Article contentWiradharma said he’s enjoyed seeing Berwick’s other murals as he drives and walks through town. He pointed out the challenges the centennial mural would have presented with the brick being very porous and hard to paint.Article contentArticle contentImportanceArticle contentKemp has been travelling the world for 17 years looking at street art. He has been involved with the society for three years and recruited his wife, Megan White, to also join the dedicated group.Article content“What murals do for any community, big or small, is add to the identity of that community,” Wiradharma said.Article contentHe said they add a visual landmark and help visitors remember driving into the community and seeing a mural. “It tells a story.”Article contentArticle contentChallengesArticle contentThe first few days of this year’s project coincided with a heat warning being in place in the area. Kemp said his vehicle registered 32 C and it felt like 39 C as he stopped to watch the mural take shape on July 17.Article contentArticle content“It’s been sort of relentless,” he said of the heat.Article contentWiradharma started early in the morning to try to get as much work as possible done before the sun was at its peak.Article content“As a professional mural artist, I am no stranger to extreme heat,” he said. “When people look at murals, they only see the final product. They don’t see the person who painted it being outside when it’s 35 C with humidity.Article content“It’s an amazing experience, but it also makes you appreciate the cooler days.”Article content Blaze Wiradharma was busy July 17 painting his mural at Bargain Harley’s. It is the seventh project of the Berwick Mural Society. Photo by Jason Malloy /Annapolis Valley RegisterArticle contentArticle contentGame changerArticle contentDuring the conversation, a slight breeze arrived.Article content“I don’t know how helpful that is for somebody who is using a spray can to actually make the art itself,” White said.Article contentAnd that raised another question among committee members, how does Wiradharma make such detailed work with a spray can.Article contentHe pointed to stencil caps from Krewline, which he places on top of the can. The artist has two-, four- and six-millimetre stencil caps with the smallest being used for things like a cat’s whisker.Article contentArticle content“It’s been a game changer for me,” he said. “It just unlocks another level of detail.”Article contentWiradharma, a Collingwood, Ont., native, said he’s enjoyed his first visit to Berwick.Article content“It’s been a wonderful time,” he said. “Everybody I’ve met from the Berwick Mural Society has been super nice, super accommodating and it’s just been a wonderful experience.”Article contentArticle contentDid you know?Article contentBlaze Wiradharma is painting this year’s Berwick Mural Society project on the south-facing wall of Bargain Harley’s at 182 Commercial St.Article contentAfter he was selected to paint the art for art’s sake mural, he was in touch with Trackside Studios’ Mike Bart, who suggested he come to Nova Scotia a week earlier and participate in the Halifax Mural Festival. Wiradharma did and his work – a modern rendition of the Ghost of the Grey Lady – can be seen on Pickard Lane.Article contentArticle contentNeed to knowArticle contentA look at the Berwick Mural Society’s projects:
Colourful creation taking shape as Berwick mural project grows
