The muralist of Ives Pool

Danielle Shapona is the volunteer artist behind the colorful collection of creatures decorating Ives Pool

Danielle Shapona at work on a very fishy mural at Ives Pool on a recent Monday morning, after her daily aqua-aerobic workout. (Photo by Mark Fernquest)

Fishy things are happening at Ives Pool in Sebastopol, and people are taking notice.

Lifeguard Catcher Bettinelli spotted them some time ago. “I think they bring character to the place,” he said.

“I’ve noticed them. They always stood out; they’re gorgeous,” said Sebasta-Rosa resident Kat Rowan-Cortright, who frequents the pool with her children.

Kevin Mulligan, a maintenance worker for the City of Sebastopol, said, “Oh, they look really nice. I don’t know who’s doing them, but I really like them.”

The wildly imaginative, aquatic-themed murals appearing around the pool are the work of pool volunteer Danielle Shapona, and while she might not be a professional—err, paid—artist, she has the “touch.”

Shapona, born and raised in San Francisco, owned a barbershop for 36 years at Market and Church until she sold it and, in 2022, moved to Sebastopol to retire. Ives Pool has become a mainstay for her since then. She participates in an aqua-aerobics class every morning and often paints her murals afterwards, using acrylic paint and markers.

She began the project on a whim last August when she decided she wanted to volunteer at the pool and asked Ricardo Freitas, the aquatics director, if she could paint a fish. He thought about it and got back to her with a “yes.”

“I had no idea what was gonna come. He mainly asked for fish and seaweed,” she said.

She finished her first fish, and Ricardo asked her to paint another, then more creatures and more seaweed—even a water dragon. Working during her off hours for nearly a year, the whimsical scenery has now grown to encompass two front windows, two sheds, a shower and the entire row of poles. With any luck, it may include another mural—perhaps on an outside wall—in the near future, though embellishing the outside of the compound would require city approval.

Shapona stands next to the water dragon she painted on a storage shed at Ives Pool. She put metallic cream near its eyes, which shimmers at certain angles. The brass plaque beneath the dragon’s head commemorates Mrs. Katherine Ives of San Francisco, who gifted Ives Park and Ives Pool to the city of Sebastopol in 1941. (Photo by Mark Fernquest)

Freitas, aquatics director for the past 22 and a half years, appreciates Shapona’s artwork and dedication, and feels it enhances the pool environs. “We like to have eyes on our facility,” he said.

Shapona said she had never drawn fish or sea life before she embarked on this project, although art has always been a part of her life.

“I did pen-and-ink drawings,” she said. “I would do clay; I did these little sculpted things. I did a lot of faces that would just morph. I doodle—I make cards for my friends.”

Shapona draws individual cards for her friends using colored markers and also paints what she calls ‘morphing faces.’ She says, ‘A lot of people say they love the eyes.’

A recent visit to Ives Pool found Shapona crouching behind a pole along the north side of the pool, hard at work with acrylic markers in hand. The pole she was working on was the last one not fully painted.

All six of the poles lining the north edge of the Ives Pool have now been painted with Shapona’s colorful aquatic creations. She never knows what she’ll be asked to paint next. (Photo by Mark Fernquest)

“So each [pole] has a big creature and small ones,” she said. “Fish are the main theme, but I had to throw up a dolphin, a shark and then a sea turtle.” She pointed to other poles. “And as I’ve been painting, all the people, the lap swimmers and stuff, have come up to me and said, ‘Oh, this makes me feel happy.’”

The endeavor has proven unexpectedly therapeutic for her.

“[Ricardo] said, ‘Take your time,’ and so it becomes a meditation for me,” she said. “It’s good for my mental health. So not only am I giving this, but I’m getting back equal amounts through the meditative process. And the fact that people are appreciating that.”

When asked what her favorite part of the project is, she answered: “Well, just the creative process; I have no idea what’s gonna come out. You know how some people, some artists, they lay out the plan? None of this was premeditated. It just morphs. And so I’m in a creative flow.”

As she works, she infuses her art with good vibes—sometimes even smearing the paint onto the wood with her hands for maximum effect.

“I believe in positive thinking and prayer,” she said. Her intention is for whoever looks at her artwork to feel the vibes.

“This pool has given me so much; it’s our community,” she said. “I just wait for Ricardo to say, ‘OK, next one.’ He’ll tell me. I’m not trained—this is all out of my own imagination. This is just me saying my prayers.”

To find out more about Ives Pool or make a donation, visit www.ivespool.org.

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