Mural grabbing attention in Fond du Lac

FOND DU LAC - Fond du Lac High School has students with a wide range of talents, athletes, intellectuals and artists. But few will make an impact as sizable as senior David Nett.

"I've never done anything this big," Nett said of his recent art project. "It was quite scary to go through the planning process and really figure out that this head is going to be three feet across."

Nett usually works on a smaller scale, but last week completed a science-themed mural on the high school walls. The project took him roughly 100 hours.

"Dec. 14, we painted this black and by Feb. 14 I was finishing up the end down there," Nett said pointing towards his creation.

The project was inspired by one of his drawings: an image of Albert Einstein his physics teacher fell in love with.

"I asked him if I could buy a copy of it and thought he would be the perfect person, not only because of his artistic ability but also his work ethic," teacher Danielle Joslin said.

The perfect person to fill one of the school's blank walls with the inspiration and accomplishments of famous scientists.

"I really like working with acrylic because I can control the way the paint gets laid," Nett said of his medium of choice.

He began with Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei. Isaac Newton posed the first real challenge.

"It is so big and there's a lot of detail in the face and the nose," Nett explained.

He moved in chronological order, starting small, then painting larger to symbolize the growth of knowledge. Staff at the school say it was fantastic to watch.

"David really just went to the highest degree with this mural from the very beginning," art teacher Lisa Birschbach said.

Nett finished the mural with James Watson and Francis Crick, scientists who made important discoveries about DNA. Nett even worked his own signature into the DNA code.

"It's a masterpiece," Joslin said. "The details that he's put in and the accomplishments that he's put in the background really make it a piece of art."

One the school and its students will enjoy for years to come.