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Murals

6/26/2015

1 Comment

 
I wanted to show some examples of mural painting I have done, so I thought I'd post a few pictures here. Most of these murals were painted over ten years ago - since having kids, I haven't been doing as much of this kind of work. It is fun to look back and see all these different projects now.

This first one shows a large exterior mural I painted for Boardwalk Equities Inc. back in 1999. It is four storeys high and was completed in my free time over the course of a summer. It was the first time I'd done anything like this, and I wish I had had a bit more time to plan a better picture... there are quite a few things I would have done differently about the painting itself! However, it was a learning experience and at least the bright colours have stood the test of time. It's still up there now, all these years later.
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As part of the City of Calgary's Painted Utility Box program, I painted two utility boxes on Elbow Drive in 2012. My son kept me company!
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The picture above has to be my favourite letter panel in the Calgary Alphabet utility box mural. In case you're wondering what kind of Calgary reference this is, it shows Ben Heppner as Captain Ahab in Calgary Opera's 2012 world premiere of "Moby Dick" - but that was obvious, right?

On the left: this the door to Calgary's Campus Preschool in Capitol Hill. I painted the inside and outside of this door, and finished the day before the gigantic flood of June 2013! So this was a rather memorable project for more than one reason.
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I like painting the sky. Here is a mosaic sky mural I painted on a vaulted stairwell ceiling in Strathmore, Alberta, about ten years ago.
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It's a long story, but I also painted a mural in the lobby of the Plaza Theatre in Calgary's Kensington neighbourhood. I never go to the movies anymore, so I haven't been back there in a long time. I wonder if it's still there? Here's the only picture I seem to have of it - a work in progress shot featuring my painting apprentice on the job. She painted the two outside panels and I painted the centre one.
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I've also painted quite a few murals in private homes. Here are two (subjects chosen by my creative clients)
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On the left, one of four exterior panels on the Lake Bonavista Rec Centre in Calgary. This one was my favourite of the four. I had fun painting those panels in a studio I rented in ArtPoint Gallery & Studios a long time back.

As for the monster truck mural - it is not exactly what I think of as "high art," but this little boy was just so happy.
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Campus Preschool Door!

7/15/2013

5 Comments

 
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I got to paint a picture on the inside of their door. That was fun. I'm hoping to paint something on the outside, too. Better get it finished before school starts in September!
Here's something just for fun.

I painted this a little while ago, but didn't get around to posting it because a few things happened (a big flood you may have heard about, among others).

This year my son was fortunate enough to attend the wonderful Campus Pre-School - a parent co-operative program which provides a supportive and fun environment for children (and parents, actually!).

Established in 1965, Campus Pre-School is the longest running preschool in Calgary that is operated as a parent co-operative. The school is located in the basement of the Capitol Hill Community Hall.

Here are a couple of amazing Campus Pre-School teachers, Mary & Heidi!
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By the way: Calgary's Child magazine holds an annual survey in which you can vote for different kids-related products, events, and services in the city. You can vote for the best preschool in town, too. Campus Pre-School consistently scores pretty highly!

You can vote for Campus Pre-School here (it's listed under "Best Support & Education").

School's out right now, though... have a good summer!

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5 Comments

Public Art is Alive & Well

5/12/2013

3 Comments

 
Last week, I walked from the East Village over to Bridgeland on the other side of the river. Before I crossed the bridge, I noticed this (I later stole this photo, which was posted here on Twitter):
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Meanwhile, some noted Calgary observers were discussing this same subject on Twitter:

Jeremy Klaszus ‏@klaszus The weird East Village decals of people in water are being removed—on this pier at least #yyc

Zoey Duncan ‏@zoeywrites @klaszus Looking forward to whatever replaces them. They weren't terrible, but certainly weird.

Aaron Stayner ‏@BigtimeYYC
@zoeywrites @klaszus Thank goodness, never cared for those.

Aaron Stayner ‏@BigtimeYYC
@zoeywrites @klaszus Besides we need something colourful under those bridges. Grey and white didn't cut it. 

Jeremy Klaszus ‏@klaszus
@BigtimeYYC @zoeywrites They were, uh, different. I agree — something with colours would be good there!

Well, I kept on walking over the Langevin Bridge. And when I got to the other side, I found myself underneath the enormous grey concrete flyover. Here's how it looks:
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Thousands of people drive under it every day, and numerous Calgarians also walk, jog, bike, wait for the lights to change, stop at Starbucks, and fill up their cars... UNDER IT.
I used to live in Bridgeland, and I still have the same whimsical thought I had then: THIS is the spot that's crying out for a mural!!!

Just take a look at the flyover, and then imagine all that grey concrete covered with something like Dean Stanton's fabulous colourful Sunalta School mural (right).

I'm looking forward to the new RiverWalk public art. But if I can ever figure out a safe way to do it, I'd love to propose a colourful facelift to the underside of the flyover.
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And this has nothing to do with the flyover, but it's just something else I noticed as I walked along McDougall Road in Bridgeland. A house with a lovely frosted-glass pattern on its window... and a garden-implement-inspired gargoyle keeping watch. Whatever happens along the RiverWalk, I think public art... of one variety or another... is alive and well in Calgary's inner city.
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Mural Painting Alphabet

11/1/2012

1 Comment

 
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Well, since I've been thinking about alphabets, I thought I'd post one more - an old one. In 1999 I painted a large mural on the wall of a Calgary office building. I hired my brother's friend to help me. This was one of the most enjoyable summer jobs either of us ever had. Here's my alphabet-style "graphic recording"  of the work. It never was coloured in completely, but maybe I'll get around to doing that one of these days.

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"A was an Author who went for a walk..." was the Edward Gorey alphabet that inspired this one.
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    sam hester

    I am a graphic recorder based in Calgary. I like local stories. I write comics when I have free time. And I leave eraser shavings everywhere I go.

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    my website

    www.the23rdstory.com started as a blog and now includes some information about my graphic recording practice as well.

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