Former Eureka High Student Paints Mural

 
Eureka high students are busy signing one another’s yearbooks today, but in the school’s cafeteria, one hundred and five year’s worth of yearbook photos are displayed on a forty eight foot long mural, which was painted by a former student.
Newschannel 3’s Cameron Cramer has more.
 
 
" I thought it would be a snap and just get it done and then \i was like oh my god it's 48 feet long.” Said artist Hannah Larkin.
What started as Hannah Larkin’s ambitious senior project in 2004 was finally unveiled today at eureka high, a 48 by 4 foot mural of the schools 105 year history, but this painting had quite a journey.
"It was in my math room for the entire year, with a projector, so the kids were trained to not bump it, so they go to watch it progress." Said Teacher Jennifer Johnson
And progress it did, Hannah dug through a centuries worth of yearbooks to select the photos, documenting everything from the regal 1900's, the funky facial hair of the 70's to modern day high school sweethearts. The painting is a visual timeline.
“A lot of the kids can find, or their parents can find people they know or even themselves.” Said Johnson
 And with a myriad of faces on the mural, the teachers wanted to be sure the artist got her due as well.
“Hannah’s great, she was focused, she was organized, and the best thing is she's been dedicated even though she's been graduated." Said Johnson
While the mural represents one hundred and 5 years of eureka high history, it took Hannah more than a year to complete it, and though there were frustrating moments, she said painting it taught her a valuable lesson.
“I would just be sitting there saying ‘ahh I can't do this!’ and then just ‘no, I have to do this’ just mentally setting yourself up that it's got to be finished someday.” Said Larkin.
And someday came in May 2006, but now that the painting is hung for the public to enjoy, Hannah can reflect on feelings she had while creating it.
“It made me feel proud, like back then all the stuff in the yearbooks that people wrote about their alma mater and how they care about the school, it made me want to go back and see how things were back then.” Said Larkin
Time travel might not be possible, but the painting sure comes close.