Arlington Heights artist visits beloved Ivy Hill school mural one last time

Back when she was in first grade, people didn't believe Zoe Portnov when she told them her dad painted the huge mural inside Ivy Hill Elementary School.

She convinced them only after pointing out her dad's signature in the bottom right corner of the 45-foot painting, underneath the big blue lake and blue sky of the mural depicting a sunny day at the Arlington Heights school.

Now 21, Zoe and her sisters, 18-year-old Olivia and 15-year-old Melanie, returned to their former school on Wednesday with their father, Sasha Portnov, for one final look at a work of art that's remained close to their hearts over the years.

With enrollment at the school growing, Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 is expanding the building this summer to add 10 more classrooms. The work will require removal of the mural Portnov painted in 2000.

"It's a great honor to do something like that for the community," he said. "I would do this again in a minute. In a second."

His opportunity to paint the mural came through a neighbor who was a member of Ivy Hill's PTA. The organization wanted to provide Ivy Hill students with a more visually stimulating common area and a chance to see an artist at work, as Portnov spent five months painting the wall.

Portnov, who emigrated from the former Soviet Union after attending a special school for artists, has been painting since he was 6 years old. He hoped to pursue a career in art but ended up as an electronic engineer because that's what paid the bills, he said.

But he never stopped painting.

"Our house is his pallette," said his wife, Janet Portnov.

When they approached Portnov about the mural, PTA members knew they wanted the mural to include a tree, the school and nearby Lake Arlington. Portnov said "it was quite fun" to creatively weave together those elements and many more.

The mural also became a source of motivation for its artist. After creating and painting the 45-foot design all by himself, Portnov said he figured he could take on anything.

For his daughters, the mural became a daily reminder of their father and their home. Many of their class pictures from elementary school are in front of the mural.

Portnov said he's happy people enjoyed his art over the years, but "it's outlived its life."

"It's just one of those things," he said. "I'm really just happy that people liked it."