stairway to Ocean

HOME: A Stay-At-Home Mural Festival for the Planet | april 2020 | ~10’ x 8’ | acrylic paint

This mural was created in my own personal stairway at home for an art challenge! I was glad to pick up my paintbrushes again for the world's first stay-at-home environmental mural festival: HOME. Organized by Pangeaseed, Seawalls, Alternative Arts Initiative, and Whanganui Walls to unite creatives around the world in order to give our planet an artistic voice. In response to COVID-19, and in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, I was super excited to join this project along with OVER 800 ARTISTS IN 60 COUNTRIES who participated!!! Together, we transformed drab white walls at our unique homes into visionary canvases for a brighter future.

There's a lady who's sure, All that's plain needs colour, And she's painting a stairway to Ocean.

This was a pretty spontaneous project and so I had to quickly whip up a design to paint that matched the Earth Day theme. I decided to go with some organic and whimsical shapes I had been playing with at the time that were inspired by Czech folk flowers. The array of vibrant colours came from my supply of paint already at home, which was also part of the challenge. I guess time constraints and limitations can be a good thing when there is a potential of unexpected and magical results. I ended up loving the colour palette and proud of myself for going with something so bold and out of my comfort zone.

Texture & drybrush painting

I love the texture in this piece that was created by lots and lots of loose brush strokes and a special painting technique. I have been wanting to try out drybrushing for awhile and this was the perfect time. Drybrush is painting with a relatively dry brush and a bit of paint, resulting in brush strokes that have a scratchy look, opposite of the usual smooth appearance of blended paint. It makes for a super interesting background. I almost left my mural with just the painted background because I thought it looked so cool.

“Now, more than ever, it is clear that environmental and human health is one. In a time of isolation and uncertainty, apart we are still together. Art and creativity are critically important tools that can unite, inspire, and amplify important messages to the masses. Together, via art and activism, we can be the change we want to see in the world.” Learn more about this project here.