Along an exterior wall at North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay Market you’ll find a 100 foot long mural titled Coastal Energy.
Designed by local students and painted by artist Dennis Creighton, Coastal Energy is part of a city-wide series of public art called Studio in the City.
Its purpose is to give local youth the opportunity to apprentice in the arts, while working on various canvases throughout North Vancouver.
If you’ve visited Vancouver as a tourist, chances are you’ve seen this mural. Lonsdale Quay is often a stop on visitor’s lists of local places to check out.
As I mentioned yesterday, Abbaye de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe received UNESCO World Heritage status in 1983.
The Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe is a masterpiece of the murals of the 11th and 12th centuries. Its outstanding character is due to its extraordinary decor, testimony to the art of representing and painting in western Christian medieval civilization.
Thank you to everyone who voted yesterday. The winner by a landslide is, “Look up!”.
So today I’m going to share with you a beautifully decorated church in France. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, l’Abbaye de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe is often referred to as the Romanesque Sistine Chapel because of its impressive murals (many of which are on the church’s ceiling).
Hence the Look up!
But before we head inside, let’s take a wander to appreciate the exterior of the church.
The history is a bit unclear to me but the story goes that it was originally founded under the rule of Charlamagne. The bodies of two 5th Century martyrs, Savin and Cyprian, were discovered and a church was built above their crypt to protect these Holy relics.
The church was later rebuilt in the 11th Century, expanded in the 13th Century and the spire we see here was added during the 14th Century.
The building is very imposing, and made me feel quite small in comparison.
The rear of property runs along a portion of the River Gartempe, separated by an impressively old stone wall. It’s also home to a vegetable garden and a selection of fruit trees.
I think it’s time we head inside to see what really brought us here. Oui?
I take A LOT of photos, so it’s not uncommon to find James relaxing somewhere while he waits for me.
Here’s the final installment of murals I recently discovered in East Vancouver. First up is Lions Gate Bridge, which spans across Burrard Inlet and connects Stanley Park with the North Shore.
Here are a few more murals to, hopefully, add some fun and brightness to your day as we weather this crazy storm of uncertainty together.
This last one depicts an old hamburger stand that stood on Kingsway for decades. It has since moved, but those of us of a certain age will remember the iconic Vancouver landmark that was Wally’s Burgers.
Here are a few more murals that I found in East Vancouver. My favourite isn’t either of the brightly coloured murals depicting well-known Vancouver sights.
Another day, another set of murals from East Vancouver. The Inukshuk is featured in the top two, which is a well-known feature along the city’s English Bay.
The last of today’s murals is my favourite. Which is yours?
As I promised yesterday, I’m back with a few more murals that I recently found.
Do you have a favourite? Comment below. Mine is of the crushed plastic bottle. At first I was annoyed by the parked car, but I think I actually like it being in the shot to give scale to the sprawling mural.
Yesterday I shared a confusing mural I found here in Vancouver. It was one of a series of murals painted in a commercial warehouse area in the north end of the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of the city.
Today was my first official day of #WFH (working from home). It also marked the first day in weeks where I didn’t have to discuss ad nauseum these troubling and confusing times. I realise that I’m one of the fortunate ones though, and I worry about those who can’t do the same.
I recently found this mural. It confuses me, not unlike much of the news coverage these days.
There’s an elementary school near to our house that I pass by regularly. I thought I’d share some of the colourful artwork that can be found across the property.
The nearest city to our campsite was Silverton, which lies on the 45th Parallel (Vancouver, where we call home, is at the 49th).
The small city is named after the Silver Creek that runs through it. Human habitation of the area spreads back over 6000 years, and agriculture has been the main industry since the 19th century.
We ended up in Silverton to find a gas station, as the van was low on fuel. What brought us back the next day were the murals peppered throughout Silverton. I love me a good mural!
I’ve since learned that the Silverton Mural Society was modeled after mural successes of Chemainus, British Columbia. Like in Chemainus, the Silverton murals are a major draw for visitors each year. So let’s take a walk through Silverton to check out the murals we came across.. in no particular order ..
Silver Falls – City of the Falls
Silverton photographer June Drake apparently helped to perserve Silver Falls State Park , which includes more than 8,000 acres and 10 waterfalls. This is where we camped for 2 nights.
