Scott Clark - MURAL PROJECTS

The majority of murals you will see below were created and designed while I was an artist in residence for Antyx Community Arts from 2000-2011, a non-profit organization. Working on these community murals has given me a solid understanding of the process, preparation, materials, and timeline required to succeed. Collaborating with a wide assortment of people and artists over the years has allowed me to watch the collective vision unfold, without any sense of ego. When I look back at the imagery, my mind conjures up rewarding memories and time spent while working with people during the process. It was such a rewarding experience as Lead Artist to implement, paint and guide the local youth, enabling us to generate wonderful souvenirs for the community.

It's always an adventure, whenever you're creating an Art piece right in the spotlight of the public eye. As an Artist, you are an unfamiliar element; usually arriving to upend the ordinary. Overall, through the years, the local residents are a fantastic, supportive mix of beautiful people; giving me moments that I will always treasure.

As a person who values time and deadlines, I will ensure that the mural is completed in the allotted time. This has been proven with each project I have encountered. My own previous experience really informed me on how to navigate thoroughly; having always successfully completed every single mural or art project, with consistency and satisfaction.

When a piece unfolds, sometimes it stops in beautiful places. And you hope to land it, in the end, in a well-formed home; free to breathe and come to Life.

IN THE RAIN

JUNE/JULY 2024

Located in the industrial

neighbourhood of Highfield,

witness this

Community Mural Project

unfold below.

There was an

initial brainstorming session

with over 150 folks

from the

Youth Singers of Calgary.

I asked them a few questions:

What does YSC mean to you?

Why is 'Community' important?

How does singing make you feel?

There was

SO many

inspiring ideas.

For the design process,

I lay out

all the images -

using my creative intuition,

I begin pulling subject matter

which I believe will make

a dynamic collaged design.

Location: 1371Hastings Crescent SE

This non-descript 2500 sq ft substrate

really needed some

identity and beautification.

The first day of volunteers

was a blustery one!

But that couldn't damper

the enthusiasm on display,

as the first layer of colours

was applied.

Youth Singers of Calgary

is a vibrant

performing arts company

for people of all ages.

It is an amazing hub of fantastic people.

An awesome place

which helps build confidence

and leadership skills

of everyone involved.

Over 140 volunteers

put in 190 hours on to the wall.

They were essential

in bringing this project to life!

I was truly impressed

with the skills

and attitudes

of the volunteers.

They really brought

their A-game!

There was plenty

of connection, laughter, and

summertime playlists!

Despite extreme heat

and water restrictions, as Team Lead

I took the project

one day at a time;

allowing the process

to be fluid

and enjoyable.

It's always such a rush

whenever I see

a neglected bland wall

receive big bursts of colour,

from my team of

awesome people!

Here I am

Strikin' a Pose between

bouts of flurried activity.

Each new project

allows me to grow

and modify my skills

at managing and delegating

many moving parts

of the process.

I chose a pretty

summer-like palette

for this Art adventure.

I've always been drawn

to the pastel hues

such as aqua, peach, and lavender.

This wonderful piece

(Grandmother Moon)

is painted by contributing Artist

Kokum Jody Martens.

She is a Cree, Saulteaux,

and Raramuri (Tarahumara) artist.

A wonderful friend,

hilarious storyteller,

and remarkable human being.

I designated several

'Spotlight' areas

for the individual youth

to express themselves.

They showed up

with sparkling

creativity.

Whenever I'm transferring

an image on to the wall,

I purposely allow

the faces to unfold naturally

and organically.

One thing I've been working on

in the past few years

is not to 'overthink'.

When I finally see

the compositional elements

come together, this solidifies

my trust in a fluid process.

I like it when people

get to watch the process unfold.

Art goes through many stages

when being created.

The discovery along the way

is everything.

THE FINAL AESTHETIC

The title of this Community Mural Project

is "Making Waves"

The design celebrates

the beauty of sound vibrations

and the strength of community

that comes from making music

and singing together.

YSC is a place to shine

and make new friends.

I wanted the design to reflect

the buoyant energy -

the joy, fun and creativity

which occurs

within the building.

This opening box resembles a present.

The gift you get

when you put yourself out there.

The gift you receive

when you lean into life.

This mural design is based

on key words

which the youth provided

in their drawings

during the

brainstorming sessions.

These words include:

home / acceptance/ comfort

family/safety and Love.

As a professional

self-employed house painter,

over the years,

I've learned that if you do the

proper PREP work

it will guarantee longevity

of the wall surface.

This is the Panoramic view

from the right side.

In my catalogue of Art

I've always enjoyed

sculpting images which play with

Space & Time.

