.jpg)
Arnold Schwarzenegger and his chiseled abs now have a towering presence downtown, thanks to artist Ed Capeau.
Capeau, a Brockton native, has painted a larger-than-life image of the former bodybuilder as a young man on the outside wall of Natural Health Supplements, a health store at 263 Main St.
It’s the latest piece of artwork that is drawing attention to Capeau, 39, who has never had formal training in his field.
“This is really what I love doing, the murals,” said Capeau, of West Bridgewater, while taking a break from working on Schwarzenegger’s face Monday afternoon.
The freelance artist started his own business, Faux by Capeau, in 1999 after spending several years working for paint companies. He said he began painting as a child. At 7, he sold his first pieces of art.
A 1990 graduate of Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School in Easton, Capeau said he became an artist because he “couldn’t sit by a desk” for any other profession.
He has painted several murals across Massachusetts.
In Boston, Capeau said, he donated his time and labor to paint a large underwater mural at Children’s Hospital.
In Fall River, Capeau painted several large murals of 20th century icons on a side wall of Lavoie & Tavares Co. Inc. on Second Street. The wall holds Capeau’s renditions of Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Lucille Ball, John Wayne and Mother Theresa.
“I do it because I love it,” said Capeau, a single father of one.
He uses a 1-inch brush to paint his outdoor murals, which can take four days or longer to complete. He uses exterior house paint, Capeau’s “way of knowing it’s going to last,” he said.
Two years ago, Capeau began doing canvas portraits from his West Bridgewater studio. He said those “sell faster than I can do them.” He also does body art and church restorations.
He grew up on Winthrop Street in Brockton and attended city schools. His father, Edwin Capeau Sr., works as a senior backflow inspector for the Brockton Water Department.
Capeau’s murals will become a familiar sight downtown. He is slated to paint another mural – a large $100 bill – on an outside wall of the Money Market Inc. at 245 Main St.
And, he said, at least two other downtown businesses have approached him to do murals.
“I’ll go anywhere there’s work,” he said.
More information on Capeau’s work is available at www.fauxbycapeau.com.
Maria Papadopoulos may be reached at mpapadopoulos@enterprisenews.com.
READ MORE about this issue.
