LACONIA ARTIST BRINGS THE FOREST INDOORS
Teacher and artist Marcy Yerkes takes on a big challenge inside a lakeside Sanbornton home.
Sanbornton- Marcy Yerkes brought a forest into Diane Grotton’s home. Yerkes has re-created the pines, birches and hemlocks in Grotton’s yard in a 30- by 18-foot mural on Grotton’s living room wall. The indoor forest is one of the final touches to Grotton’s home on Lake Winnisquam.
Diane and Jim Grotton have been building the home for the last two years using a special architectural method they like to refer to as “winging it.” But when they finished the living room- which has a 30-foot ceiling and cobblestone fireplace- something was missing. The room wasn’t “cozy.”
So Grotton went searching for an artist who could bring the forest into her living room. She found Yerkes, a part-time art teacher at Canterbury Elementary. Yerkes, of Laconia, also owns Southern Accent Designs. She paints the interiors of homes and businesses, specializing in murals. Eventually, she would like to paint full time.
The mural took her less than a week to complete. She started at the top and worked her way down. Because of the height, the top was the most difficult part for Yerkes. Reaching the top sometimes meant stacking two scaffoldings and balancing on a bucket. And Yerkes spent a fair amount of time clinging to the wall.
Grotton’s children told her she couldn’t do it. Making such a large room cozy was impossible. But with the addition of a giant mural, Grotton believes she has proven them wrong.
But now that she has built a beautiful lakefront home, Grotton doesn’t plan on collapsing on the couch to stare at the forest or lake for days, although she does sometimes pass the time starting at the mural. Grotton wants to sell the home, buy another lot and do it all over again.
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