I was recently commissioned to make a colouring wall for the Calgary and Edmonton Renovation shows.
I loved the idea of creating a piece of art that would ultimately become a collaborative, interactive art project for kids, a piece that would evolve as people added their contributions.
Since it was for a renovation show, I came up with a colouring wall design of a messy workbench fill with tools, toys, and trinkets (partly inspired by my own workbench).
The biggest challenge was dealing with the size of the illustration. It was to be 4 ft x 8ft. A large illustration like this really slows down my drawing app, and greatly reduces the namer of layers I can create. I ended up making the sketch at a smaller size, and then doing the final illustration in two parts.
Another challenge was coming up with all of the things to add to the bench. I wanted there to be a lot of little things for kids to colour. I started with the tools, and then slowly filled in the spaces in between (a few of my favourite things I added are the treehouse illustration, Fischer Price toys, stickers, bird poster, and the stegosaurus).
I absolutely loved seeing kids interacting with the wall and seeing the collaborative transformation of the piece.
If you’re interested in creating an interactive art project for your event, I encourage you to consider a colouring wall. It is a fun and rewarding way to bring an audience together. And if you have questions about the creative process, or would like to commission a piece from me, feel free to use the contact page to get in touch!
