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By Chase Davis

As residents and visitors alike visit the LaGrange Art Museum, they may notice some exciting new additions to the front walls.

Dennis E. Bugg is currently painting a new mural, aptly named “Beautiful Birds of Georgia.” This mural will feature ten different birds that are native to Georgia, including the red-headed woodpecker, the great horned owl, the goldfinch and several others. While not painted yet, the last bird of the mural will be an American Bald Eagle, which will span over 13 feet in length.

Bugg, a local artist from Pine Mountain, said that he has a deep appreciation for bird watching and has always wanted to paint a bird mural.

“Since I was little, I always loved insects and birds. I just completed a project with the LaGrange Housing Authority in their wellness center that featured insects,” Bugg said. “When the ladies at the Art Museum approached me about a mural here, I said, hey, I’ve always wanted to do birds, let’s go for it.”

According to Bugg, each of the birds takes about 15 hours to paint on average. “Every bird is like its own mural, so it’s really a ten-part project,” Bugg said.

As of late May, six of the ten birds have been completed, with the remaining four are set to be done by the end of June.

Bugg hopes the mural will show a new kind of bird-watching via art and helps express a keen awareness and appreciation for birds, their well-being and their invaluable relations to humans.

For those interested in looking at more of Mr. Bugg’s work or in contacting him for a potential contract, visit his website at www.bugg.life.