World's Largest Ball Of Paint

Like Michelangelo and his Sistine chapel ceiling in Rome, fellow artist Michael Carmichael has been working on his masterpiece in Alexandria, Ind., for years.

The house painter returns from work each day to his studio to paint a puzzling spheroid -- over and over.

It started out with Carmichael's baseball. Then, 27 years later, it is covered with thousands of coats of paint.

It's a lot of dedication, as Bill Geist of CBS News Sunday Morning first reported on April 25, 2004. And it's paid off in the world's largest ball of paint. It's probably hitting close to 1,300 pounds.

"Some that know a little bit about art, they do call it an art piece," says Carmichael.

Local critics are impressed. And, unlike Michelangelo's frescoes, Carmichael's work is interactive. It seems like everybody in town has put on a coat or two, from the mayor on down. A couple commemorated their wedding anniversary by painting the ball.

Laura said her son has painted it several times.

"He was three the first time he painted it," says Laura. "My second son has painted it. And my daughter will paint it this year. She turns 3 this year. You have to be 3 to paint the ball."

Painting the ball and getting your name on Carmichael's wall is almost a rite of passage.

"My name is on there," says Laura. "And my maiden name and my married name. My husband's painted it also. My parents have painted it. My sisters have painted it. My brother …"

Ollie's painted the ball, and in return, Carmichael paints her stump.But how and why did this paintball happen?

Carmichael started his first paintball in high school when a baseball accidentally landed in some paint.

"I wrapped a wire around it and just started dipping it," says Carmichael. "It actually weighed 22 pounds. And it had 1,000 coats on it."

And the rest is history.

Carmichael started the world's largest paintball with his son. Twenty-seven years later, father and son are still painting.

Already recognized by "Ripley's Believe It or Not," Carmichael's goal is to have 20,000 coats on the ball and a place in the Guinness World Record.

Even an arborist was called in to take a core sample to prove it's all paint.

Carmichael has an even loftier goal: to draw tourists out to the middle of nowhere to see his big ball of paint.

"People have already come from all over the United States," he says.

Spectators also come from Germany, Australia, Italy, Thailand and other places around the world. Carmichael's wife, Glynda, who's painted 8,000 coats, believes it will be just like the "Field of Dreams."

"If we build it, they will come," she jokes.

Glynda hopes to have a souvenir shop that will sell souvenirs such as T-shirts, the paint chips and more.

Mayor Steven Skaggs is hoping the paintball will revitalize the town. Perhaps, one day, a sign will welcome visitors to town with the words "home of the world's largest ball of paint."

David Steele, who heads the city council and the local Groundhog Society, says the town hasn't received this much attention since a giant hairball was discovered there.

"Something that came out of the sewer," recalls Steele. "It was in the National Enquirer, as a matter of fact. We want to be known as a town of balls."

Recently, the city of Alexandria honored Carmichael.

"The Alexandria City Council recognizes Mike Carmichael and extends thanks and gratitude to him for striving to be a positive influence to humanity around the world," Skaggs said at the ceremony.

Carmichael was cited as an inspiration to young people, young people such as Andy Cunningham.

"If it weren't for hearing about Michael's ball of paint, I would still be sitting in my room doing absolutely nothing," says Cunningham.

Instead, Cunningham is wrapping the world's biggest ball of plastic wrap.

"It's all solid plastic wrap," says Cunningham. "It's about 40 pounds."

For Carmichael, his ball of paint is no longer an oddity in the community.

"For 27 years, I've had the support of my family and friends and neighbors and now I know I've got the support from Alexandria," he said at the ceremony that celebrated his accomplishment. "I want to thank everybody and I appreciate everything everybody has done. I can't believe this happened over a little ball."

Michael Carmichael reckons he probably won't gain the fame and fortune Michelangelo did for painting that ceiling, but he is fine with that.

Carmichael says he just finds joy in seeing people enjoy his paintball.