This mural was made possible

with a Calgary Arts Development

micro-grant.

Northland Community Mural

5111 Northland Dr. NW

Located in the beautiful neighbourhood

of Brentwood.

September/October 2023 3000 Sq. ft.

It's a wonderful thing when a company -

who's vision is to embrace their role

in helping shape the fabric

in our neighborhoods;

reaches out and hires an

independent Art Team.

Primaris REIT is one of the largest owners

and managers of enclosed

shopping centres in Canada,

and one of the largest

owners and operators

of retail property of all formats

across Canada.

Totalling approximately

9.8 million square feet.

They were looking for an Artist

with experience in

facilitating and leading

community-based projects.

It took patience, trust,

faith and grit

to watch this 3000 sq ft

Art Piece to unfold.

It was a beautiful ride

of chaos and euphoria!

This is Sarah M.

She volunteered to paint

on my Crescent Heights Mural in 2020.

I invited her back,

with payment this time.

Her fantastic detail work,

( as well as my other assistants)

has been an essential asset

to this project.

It took a grand total of 330

hours to complete.

I myself, put in 207 hours of

commitment to the wall.

With the mural being greenlit

in late September -

thankfully, the weather cooperated

right to the end.

Teamwork makes the Dream Work.

On the left is Faiza C.,

a new edition

to the 5Thirty4MuralArt Team.

Her previous henna skills

translated extremely well

for a project of this nature.

On the right,

is my good friend, Jocelyn.

She painted a

magnificent magpie

named Maggie.

Ca-ca!

Alice Lam,

a phenomenal

community organizer,

is great at

getting people involved.

She created this "Volly' app

where people can access

volunteers. And Vice versa.

Process

I'm a pretty easy-going

person to work for.

I believe in a fluid team process.

There is always time for

music and camaraderie on site!

The substrate (wall surface) is always

a new animal to work on.

I've learned, over the years,

to use my creative intuition

and experience,

in order to allow the design

to unfold naturally.

I wanted the design to be

thought-provoking

and engaging.

To uplift and inspire people

who view it,

and give them a sense of

joy and wonder.

A dreamscape full of play,

movement,

resilience and beauty.

The title of this mural is

"Come Back To Life"

(This is How we Live).

A phrase which

seems appropriate

after living through

the last 3 years.

The phrase can also mean

the redevelopment

of the mall as well - bringing the

area back to life.

Getting out.

Choosing to live life again.

I am thankful for PrimarisREIT

for valuing my worth

as an Artist.

It can take a lifetime of discipline,

observation,

failures and experimentation

to hone one's

skills and talents - to reach a

desired aesthetic

which is fully resolved.

Bert Church Collaborative Mural

June 2023 300Sq. ft.

Located at

1010 E Lake BLVD SE Airdrie, Alberta

Title “We Pave Our Own Paths”

This project was initiated

by Lisa Tschritter in

September of 2022.

She had noticed my portfolio

while attending

a night market in Calgary.

She liked the fact

that I was inclusive

and had done successful work

with youth previously.

She asked me to submit an outline

on how to construct

a collaborative mural from scratch.

The project was

subsequently greenlit

and this photo is the final result.

There was an initial

brainstorming session

with the 28 students involved.

I then gathered their ideas

and collaged them into

a cohesive/unifying design.

Their ideas were very inspiring;

making for awesome

design elements.

Once I have selected

certain key design elements

from their drawings,

the rough sketch begins.

The Final Design Emerges

For this project, it felt appropriate

to 'eyeball' the contour design

on to the brick surface.

TRUST THE PROCESS

How do you rebel

against conformity

and the status quo?

Well, you band together with Gen Z,

and break out the brush strokes,

of course.

One of the goals of this project

was to give the students ownership.

I was super impressed

with their Artistic skills!

Not only were the students

amazing painters;

they were fun, smart

and a joy to work alongside with.

On site magic

As Lead Artist,

I prefer to work more collaboratively

during the process.

Always keeping the process fluid,

I mentioned to the students

that there are no mistakes in painting.

Exceptional and exciting

to view all the wonderful details!

What a Thrill it was to

add some colour

to the Airdrie area.

In the end,

despite what the world throws at us,

I believe that we have the ability

to pave our own paths....

After all,

we are not just bricks in the wall.

On the Cover

"Go The Distance"

Alberta Summer Games

Legacy Mural

May 2023

250 Sq. ft.

Located in the

Okotoks Recreational Centre

99 Okotoks Drive / Okotoks, Alberta

The main theme of this design

is togetherness.

