MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- The newly remodeled Bob Hope Theater at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is getting a final "seal" of approval from the Marines.

San Diego-area artists Kimberleigh and Paul Gavin recently painted a massive Marine Corps seal on the formerly blank west wall on the back of the theater.

"This seal is 40 feet in diameter," said Paul Gavin of the full-color, circular mural. "We aren't 100 percent sure, but this may very well be the largest painted Marine Corps seal in the world."

Originally envisioned by Rick Soule, director, Marine Corps Community Services, MCAS Miramar, the massive seal will represent a vivid landmark unique to Miramar.

"This job is one of our most challenging tasks," said Paul Gavin of painting the large Marine Corps seal. "With multiple exact concentric circles and curved lettering centered 35 feet from the ground, this project requires more exacting procedures than the usual mural grid system.

Another challenge was how to actually work on the wall. The old theater wall and roof prevented us from using both set and hanging scaffolding."

To successfully complete the technical solutions for the job, the Gavins recruited  close friend and fellow artist Phil Tessier. Tessier, a former Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine during the 1960s, helped draw the mural. He is also an accomplished painter and the owner of "Creations Unlimited" based out of San Clemente, Calif. Tessier and his crew, Patty Prather and Jim Carlisle, have created many local San Diego-area signs.

"Phil is a very talented artist and a skilled drawer," said Paul Gavin. "Together we reviewed the design and theater wall, and laid out the technical details to help make this a success. Patty created the full-size cartoons that use the old master fresco method in order to draw the design on the wall. Because scaffolding was not possible in this case, we're using a 60-foot boom. Then we developed a plan to layout and paint in the least possible passes from a single bucket."

Since 1979, Paul Gavin has been painting pictures and air show posters for the military across the country, with work at several Air Force bases, Marine Corps air stations and Naval  facilities. In addition, he began the Miramar Air Show poster tradition in 1994, created the Miramar station logo in 1997 and the San Diego Fleet Week event art.

Painting high above his company's vintage 1951 Ford pick-up truck, Paul Gavin said the completed project took more than 130 hours to draw and paint before making final touch-ups forp completion Sept. 22.

"It was defintely a challenge, and I hope that it endures as a source of pride and inspiration for the Marines," said Paul Gavin.