Recently, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) asked local artists to create a design for a mural that represented the Peak to Peak area. Over 20 artists applied for the gig, and ultimately the sketch that was picked for the final design was done by Greg Marquez.

Marquez has called Colorado home since he was born in Denver in 1955. His wife, author Karen Auvinen, lived in Jamestown before the 1,000-year flood in 2013 chased her out of her cabin. She moved in with Marquez in Longmont before moving just outside of Rollinsville, where they have lived for three years.

Marquez primarily paints watercolors and local landscapes, along with the animals that wander through his yard and the birds that sit on his deck. He also owns a business called Moose Works Colorado, where he sells handcrafted wooden toys, and sculpts wood in his own time.

Marquez says about his art that he always tries to paint in a realistic style but avoids the dramatic poses that are commonly seen in paintings, such as the bugling elk and the hawk with its wings spread out on a perch. He also attempts to paint scenes that are not as typical as those that one would stop and gawk at.

His mural commission for the DDA is centered around several mammals indigenous to the Peak to Peak area, such as a moose, mule deer, elk, coyote and fox. Marquez also sneaks in local birds such as a Steller’s Jay and a chickadee.

Each of his animals is painted with a single solid color, a choice made to allow the designs to pop and create something that is appealing to both kids and adults.

The commission will be installed on the side of the Business Connection and will be visible to visitors of the town as they drive through the roundabout. Marquez is currently painting the mural, titled “A Good Great Place,” at the Wild Bear Nature Center.

Marquez hopes that it will be a memorable sight for all to appreciate the small town of Nederland and that it will accomplish his goal of representing the sense of community the town aspires to.

For more information about Greg Marquez and his art, visit his website at artquez.com or go to his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ Artquez-75810882104/. And check out Moose Works at mooseworkscolorado.com.