Botwood Art Studio 2023

I was invited to participate in the street art festival La Rue in 2023 that the Mural Arts Society in my hometown of Botwood was hosting. I worked alongside three other artists to paint old businesses that used to be popular in town over the course of a weekend. Preserving and celebrating the town’s cultural heritage, the mural serves as both a public artwork and a living memory of the businesses that shaped the community. The finished project was called "Window Shopping" but I was given E. J. Lanning's Art Studio to recreate. I filled the windows with photographs; painting some photos taken by Lanning that locals had found at home, my cats, childhood photos, the view from my house, my girlfriend's cats, a self-portrait I took while making the mural, Banksy's Girl with Balloon, and finally I painted the flying boat that resides on the decommissioned air base to make a connection to the town and other murals. My contribution also included the connecting landscapes and details that tied the overall design together.

Many of the wildflowers and grass along the bottom were painted by local children and volunteers during a community engagement hour.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-47-on-the-go/clip/15998855-botwoods-festival-la-rue-2023

https://www.facebook.com/reel/657664142925024