Mid-Prairie High School hawk repainted

WELLMAN - Craig Jacobo said he has no idea how old he was when he started drawing on walls.

But the Burlington-based artist continues to hone his craft at high schools all over Eastern Iowa.

'I do some beginning sketches to get the idea,” Jacobo said, but after that, 'it is all free-hand.”

Often, Jacobo said his work at one school leads to an offer to paint elsewhere.

Jacobo was recently at Mid-Prairie High School after the school's principal, Jim Cayton and activities director, Steve Hollan saw Jacobo's rendition of Wapello High School's mascot, the Indians.

Jacobo set a tent up in the high school concession area and went to work painting the school's mascot, a hawk, on the walls in the gym.

'They offered to arrange and pay for a motel,” he explained, 'but then I would have worked certain hours, then gone and just been at the motel.”

Jacobo said he often starts his work late in the day and works through the night.

Although Jacobo is known for painting walls, Jacobo said he 'will paint anything: motorcycles, race cars. You name it.”

Jacobo said there was a possibility he would do some work at Mid-Prairie's middle school. He said he also may do some work in West Liberty.

In other areas, he said he has painted at elementary schools, 'but, with the young students, it has to be a little different.” For example, the fierce Danville bulldogs became puppies at the elementary school.

When he learned that Washington, Iowa's mascot is the demons, Jacobo said, 'That I would like. I can do a great demon.”

Besides painting, Jacobo said he works seasonally on construction jobs, but vastly prefers doing walls.