ASHDOWN, Ark. — Art Pletcher is helping the image of Ashdown, Ark., by repainting the town and creating a mural downtown.

The mural has become a painted memoir of Ashdown and Little River County, depicting scenes of the Little River County historic courthouse and the driving economic forces of a railroad engine, forests and cotton.

Little River County Courthouse, in Ashdown, has been the county seat since 1905. The county records were moved to Ashdown in 1906, and the present courthouse building was constructed in 1907.

Two Rivers Museum has also won a state historical award for a small community museum.

Pletcher has the skills and the name-Art-for creating the mural.

Pletcher is painting the mural freehand on the west wall of the museum at U.S. Highway 71 and Main Street in downtown Ashdown.

The downtown renovation includes replacing the sidewalks with bricks and improving the drainage, the Texarkana Gazette reported (http://is.gd/OOmxMm).

Volunteers will paint an additional block of downtown buildings.

Pletcher was selected by the Domtar Community Advisory Team, which includes volunteers from the paper mill and the community.

Domtar is paying half of the costs for the mural, and donations will pay the remainder.

Pletcher has created about 150 murals and about 500 portraits.

He started painting portraits when he was 12 years old, and he is now 54. He started creating murals about 16 years ago.

"The mural provides visual impact and reflects the mood and atmosphere of a town," Pletcher said.

Before he started painting the mural, Pletcher created a 3-D image on the computer and provided options for the committee to consider.

The computer images of the Ashdown mural are posted on his Website faceandwall.com/ashdown-mural.

Pletcher paints freehand and uses the bricks as a grid.

"It's a skill I've developed by lots of practice and experience. I use the vanishing point where the view of the mural narrows. It converges to a point on the wall," he said.

The method gives the train an appearance of coming out of the wall.

Pletcher's career started when he was asked to paint a portrait of a friend's father, who had died.

He has continued to paint memorial portraits.

"I was really born to do this. I will stay up all night painting portraits. I don't charge until the family is satisfied," Pletcher said.

"I am more of a servant than an artist. I wish to paint what is in your heart," he said.

A man requested a portrait of his wife and son, who had died months apart from cancer.

"Each day, the man kisses the portrait," Pletcher said.

Another man had a small portrait painted of his wife and had it placed in a locket, which he attached to a necklace he wears daily.

Pletcher has also painted portraits of infants and deceased people with Jesus or an angel in the portrait.

"It's sad, but it's joyful and fulfilling. It's also therapeutic for the families," Pletcher said.

The mural will take about four weeks to complete.

"The town deserves a good painting. Everyone has been so nice and sweet. That's not always the case in some towns," Pletcher said.

When the mural is completed, it will bring back memories.

Information from: Texarkana Gazette, http://www.texarkanagazette.com