Vancouver Mural Festival 2021

I was hired to create a mural for the Vancouver Mural Festival at Purebread Bakery, and simply put it was a dream project! The wall is 82 feet long and 15 feet tall and situated along a high-traffic bike lane and pedestrian street, and being my first ever mural project the overwhelm kicked in pretty fast!

The client brief required me to create something interactive that would draw people in and encourage them to take photos against the wall, while adding my own style and interpretation.

The client originally wanted something very interactive that featured a clear spot to take a photo and a hand-lettered element, but after seeing the wall in person I had something quite different in mind. Because the wall was so large and happened to be directly behind a community patio, I felt that creating an atmosphere would be much more effective. After some discussion we agreed on a large floral piece that incorporated an archway and bench, but would also work for people to take photos anywhere along the wall.

My initial designs were inspired by community, biodiversity and the intersection between people and the planet. I used the words “come together” to encourage others to unite and enjoy the company of others, combined wth colourful florals and other natural elements. In my first design I incorporated faces on all of the flowers and insects to further communicate connection and intersectionality. The archway on was intended to be a focal point that would draw the viewer to the bench under the arch and encourage them to take a photo there.

After reviewing the initial designs with the client, they decided they wanted to go with something a little less colourful, more minimal and without any lettering. They gravitated towards the simple, flat Scandinavian inspired illustration style and requested to see something inspired by that particular style. In the end we agreed on a limited colour palette that was still vibrant and bold, and large flowers with two hummingbirds.

A Mural in the Making

The Journey from concept to mural was long and filled with learning curves and challenges, but the client and I couldn’t be happier with the final piece! Many thanks to the friends, family and VMF team who helped me out along the way, as well as so many people in the community who stopped to cheer us on and watch us paint.