Huamei Bond International School (Guangzhou) grade 11 mural project

This was a class project that took a lot longer than expected. It was a HUGE project, and we got it done, but just in the nick of time! The semester ended and we were still adding in finishing touches. It wasn’t the easiest project I have worked on, but the one that I think taught me the most. Finished June 2023.

Happy Kids’ Recess Room/Library Mural

This piece was done for a school in Taiwan called Happy Kids that I was fortunate to work at for 3 years.  It was at first only supposed to be a tree, but then Mrs Wang requested some magic!

Bee detail.  Some of the kids were calling them flying eggs haha!

 

Bramalea Community Health Centre Welcome Room and Dental Clinic

This has been an ongoing commission over the years, with my most recent installment being this past fall.  I started doing canvas paintings for them in 2008, which led to a mural on their Health ‘N Smiles dental clinic, which led to my last installment – large paintings on board (some of which are below, some are still in progress).  Thank you to Chezlie Alexander and Mayo Hawko for allowing me the privilege of doing this work.

This painting was inspired by a photo taken by my friend Zoi Ellis.

 

 

Another photo taken out of context.  A photo of a friend with her daughter in her living room became a painting of her in Banff, Alberta.

Two photos merged into a family setting in the park.

  

 

Community Murals

Leslieville – This is OKOK Restaurant patio on Queen St E, Toronto, and it was done by a FANTASTIC team of high school students and myself, out of the Ralph Thornton Centre.  This project went so smoothly it was almost surreal, and I worked with the most dedicated and talented young artists I have met so far.  I was the “director” – but only in name – the kids were the stars of that show from start to finish!

Rohan, Julian, Beth, Graem, Keely.  Superstars.  Bom.

 

Por Amor Community Projects Mural – 4301 Kingston Road, Scarborough

Of all the projects I have done, this one is closest to my heart.  I love this neighbourhood (I spent much of my life there), and the kids were amaaaaaaaazing.  There was a different group each year, with a few returnees, and each year they came back ready and willing to go the distance to get it done.  Only a few of them were artists or even liked art, but they WENT IN…and got it done like no one’s business!  The feedback we got while painting there was very positive, and the kids really got the community talking (about how proud they were of them!).

You know that long stretch of fence right after Galloway on Kingston, by 4301?  No?  Well anyway, after years of seeing it blank and wanting to paint it, suddenly Por Amor (http://www.poramor.ca) hired me to help paint a mural on that same fence!  Here are shots of us working on it over the years – it literally took 3 summers to do, it was that huge a project.  Started as part of Amnesty International’s Project Urban Canvas.