The Rev Gordon Newton and Glenys Jeff with the mural which she has created at the Beacon Church in Dover
Glenys Jeff is no stranger to designing murals, having worked on art work in other parts of Dover in the past.
When the creation of a new community centre at The Beacon Methodist/United Reformed Church in London Road, Dover took place, a new link way was provided between the centre, called Footprints, and the existing church hall.
And that included a large blank wall.
"Not having painted a large mural for a few years, I was pleased when members of the church showed interest in a mural for the new hallway," said Mrs Jeff.
She gathered some ideas from the Church Council as to what they would like and incorporated them into a small painting, which was agreed upon, and she then started work on the mural itself.
She invited various people to take part, including members of the church, a young man from the Dover night shelter, and people from a Dementia Group which meets in Footprints.
"The mural encompasses God's light shining into the building through the painted central cross and stained glass window," explained Mrs Jeff.
"It also includes two windows looking out onto Dover, incorporating night and day, and past and present.
"The night scene shows a beacon of light shining from South Foreland Lighthouse, with a sunset background, while the day scene depicts Dover Castle in the past, with Bleriot’s plane in the distance.
"Being passionate about wildlife, I couldn't help but paint an assortment of creatures in the mural, including a fox, badger, sheep, butterflies, mice and a spider!
"The painting also includes 'cracked plaster' covering old, rich-coloured rocks, demonstrating how underneath the surface of us all, there is usually something beautiful and strong."
The mural was dedicated by the church's minister, the Rev. Gordon Newton who thanked Mrs Jeff and said all the church members were delighted with the finished work. "It has become a real focal point," he said.
