First-time entrant captures Bridge Day poster contest

Aug. 23—BASE jumpers, those who leap from Buildings, Antennae, Spans and Earth, will be free falling from the 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge on Saturday, Oct. 21 — for a few seconds, at least — before parachutes are deployed.

"Free Falling," the winning entry in the 2023 Bridge Day Poster Contest hosted each year by Bridge Day, West Virginia, depicts BASE jumpers, along with the world-famous New River Gorge Bridge, West Virginia's colorful autumn leaves, rafters and more.

Jill Moles Mullins, a fine arts photographer and artist, created "Free Falling." For her efforts, she will receive a $250 prize from Lost Appalachia Trading Company and have a limited number of her winning poster printed for sale on Bridge Day.

Tim Naylor, executive assistant at the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and New River Gorge Convention & Visitors Bureau, said this week that he was impressed with the quality of entries in this year's poster contest.

"We had some really good entries," he said, "and I want to make sure we recognize Lost Appalachia Trading Company. They offered a $250 prize to the winner, and I think that helped us attract (some good entries).

"The quality was there," he said.

The quality was so impressive that the committee appointed to select the finalists couldn't settle on just three entries as in the past, he explained.

"We had the first and second place selections, but then we had a three-way tie for third place, so we just decided to enter all five."

Over 5,000 people voted in the online contest, "double of what we usually have," Naylor pointed out.

Mullins, who operates Jill Mullins Photography in Clendenin, was very excited by her win in her first time entering the contest.

"I have always had a love of art my entire life," she said. "I started art classes at a young age, around 8. I love drawing with charcoals, and oil painting. With my oil paintings, I've always loved abstract and Picasso's work."

The creation of "Free Falling" was a combination of that love of art and her award-winning photographic skills.

"I combined several of my own pictures to first create the picture. I used a main picture of the bridge, with rafters under it, during a sunset. Then I added the jumpers and high line pictures I took last year during Bridge Day. After the composite was completed, I started applying my artistic techniques to it. I do not use any AI (artificial intelligence) tools, as I want the work to be solely 100 percent mine," she said.

Mullins, who retired after a 36-year career working out of the area in the oil and gas industry, now lives on a 75-acre farm in the Queen Shoals area of Clay County along with her husband, her service dog, Kemper, and a 31-year-old horse.

"I retired early in 2017. I have always had a love of art and photography and now I love the ability of combining the two worlds," she said.

"Most people don't realize when out photographing, we're in the field hours upon hours in all kinds of weather, good/bad. We spend hours traveling, hiking, searching for that special picture to try and capture. I have had a camera in my hand as long as I have paint brushes/pencils.

"Art and photography have always been a passion of mine. I juried into Tamarack Dec. 7, 2018. It was and still is a huge honor and thrill every time my pictures/work are accepted into one of their gallery shows," she said, adding, "I have three pictures in the current show, and one of my pictures scored in the top 20 during Tamarack's Best of West Virginia competition show. That was extremely thrilling!"

Mullins says she'll be on hand at Bridge Day 2023, shooting photos from yet another angle.

"I have a media pass this year and get to be in the boats photographing. Excited to do that! Last year I was on the catwalk under the bridge the entire day."

For more on Mullins, visit www.jillmullinsphotography.com.

For more on the 44th Bridge Day, visit officialbridgeday.com.

— Email ckeenan@register-herald.com; follow on Twitter @Fayette_Cheryl