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A clean getaway: Laundromat owner Scot Sauer with student Tracey Schmitt, surrounded by her artwork

Did you ever walk into a laundromat and wish that you were in the midst of a tropical beach instead? Thanks to Tracey Schmitt, a University art student, now you can have that experience right here in Newark.

Schmitt, a junior visual communications major from Randolph, N.J., recently transformed Surf N' Suds, previously called The Hamper, from an ordinary laundromat into a place where customers are surrounded by palm trees, the bright colors of the ocean and can almost sense a warm summer breeze. Her art department painting professor Robert Straight recommended Schmitt to design and paint the mural inside the Newark Laundromat, located on Elkton Road.

Straight said he suggested Schmitt to paint the mural because she is "dependable, full of energy and personable."

"I believed that she would create a room in refection of herself," he said. "She also has the ability to work on a large scale and could easily paint a commercial setting."

The mural Schmitt designed and painted covers every wall of the store, which is 50 ft. long and 30 ft. wide. She said it was the largest painting she has ever done, and it was also the first time she had ever needed to use a ladder.

"I work big," she agreed, "so my style was perfect for this particular job."

Schmitt said she designed the mural based on what the owner of the laundromat had requested.

With thoughts of the summertime and beaches visited during Spring Break, Schmitt said she painted each wall with a different view, so whether you like jetskiiing, tanning, beach volleyball, swimming or sipping a drink at the "tiki bar," it is all there bordered by clear blue skies.

"He told me to paint something fun and lighthearted and to keep the beach theme to match the store's title. I based my design on that," she said. She began painting Jan. 3 and completed the project Jan. 22.

Schmitt added that, although she wanted to paint something she would love, it was very important to her that the owner and his family would be happy as well. She even incorporated members of his family into the mural by painting portraits of them into the scene.

Scot T. Sauer, Surf N' Suds' owner, said he took over the store last October and wanted to redesign the setting and transform it into a cybercafe/laundromat. When Schmitt first arrived, Sauer said she sketched her ideas on paper and in no time she had designed the whole store.

"She has excellent talent and a unique way of painting," Sauer said. "Everyone who has come in and seen it has complimented us on how beautiful the painting came out. After seeing the mural, one woman even asked Tracey if she could buy her artwork."

Schmitt said the project was a great experience, and she said she continues to gain and improve her skills with each project. Her next project will be painting a mural on the inside walls of "Lettuce Feed You," a restaurant on Newark's Main Street, with Kristen Cahill, junior visual communications major from Moorestown, N.J.

Schmitt's portfolio also includes a painting now hanging in the Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration in New York City. The work is a reflection on the Sept. 11 attack, and the proceeds are being donated to charities, such as the American Red Cross.

Schmitt, the graphic director for The Review, also has illustrated a book and designed the logo of a restaurant in her hometown in New Jersey. Her honors include the Rose Design award, 2-D Art Design award and the Robert Maitner Scholarship.