Donald McCorkle

A master of many art forms, artist Donald McCorkle is currently exploring a new medium. With no formal training, McCorkle began painting, drawing, and sculpting at an early age and is currently perfecting his craft of 3D murals. These murals are created from basic plaster that he mixes with other polymers and mediums to achieve desired consistency and texture. McCorkle began as a sculptor and went into business for himself in 1987 in Louisiana. He created dramatic signage featuring outsized sculptures of ice cream cones and cowboy boots. He even applied the gold leaf to the cupola on the IBM corporate headquarters in Atlanta. At the time he worked with architectural firms and interior designers; since moving to Tennessee, he works as a freelancer.

His begins his unique art form by “theming,” as he calls it. He can transform a room into anything from Tuscany vineyard to a Gothic castle. After developing a theme, he sketches out the mural and then transfers a full-scale drawing to the wall using a grid. He begins developing the low relief background, building the plaster and material to reach the high relief details of the mural’s foreground. So far, McCorkle has created about two dozen murals, one of which can be seen in the Sevier County Civic Center. The 11’ x 22’ mural depicts a Smoky Mountains scene with a log cabin, wildlife, and native plants. Each mural he creates includes a personal detail.

In addition to murals, McCorkle has created movie props and costume accessories for events such as Renaissance festivals. Walking through his home in Seymour, Tennessee is truly like walking through an art gallery. He has transformed his home using stone work, murals, and intricate details—all created from plaster. For more information on his work, Donald McCorkle can be reached at donaldemccorkle@gmail.com or (865) 908-7493.