This is the latest mural in progress up on Capital Hill in Burnaby.
I worked with the students from Capital Hill Elementary School last week getting them fired up and sharpening their art skills to help paint this mural this week.

The in class session were the most engaging to date. The focus species is absolutely phenomenal with a huge ecosystem impact.

Day 1 painting

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I did a little painting as well

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Day 2 of Student Painting-

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more pics and info about our very special species that this mural is spotlighting coming tomorrow.

This is the North Road mural project (name to be determined). Working with the North Road BIA we invited the students from Burnaby Mountain Secondary School to participate with us in this community project. Based on the banner art that I recently created for the neighborhood we wanted to show the relationship of nature and urban society in the very diverse area known as North Road in Burnaby.

I have been working with the students for the past few weeks (in class) teaching about what it means to be connected to the natural environment, how close nature really is and how we impact it. We have also been doing a lot of artwork, with me teaching a few tips and tricks for good drawing.

This was the wall at the beginning.

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Some students from Burnaby Mountain Secondary who participated in the Art of Empowerment program.

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City of Burnaby Mural Coordinator and good friend Kathy Wipf.

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The amazing Carolyn Orazietti from the North Road BIA. The mural and banner project was her plan, and she made it all happen with incredible energy and finesse. Huge gratitude for this opportunity to meet her and to create this project.

These are banners that that I designed and created for the North Burnaby BIA. The banners are segments of a mural that I painted with the students of Burnaby Mountain Secondary School.
The idea behind the banners and the mural is to show the common environment shared by nature/wildlife and people in an urban setting. The mural is a 120 ft long wall that shows the relationship between people and nature in harmony.

This is a new piece that I have been working on as concept art for a mural we are proposing to paint in August or September on a 200 ft long wall. It has a long way to go, and many steps to get approval but this is a good start.

I traveled to Maui this fall and was blessed with seeing these beautiful creatures up close, and learning about them through the Pacific Whale Foundation. I was deeply inspired by the whales as well as the actions and initiatives of the Pacific Whale Foundation. They are truly doing amazing work in education and conservation of the Oceans.

Stay posted for more updates on the progress of this mural.

I have been blessed with the amazing opportunity to create art in one of my favorite communities.
Strathcona in the downtown east side is one of the neighborhoods that I have felt such appreciation for the murals I have created there. The Strathcona Business Improvement Association and I have been working together on several murals and community projects over the years, so I am honored to have been selected to create their new street banners. These banners are based off of the artwork for a mural that I will be painting in the neighborhood this summer.

This mural is called Orcas in the City. It represents the balance of people and nature and pays respect to these wondrous creatures that share our shores and waters.

Earth Foundation Enviro Murals
Click on the image to have a look at the story of Earth Foundation and lot of pics from our projects!

Forest Grove is an amazing school, and this turned out to be an amazing project. With the leadership of Barb McMahon the school had just completed its own community garden project. All of the children knew all about the value of growing our own food, its health benefits, and its help to the environment so the level of enthusiasm to paint a community garden with ants, birds and pollinators was through the roof. It makes for great painting!

A tough day at the office.

This was our first school project. Like everything we do, lets start big then everything else will seem easy. 600 students and a 110 foot long wall that illustrated the West Coast Temporal Rainforest through the eyes of bees.

This wall was painted in 2009 as one of our first murals

The Art of Empowerment engages young people to discover their talents and use them for something big! We use art and environment as an example of how we can change the world by using the things we love to do and are good at.