Corky Richardson, right, watches as some of his employees from Richardson Tile & Plaster prepare the wall on the side of the former Mullican building for the newest mural. The Vision Lampasas! Art Committee recently put the finishing touches on the “Postcard” mural on Ron Ischy Masonry at the corner of Sixth and Western streets.

Not a group to rest on its laurels, however, the volunteers have started work on the next project -- the mural that will be part of the breezeway and pocket park project on Pecan Street, between the Mullican building and the new Lampasas County Annex Building.

The mural, titled “Water Is Life,” explores the importance of water to Lampasas through the depiction of Sulphur Creek, the Lampasas River, various smaller creeks and branches, and catchment ponds.

It was the sulphur springs that led to the railway advertising Lampasas as the “Saratoga of the South” in the late 1890s. Lampasans still enjoy swimming in the refreshing spring water of the free-flow pool in Hancock Park.

And the Mother’s Day Flood of 1957, an important event in Lampasas’ history, also is a period that shaped the community.

Corky Richardson of Richardson Tile and Plaster and his men prepared the wall for the mural. The south exterior wall of the Mullican building was covered with a thick styrofoam. Then, the styrofoam was gouged out according to lines drawn by mural committee members Susan Cornwell and Dianna Hodges. The gouged-out areas represent Sulphur Creek and the Lampasas River.

The men then applied a coating of plaster to the styrofoam, and the center of the wall was coated in a lighter plaster than the surrounding areas. The lighter plaster represents the area in focus -- the city of Lampasas.

The gouged-out areas will be painted -- as will the creeks, catchment ponds and landmarks -- once work on the breezeway walkway and pocket park are finished.

Nancy Gray of Gray Custom Framing and Art Consulting is in charge of the walkway and pocket park plans and their execution.

Vision Lampasas! is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the aesthetic, social, cultural and economic welfare of the historic downtown district and surrounding areas.

For more information, visit www.visionlampasas. org.