and new murals are nicely tied together with the ocean theme. Carolyn, whose artwork also graces State Street and New London Harbour Towers, had a great deal of fun painting this mural. She enjoyed it when people driving along Eugene O’Neill would yell out encouraging words to her as they passed. She said, “I really loved creating this particular mural, because I sensed that the community enjoyed seeing it come together.”

Carolyn says, “Local artists inspire and encourage each other, and we all benefit from the results.”

Stay tuned for more information regarding the opening of The Copperwood Grill. In the meantime, enjoy the art which is a sign of good times ahead for this once vacant space.