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Hobby Shop Wall Features Welcoming Cowboy Mural
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The artist, Cameron ‘CamerSF1’ Moberg, worked with city staff, the Planning Commission, Ichord Dillwood, Rhonda Darling McDonald, and Nancy Podolsky to complete the design going up on the wall of the Hobby Shop on North Yosemite Avenue. Pictured, the artist as he outlined the project with his friend before painting began on Monday, Nov. 9. Photo Contributed

After many months of planning, discussion, and designing, an award-winning Bay Area artist started a traffic-stopping mural on the entire side wall of the Hobby Shop, located at 160 N. Yosemite Ave., Oakdale on Monday, Nov. 9.

The mural should take about a week to complete, said officials, and provides a brief glimpse into all that is Oakdale.

“Our first mural was designed by Cheryl Ichord Dillwood to represent the city of Oakdale situated at the edge of the foothills surrounded by agriculture,” said Nancy Podolsky, one of the founding members of OakdaleARTS, a group that hopes to increase visibility and awareness of art in the community. “A cowboy is featured in the foreground with grazing cattle, a large oak tree, and an almond orchard in full bloom along with ‘Oakdale’ in large western style lettering.”

The artist, Cameron “CamerSF1” Moberg, worked with city staff, the Planning Commission, Ichord Dillwood, Rhonda Darling McDonald, and Podolsky to complete the design with the elements associated with Oakdale.

They went through the process of presenting it to the Planning Commission for discussion and approval. The next task for making the mural a reality was to find a highly qualified muralist to paint the design and a sponsor to fund the project. Moberg was selected to paint this first big mural. Moberg also has a connection to the area as his extended family lives in Modesto so he was already familiar with Oakdale.

Moberg is an artist who designs, paints, and curates murals across the United States. He was also the winner of the 2015 Street Art Throwdown reality TV series filmed in Los Angeles.

Aaron “Fasm” Vickery, an artist from Modesto, came to help his friend Moberg paint the cowboy mural.

Moberg will return to Oakdale soon to paint one of his designs on a wall that has been selected for another project.

Matt Budine of Progressive Dairy Solutions, Inc. stepped forward to generously sponsor the entire first mural project. OakdaleARTS hopes to encourage the arts within the community through education, experiences, and events.

It is their hope this project is the first of many and that Oakdale will feature more murals and visual art.

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The mural as it comes together on the Hobby Shop wall on North Yosemite Avenue. The pink will be covered with white as it becomes part of the almond blossom artistic rendering. KIM VAN METER/THE LEADER