Large-scale works can lift a mood, promote healing or create a sense of wonder
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A mural can tell a story, lift a mood, promote healing or create a sense of wonder, whether it’s a 30-foot tribute to Jimi Hendrix on the side of a building or a gaggle of dinosaurs on a child’s bedroom wall.
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Local artists who create those beautiful large-scale murals that are popping up everywhere are also being commissioned to work in private residences. Muralists like Erica Phillips, who founded her business Phil Phil Studio in 2016, curates mural art for all spaces.
“My favourite ones are nurseries; probably because I have a soft spot for little ones being added to a family. I love that people want to incorporate their story and personality into that space,” says Phillips, a graduate of Emily Carr University of Art and Design. “It’s an opportunity to create a wholistic environment for a little one to expand their imagination.”
A beautiful mural can be a safer option in a nursery as it “can’t fall off the wall,” she adds.
The custom mural is perfect for compact condos and small rooms such as a bathroom. By creating an optical illusion, it can draw the eye outward adding depth to the space.
“So many people my age live in such small spaces, they want something that’s unique and fills it well but at the same time, doesn’t take up a lot of room,” she says.
Phillips often starts with a sketch or a picture that the homeowner has provided, which is then scaled up or down. As a highly customized item, a mural provides more value and meaning to the homeowner than wallpaper, as beautiful as wallpaper can be.
“Some of the nursery murals we’ve done includes special imagery. In a collage, we included a boat that belonged to a grandfather and a mountain based off Mount Assiniboine where the family has special memories together. I love that we can share family stories through art and create an immersive experience for little ones,” she explains.
Claire Ouchi and Rachel Rivera, the creatives behind Vancouver design agency WKNDRS have worked with interior designers to create magic for local homeowners looking for originality in their homes. They have also produced nursery murals, creating a watercolour dinosaur mural in which they hid gummy bears. Another whole-room mural was to compliment a skate park bed that was created by “the coolest mom ever,” says Rivera.
“We love to hear what’s important to people,” she says. “Usually, it’s a feeling. We take those and make something exciting.”
Ouchi and Rivera have done corporate murals designed to energize staff about to enter a boardroom or calm them down in the employee lounge.
While outdoor murals are painted every colour of the rainbow, Phillips notes that the clients she’s worked with are happy with more muted colours that blend into their environment.
“The texture and the shape would stand out, but most don’t want the mural to be too over stimulating,” she says.
Rivera and Ouchi use interior or exterior house paints, depending on the application. A trip to the hardware store always elicits comments about their multiple colour selections.
“They want to know what we’re painting, like, what kind of house would need all this colour,” Rivera says with a laugh.
Phillips’ fondest wish is for people to embrace murals and consider painting their fences and garage doors. Even a mural on the front of a house would be a dream project of hers.
“Especially people on the West Coast. We have such dreary, dark winters. Let’s have fun,” she says.