If you drive on Highway 33 between Ventura, and Ojai, you may have noticed something big is taking place. Two gigantic, 24 foot high water tanks between the 33, and Ventura Avenue in West Ventura are being transformed into a mural.
"The challenge of the tanks is what can be seen from far away, and what can be seen from many angles. And, given our location, and our sponsors, it naturally occurred to me to paint dinosaurs and prehistoric animals," said Artist MB Hanrahan.
Hanrahan has been working on the project for months. She’s done murals throughout the region for years, but painting the two 125,000 gallon fresh water tanks is one of the largest ones she’s tackled.
"It's a big one, but actually I have looked at these tanks with longing over the years, and it truly like a project came to me," said Hanrahan.
The tanks are owned by Aera Energy, which is a subsidiary of California Resources Corporation.
The company teamed up with the West Side Community Development Corporation for the community beautification project, with an eye towards improving the aesthetics of their urban oil and gas facilities.
"They were oil field tan, as we like to call it our dune tan, and I didn't realize how much they blended in until we primed the tanks blue in preparation for the art installation," said Erin Larner, who is Operations Manager for the California Resources Corporation facility in Ventura.
"As the mural went up, it was like what is it...what is it...oh my god, it's dinosaurs, it's a shark," sad Larner. "This is a whole different world from what I'm used to, and watching MB's process, and watching it from the ground up has been so cool."
As you walk around one of the tanks, you find Hanrahan working on the mural. She became interested in doing projects like this she was young. She remembers driving down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and noticing the big billboards.
"I remember thinking as a kid, a lot more people see these billboards than probably ever go in a museum. I really enjoy having art work out for the people," said the artist.
She's a prolific Ventura County artist, and has done a number of murals in the region over the years. She started on the Jurassic project in April, and hopes to have it done in the next few weeks.
Hanrahan admits she doesn’t even know how many murals she’s done. She said you can’t really count them, because some are now gone. That’s the nature of murals. They can be like sand on the beach, washed away over time.
The project is a treat for motorists, and nearby residents, but also for cyclists on the adjacent Ventura Bike Trail. They can get a closeup view of the tanks as they pedal through the area.
The artist hopes people will take a look, and maybe smile as they pass by the massive project.