The exhilaration of PLAY.

The value and importance

of Sport AND Art,

and how they contribute

to a well-rounded

healthy community.

The value-based attributes

which sports can instill in youth –

teamwork / discipline /

practice/ commitment.

This design is also infused

with the celebration

of creativity, music, and visual Art

Payment to Artist: $10,000

PROCESS

ALBERTA SUMMER GAMES

LEGACY MURAL 2023

PROCESS

ALBERTA SUMMER GAMES

LEGACY MURAL 2023

My colleague and friend,

contributing Artist

Hugo Dubon

was such an asset

in the beginning stages

of this mural.

His magnificent

Artistic skills

helped to lay down

the first layer,

allowing me to focus

on the nuances and

refinement of

the initial design.

PIANO

PREP!

For the design elements,

I wanted to

make the piece

playful, dynamic and engaging.

To encourage participants

to take a closer look.

Invite them to

play a song on the piano

and to imagine

that the music

is the fuel

which generates the activity

in this mural design.

Currently, my style of Art

is a mix of abstraction

infused with a

representational bent.

Blended sections of

optimistic colour,

full of vibrancy and movement.

These sections provide

a rich background

for the athletes

which are stylized,

sculpted and grounded.

As a person who believes

in inclusivity and diversity,

I painted the subject matter

accordingly.

Making sure it is a

well-balanced representation

for the youth involved.

FIRST ROUGH

DESIGN SKETCH

This year, there are 14

Sports activities associated

with the Alberta Games.

I was encouraged to

explore the theme

of “Rock the Games!”

As an Artist who

appreciates music,

I decided to include

a large guitar

which interweaves

with the figures.

I wanted the guitar

to hide in plain sight.

Something to be discovered

while viewing the piece.

The title of this mural is

" Go the Distance".

Even though winning

is a fantastic feeling,

the even better feeling

is the unwitting qualities

gained in the process…

Showing up/

Trusting the process/

working through frustration/

accepting defeat.

But RISING AGAIN

to play another day!

To Go the Distance -

see something through

and to never give up.

TO ENDURE!

I would like to thank the

Alberta Summer Games

Committee,

the Okotoks Arts Council,

Okotoks Heritage and Culture,

and the Town of Okotoks

for this awesome opportunity.

I am very feeling pleased

with the final aesthetic

of this mural.

It was a challenge.

It was also fun and

incredible to watch unfold.

I sure hope the people of Okotoks

will appreciate and enjoy this mural

for years to come.

Great Media Coverage

from CTV,

The Calgary Herald,

and The Calgary Sun

My design was chosen

to deck the halls

of the OKOTOKS

MUNICIPAL BUILDING

with a 'HOLIDAY WINDOW'

MURAL

NOVEMBER 2022

5 ELIZABETH STREET

25 ft. x 8.4 ft.

Title: The Bridge

Payment to Artist : $2000

DESIGN CONCEPT

Okotoks Municipal

Centre Window

My first draft is always

being open;

AUTOMATIC drawing,

like a stream-of-consciousness

brainstorming.

Sometimes based on

key words in the Theme.

Eventually I edit and streamline

the design accordingly.

For this one it was

'Communities

overcoming obstacles/

+ Celebrating

life and tradition.

= The Bridge

All the time working

organically and intuitively.

Allowing the process

to unfold naturally.

(It helps to pretend that

you're a conduit

with access to

unlimited creativity;

a hot take 'mind trick'

I aquired

from the book,

The Artists's Way by

Julia Cameron.

I wanted to

create a design

full of Whimsy, Beauty,

and Movement.

The theme is peace, love,

and joy -

Christmas staples.

Also, I wanted to

make the design playful,

dynamic, and engaging;

and to read well,

even with the

structure of windows.

For specific

more intricate sections

in the design,

I usually draw out

fresh pencil sketches

and bring them

for reference,

Yes, I still prefer

the old-school pencil

on loose-leaf

paper.

PROCESS

It can take a while

to properly place

the contour line.

(I'm a stickler when

it comes to

the composition;

in order to have

that 'seamless flow').

INSIDE VIEW

It was a

fun challenge to

work backwards

on this one.

THE FINAL

AESTHETIC

"Pickles" who I

recently acquired

at a summer Market

would highly recommend

this new 'Art Noise'

gouache paint medium.

They applied like butta.

Gouache is an

opaque (non-transparent)

water colour.

BOWNESS

SIDEWALK MURAL

"The Way Thru"

AUGUST 2021

6331 BOWNESS

ROAD NW

BOWNESS MURAL

PROCESS

3 DAYS

200 SQ. FT.