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Ray Bartkus Paints Mural Upside-Down So It Reflects Off Water
Take a look at this mural's reflection.
Morgan Slimak
01.25.19

One of the defining factors that makes a great artist is the ability to find new and interesting ways to make their creations unique, and no one is better at this than Lithuanian artist Ray Bartkus. Recently, he found a way to do something really cool as part of a mural he was painting along the Šešupė River. Once you check out the photos, you will quickly understand why the stunning work got so much attention.

Bartkus was determined to use the natural features in the area as part of his mural and he came up with a creative idea. He decided to paint the whole thing upside-down.

While the designs of the mural appear quite simple at first, the real magic comes to life when you see the reflection on the river. On a nice calm day is the best time to go check it out.

Ray Bartkus
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Ray Bartkus

Reflected off the dark waters are a whole mix of interesting scenes. We see swans swimming, dolphins jumping, as well as people leisurely enjoying various aquatic activities. Two men paddle along in a kayak, one man is swimming, and for another person, all that can be seen is their legs. They appear to be diving headfirst into the cool waters. It is really a very interesting concept.

The slight ripples even give the impression of movement. Just taking a casual glance at the scene, you might have to have a second look before you would realize that it is actually all just an illusion.

Although, on some days, the images show up better than others.

Ray Bartkus
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Ray Bartkus

Sometimes when there is too much wind, all you can really see are blurs. In the photo above, the full magic isn’t immediately apparent and it’s certainly much harder to tell exactly what is going on.

It’s obvious, however, that the whole process definitely required a lot of prior planning.

Ray Bartkus
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Ray Bartkus

Here we can see when it was all still just a work in progress. Bartkus had to set up numerous scaffolding structures outside the building in order to access the giant canvas and get the job done.

It must have taken several days at least to complete.

Ray Bartkus
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Ray Bartkus

We imagine that much consideration was given as to how the sun and light would fall on the structure, as well as the weather patterns in the area.

Without the beautiful reflection on the river, the mural appears like nothing more than a bunch of upside-down shapes on a blue background.

Ray Bartkus
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Ray Bartkus

Finally a photo of the man himself, Ray Bartkus.

After getting an up close and personal look at him working away like this, it becomes much easier to appreciate the amount of talent it took to create the work and the actual scale of the project.

The amazing detail involved in every brushstroke is incredible, and the whole concept is really just downright cool. It’s definitely something worth celebrating.

He didn’t do it alone, however. Photos from his website show that he also had some help with the mural from a whole crew of other young artists.

Ray Bartkus
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Ray Bartkus

At the end of the day, though, Bartkus is still the lead artist and mastermind behind the beautiful mural, and it will definitely be exciting to see what other new creative ideas he incorporates into his art in the future.

Ray Bartkus currently lives in New York City, and his work has been featured at several exhibitions and festivals across the United States and Europe.

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Ray Bartkus
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Ray Bartkus

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