Painting a Walkway Mural for the Clinton Park Field House

I worked on this project along with Frog Hollow's Drive Youth Employment Services. This mural was designed by Calvin Charlie-Dawson, a local indigenous artist. It spans the walkway from the sidewalk to the entrance of the Clinton Park Field House, where Frog Hollow hosts many of its activities.

Stenciling, chalking, and painting.

I took Calvin's digital design and changed the dimensions to fit the site measurements. We projected the edited design on the wall and traced it on to paper to use as stencils. The design is symmetrical both horizontally and vertically, so we could save time by using the same stencils four times each.

Painting on the asphalt came with difficulties like the wind blowing debris on the surface, the time and repetition needed to make a line look crisp on the rough texture, and the sheer volume of paint that the pavement absorbs. Of course, there is always the human limitations of just how long you can handle squatting and crawling around.

Putting on 3+ layers of paint so the design lasts.

We alternated between using small paint rollers to really add volume to large areas, and using brushes to sharpen and reinforce edges. The paint sank into the gravely texture of the pavement so much that the painted areas were significantly smoother than the bare areas. We ended up needing two cans of blue paint for the butterflies.

From first coat to final coat.

The whole process was spread out over four days and we were lucky that the weather was cooperative. It rained the day after we finished and washed away our chalk lines to make the final product look extra sharp.