By Cindy Addley
Hi Fellow Readers
My family has lived in this area since 1995. We moved here because of Woodlands Park, schools, public transit, shopping, library, bistros, restaurants and art galleries. All within walking distance.
The other day I watched three artists paint the Mural Board at Woodlands park. Such beauty, time and thought was put into making our neighborhood feel more welcoming. I went in search for more murals.
I went for a walk along Westmill Alley, located between Sanford Ave. and Westinghouse Avenue behind 541 Eatery. Along the wall of the Kiwanis building is another mural of Gordie Howe who played at The Forum that was located on Barton across from Woodlands Park.
Between Sanford and Westinghouse behind the Trocadero restaurant wall is a mural depicting an Italian bistro. Playing on the Lois Lane theme we have a large Superman image. Looking at these murals was so much nicer than a boring wall. This got me thinking.. You know it would be so nice to be able to walk along an alley and see art work. Make an alley colourful, inviting ,maybe even safer because it’s being taken care of.
I started painting about seven years ago after I attended a paint party held by my daughter. The artist who inspired me was Priti Mistry. Priti later came to my backyard and we did a mermaid painting. She gave me confidence to broaden my new found passion; painting.
I found that I enjoyed painting. It relaxes me, helps me escape reality and be creative in my own world. I’m not great but I enjoy it. I even take my paints to a park and paint my surroundings. I thought hmmm, I am going to add more beauty to create more Beautiful Alleys.
I went to the back of my property, which happens to be two backyards away from the Superman mural. We built this fence in 1996. I didn’t want to replace the boards, less waste, reuse what I can and replace what I need.(R.R.R) I took the boards off, cleaned the dirt off. I created the murals in four sections.
The first is an air balloon with clouds, bringing peace to Ukraine. The second section is a person about to swing. The third is a forest with a waterfall in the middle honouring Hamilton waterfalls. The fourth section, is meant to brighten your day, and flowers will do that. I still have another section to do. You will notice each mural there are 6 of something the same. Have fun finding them.
My neighbors that live behind me came over and complimented me and said it’s so nice to see colourful fences in the alley, it gave them a a refreshing look on a dreary day.
I used acrylic paints that I bought from Michaels and Dollarama. So, in some ways this is an experiment to see how long the paint will last. I can always repaint.
We have a lot of alleys, wouldn’t it be nice if more alleys had art work? Making Hamilton a city known for their colourful alleyways. Just use your imagination and paint away!
Cindy Addley is a resident in the Gibson neighbourhood who loves her community and her City.
