Emily Paine Carter

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First, I'll try to stem my usual tide of words, to hold back that ocean. ... OK, you catch my drift: This painting deserves a big, fat photo.

You might recognize Ellen Bowen's name from a 2007 column on students studying overseas. The 2004 Salem High School graduate returned from Bath, England, and will earn her College of William and Mary degree this year (she's the rare person whose "art minor" achievements could eclipse her business major).

It took a call from retired Salem City Manager Randy Smith, urging me to come see Ellen's "amazing" mural on his and wife Vickie's basement wall. (Ellen herself is "way too humble and publicity-shy," noted her mom, Kathy Bowen.)

"It's SO much better than we ever could have imagined," Randy said. "Such detail!"

The retired couple -- Vickie, from Appalachian Power -- had simply wanted to brighten a play area for grandkids Noah, 4, and Solomon, 1½. "We knew they'd be visiting us more," said Vickie, "since Allison [Randy's daughter with first wife Joyce Miller] and Greg [Carroll, her husband] moved closer, to North Carolina.

"And Tori [Vickie's daughter] and her husband, Allen [Hayes], will eventually have children," she continued. "Our upstairs is not kid-friendly; we didn't want to keep telling the kids, 'No, don't touch!' So, this play area."

Randy recalled murals on brick walls of Salem and Roanoke businesses. "So we asked this girl from church [Salem Presbyterian] about painting one on our concrete wall."

When Ellen delivered her perfect, to-scale drawing, they were dazzled, said Vickie. Ellen had noticed their fondness for water: They have snorkeled in Florida and the Virgin Islands. Vickie said Randy has even swum with manatees -- and, through singer Jimmy Buffett's Save-a-Manatee program, has "adopted" ones for everyone in the house.

Indeed, as Vickie observed, viewing the detailed latex painting is like walking into a scuba adventure. It seems 3-D. Ellen said she liked walking into the three-sided space. The mural is 21 feet wide and 8 ¹₂ feet tall.

She spent almost all of her Christmas break painting the scene -- considerably bigger than her previous "big" (32-inch-by-34-inch) work. At Salem High she mostly worked with acrylics; at college, oil.

This was fun, Ellen said -- although she enjoyed little breaks each time the Smiths came down to peek at her progress. "We tried not to bother her," said Vickie.

Vickie added that the mural really fits their desire for art that children could appreciate now and also as they grow older. Glinting water, a smiling manatee, starfish ... what's not to love? Even the octopus seems to beckon to its "garden" -- like the Ringo Starr song.

The mural so inspired the Smiths that they booked a sunny island trip with Buzzy and Donna Powell.

Ah, for a Beatlesque "Yellow Submarine" escape: a lovely thought on a frigid day, when, uh, "some of us" even delight in a hot flash. ... But until my ship comes in, the Smiths could tide us over with a beach party celebrating Ellen's evocative mural. Sandals, dancing, a dusting of sand. ...