MINOT, ND ( KXNET ) — The Roughrider Arena at the State Fairgrounds is getting a facelift, courtesy of a nationally known watercolor artist.

Nancy Balyeat says she’s been painting since she was 16 years old.

She’s currently in North Dakota painting a mural on the Roughrider Arena, where kids show livestock like cattle, goats, dairy, and pigs.

She says that State Fair leaders asked her to paint this mural and make it a special part of North Dakota’s scenery.

After working on the background for four days, she says she’s now switching to the foreground.

Balyeat further states that painting on metal is always a challenge — not only does the metal itself warp the image, but the paint dries much faster in the heat, which results in a fairly hectic process.

“I need to get down, get back, and look at what I am doing,” she explained, “and then run back up and then sit down. I have to go back and forth to actually see what I’m doing.”

She adds that her favorite part of the entire process is meeting people, and plans to finish the mural on Saturday.

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