With the sun beating down on her, Patti Gillespie continues work on Atmore’s newest addition.

Gillespie is painting a 12-foot-by-30-foot mural on the side of the Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce’s building along Ridgeley Street as a part of the chamber’s art walk.

Gillespie, of Niceville, Fla., said the mural is going to highlight what’s important to Atmore and the revitalization of the downtown area.

“And of course it’ll have a blend of what made Atmore great in the past and what’s to come in the future,” she said.

Gillespie said she received feedback from merchants about what Atmore was. She said her best comment was that the city’s future are its children.

“I wanted to incorporate the children,” she said.

The mural, she said, is expected to be complete by the end of this week. Her completion goal is Aug. 15.

The mural has “ATMORE” written in big, block letters. There is a big red heart pointing to Atmore on a map of Alabama. The hashtag #DiscoverAtmore is featured on the mural as well.

Inside of each letter, different images from around town will be painted within, including the city scape logo, the silos, cotton farming, a white church, the train depot and strand theatre, she said.

Additionally, Gillespie said she is going to incorporate the Poarch Creek Indians on the mural.

Gillespie has been around art since she was a child.

Recently, she received her bachelor’s degree at the University of West Florida, and is about to begin earning her master’s degree.

Gillespie said she started painting murals in Iowa for a historical society there, and her reputation has spread by word of mouth.

For more information on Gillespie and to view her work, visit www.pattigillespie.com.