I spent about fifteen years of my early artistic career painting more than 125 giant historical murals across Canada and the USA. I used my pen-and-ink style to create visual stories on concrete and brick walls. This mural was painted in Sterling, Illinois - one of four in that city. The locals enjoyed watching the process, and in this case, many elementary school groups dropped by. I always took the time to chat and answer questions - especially with the kids. For this mural, I would ask the kids to tell me their first name, and I would hide it in my painting on the wall. The names are mostly in the shadows. There are more than 150 names in the dark area under the porch. A local sports store owner visited often, and as a nod to him, there is a giant NIKE swoosh just over the DRY GOODS window lettering. Many other things are also hidden through the mural as well, and I believe the mural is still there more than three decades later.
New limited edition print for the Under Hill
Staying at the Hazelnut Inn is a remarkable experience for our guests and not simply a pace to lay one’s head. We work hard to ensure every detail is attended to, and the story driven ambiance both inside and out makes things memorable. Each suite’s fridge is stocked, snacks are at the ready, locally made chocolates are laid out by the pillows. A luxurious bathrobe/cape is hanging by the soaker tub. There is even a carefully measured jar of fish food to feed the koi fish in the pond. And each guest gets to take home a limited edition print themed to the suite they are staying in as a keepsake. The prints are limited to an edition size of only 150 prints which means it was time for me to sign and number the next artwork the guests of the Under Hill will receive.
Waterloo tree
As always, during my drive around southern Ontario, I was constantly on the lookout for reference material for future drawings. It seems the best subjects pop up when it isn’t possible to stop because of narrow shoulders on the road or heavy traffic. When it was safe, I stopped to grab a picture. The night before I headed home, I stopped in a parking lot of a Costco in Waterloo to take a picture of this wonderful specimen. I did most of the drawing on my way home during the airport waits and layovers. It will be a companion piece to the ‘sentinel tree’ I did a week ago.
