I painted this mural in 2008 as part of funding from the City of Toronto and the Village of Islington BIA. It was my first mural in Toronto. There was a little damage to the bottom of the wall, where the salt hit the snow during winter. The frame was also in pretty bad shape. It was tongue and groove and did not weather well. It began to fall off in parts. There was water damage due to the way the water drains from the top of the building. Its flow line runs on the right corner of a couple murals, discolouring the stain on the frame and rotting the wood. Apparently I did not use exterior wood on the frame. The panels themselves are coated well with primer and are in good shape. The mural faded slightly and I think a few more details would improve the look. There was a crack on the seam line. This mural was painted on panels which were attached to the wall. I had used wood filler to fill the cracks and even out the painting. Over time this buckled a little, attracting moisture and lifting.
The Islington historical society came up with a grand idea to paint murals based from old photographs of the Islington area. This wall was part of their efforts. John Kuna has painted the majority of murals in this area and it is a testament to his great skill and painting ability. I was honoured to have the opportunity to join this great outdoor art gallery.
I completed a restoration on the wall, replacing frames, patching and repainting areas. See if you notice an improvement? It is located at 4884 Dundas Street West in Toronto, just at the base of highway 427 and the QEW. Go and have a look because it is a wonderful creative haven with exquisite murals. Below are after photos.
I used solid wood for the frames and I was able to add more detail to the Appleby Orchard (far left) and Islington’s First Car (middle bottom).
