If artist Bill Mitchell hadn't rolled his car, damaged his spine and wound up in a wheelchair, he says he might never have found his life's work - decorating the buildings of Anacortes, Washington, with pictures of people and scenes from the past.

The entire town of Anacortes has become Mitchell's canvas, and its history his subject and his passion. Mitchell began the work in 1984 and the murals keep coming. To date there are more than 100.

Descended from one of the town's pioneer families, Mitchell brings people of the past back to life in his nearly-life-sized depictions - taken from vintage photos of everyday people of Anacortes doing the things they did every day, and going back a century or more.

You can discover the murals spontaneously just by walking through town, or take a more structured tour by picking up a guide at the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce Visitor's center at 819 Commercial Avenue.

A guided tour by the artist himself is also possible, and it's a tour worth taking. Mitchell is a fund of local lore, and his home studio is filled with fascinating memorabilia, as well as work in progress. Tours are available by prior appointment and may be arranged by calling the studio between noon and 8 p.m. at 360-293-3328. Mitchell does not currently have E-mail. Everything is wheelchair-accessible, of course, and payment for a guided tour is by donation. Sorry, no dogs.

For a great photo tour of mural project highlights, here's a link RV Trekker found to a full-time RVing couple, the TrailerGypsies, who took a their own tour of the Anacortes art.