This mural has been painted on an interior wall of the Squamish library. It features colourful hexagons, with bees and quotes, and the phrase: “Once Upon a Time” in gold, looped lettering. It was painted with inspiration from fairytales, stories, and to inspire a whimsical feeling as viewers explore and engage with the library.
Community is something that the library holds together and with this in mind I chose to use the visual symbol of the hexagonal patterns which relates to one of the strongest communities in nature, the hive and the honey bee. It is a beautiful shape which organically brings connection. I brought comfort, creativity, and inspiration to the space by using the Gold Gilding which brings a mystical, whimsical feeling, illuminating the text and bringing another dimension to the area which honours the past of book making before technology replaced the artistic hand. The largest focal point in this piece is paying homage to the many fairy tales and stories we have all read that started with “ Once Upon a Time”. In our digital age, I have chosen a cursive font to represent language as it is a beautiful and creative art form which children and adults alike should be given the opportunity to view and appreciate.”
Ciarra Saylor Douglas is a professional artist, illustrator & graphic designer with a degree in Communication and Visual Design from Emily Carr University. She has been painting and creating 2 dimensional works for many years, exhibiting in Canada and Internationally.
Her love of the arts and her enthusiasm for life has paved a path into teaching adults and children.
