Artist Bob McKay is creating a new mural at the Maine State Aquarium in Boothbay Harbor.

McKay, known for his nautically flavored paintings, is depicting Boothbay's rocky coastline. From ubiquitous lighthouse landmarks on Burnt Island, Ram Island and the Cuckold's; the islands of Squirrel, Damariscove, and Harbor toward Spruce Point, vessels ranging from lobster boats, sport fishing boats, and the Schooner Eastwind; to wildlife including an osprey and its (almost life-sized) nest; seal and a pine forest area and fully detailed ocean.

The concept and layout was completed on gridwork, a necessary tool in determining the horizon line, and to get the subjects to scale with one exception: Burnt Island Lighthouse. McKay gathered photographs or other images to ensure all the right details for the islands, boats, wildlife and lighthouses.

Speaking of proportion, the mural is 16 feet high by 40 feet long. McKay's largest canvas. Intimidating? Sure was, he said. But, McKay, illustrator, children's author (“Percival the Lighthouse Mouse”), and artist, is a man who enjoys a challenge.

“I've raced cars and gone skydiving,” McKay said. “If you don't sit in that driver's seat, you'll never race; if you don't jump out of a plane, you never will.

“Life is too short too be bored.”

The size of this “canvas” has provided his latest challenge. Being up on scaffolding and 10-foot ladders makes it a tad difficult to judge proportion and size — it's not as though you can step back.

McKay has approached the mural like he approaches his fine art: it's realistic, yet impressionistic.

“I'm applying almost same principle here as I did with my 6-7-foot tall posters for the Franklin Mint Museum in the 1980s — over 100 illustrations,” McKay said. “The highest part the images are big, but as you worked lower on the poster, it was more detailed, and about the visual height of a child. This is kind of the same principle here. That was probably good groundwork for this!”

Calculating the light source was a high priority, just as it is when an artists' brush first meets canvas, indoors or out. The lighting in the aquarium is in the form of spotlights grouped together, allowing for some play in positioning. And, when the natural light pours through the skylight, it acts as a spotlight, like the sun at midsummer: high and in back of you.

When McKay learned he had been selected for the project, he was pleased. Then he took a ride over to look over the space.

“I knew I could do it, but I was getting very scared at first ... I remember thinking 'this is really big.’” McKay said with a chuckle. “Once I had it all drawn out, I sat down and starting thinking about how I had to put color on it. I started with the lighthouse (Burnt) and all of a sudden it started coming together.

“The rubble stone wall looked like a rubble stone wall, same with the clapboard and wood shingled roof. The more I painted, the more fun it became and I didn't want to go home!

McKay is using about a dozen different water-based exterior paints applied with six brushes of varying sizes, from artist's oil brushes to 3 and 4-inch house painting brushes. He is also using an airbrush to achieve just the right gradation of sea and sky.

Readers familiar with his Percival book will be delighted to know he will be finding just the right place for the little mouse in the mural. Just look for him around the Burnt Island lighthouse.

The first mural was painted by Jim Booker, then an employee at the Department of Marine Resources (DMR). Booker worked for Education Director Elaine Jones at the time. Jones is very familiar with McKay's artistic talents; he has been a volunteer for Burnt Island, along with his equally talented wife, Jean, since he retired in 1990.

“Bob can give the mural local flavor because he lives here,” Jones said. “I'm sure it will be wonderful, and take us through the next 20 years.”

For more information on McKay, visit robertbmckay.com. To see 21 of his recent works, take in his show at the Damariscotta River Grill on Main Street in Damariscotta now through mid-March.