A clever coyote with a hammer in its mouth. A nosy quail perched on a toolbox. A 1940’s Packard entering the valley. These are notable details in the newest addition to the ‘Oasis of Murals’ in Twentynine Palms at the recently renovated Desert Ace Hardware.
Store owner, Janet Kodish, says about eight years ago, she honored the request of a longtime customer, artist David Greene, to paint a roadrunner with a nut and bolt in its mouth on the corner side of the building in exchange for an air conditioner.
In the years since, Greene would pitch mural ideas to Kodish. When he submitted the mural sketch months ago, Kodish asked Greene to add the 1940s-era Packard to honor her parents, Sam and Harriet, and their 1953 arrival in the Morongo Basin.
“First of all, I’m thrilled that David has been a customer for so long. I mean, we’ve had this relationship and I’ve been following his work for so long and I’m thrilled that he was excited about doing a mural for us and this project came together, and we were able to make it happen,” said Kodish. “It’s a very sweet mural for the store with all these coyotes holding hammers in their mouths and desert animals doing whimsical things with tools. I hope that it will be a wonderful addition to the community because that’s what we’re hoping for.”
The mural covers three street-facing garage doors; each panel is approximately 18’ wide by 16’ tall. Based in Wonder Valley, Greene has completed both small-scale and large-scale creations since moving to the area 17 years ago. (He assisted artist, Chuck Caplinger, and his wife, Holgie, in restoring the town’s beloved Desert Storm Homecoming mural in 2020.)
As for the mural’s cheeky design, Greene felt it was important to combine hardware and desert wildlife. “I like tying in historic and natural elements that tie the scene into the locality that it’s in,” said Greene. Perks of the seven-day project included easy access to paint. “If needed more paint, could just walk into the store and have Crystal mix up the colors for me,” said Greene.
Greene, who also painted a water tower at the Glass Outhouse to resemble an old-school Pepsi can, noted that a large-scale rendering like a mural can become inextricably tied to its location. “It’s like a tattoo for your property,” he said.
Greene will officially sign the mural this Saturday, November 23, as Desert Ace Hardware (5152 Adobe Road) hosts their third annual ‘Thanksgrilling’ event at 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The free event will offer smoked turkey, side dishes (corn pudding!), kids crafts, adoptable dogs, and a raffle for the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots drive. Bring a toy or make a cash donation to become eligible for winning the grand prize: a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker.
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