The Murals
2010 February - Whistler, British Columbia
Blackcomb Mountain Rendezvous Lodge
| Jane has placed two more murals on the walls of the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain, where a part of the Winter Olympics is to be held in February 2010. |
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2010 February - Whistler, British Columbia
Blackcomb Mountain Rendezvous Lodge
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Jane's story of the murals on Blackcomb Mountain, Whistler BC Canada:
"I managed to get the three murals competed in two days. I had estimated one day and half. We lingered over breakfast in the window table of the Roundhouse Lodge, and gaped in awe at the great beauty of the view in all directions. Pure white untouched snow called to the skiers. The Peak to Peak gondola did its trial run. We tore ourselves away entered a gondola and traveled down one mountain side and into the valley to climb up the other side to our destination. The Rendezvous Lodge. We must indeed have looked an odd bunch. Myself aged almost 82, Jonathan, stalwart helpers Krystyna and Yanek, and lastly the lovely young video camera woman, who is making a documentary of me." "All went well, the lines went in fast around the three walls, the paint was ready. The brushes set. The master painting lay on the table and two ladders were set up. The sky went in vivid blue as we could get. Everything that day went without a hitch." "Second day was more troublesome. One wall was to belong to a single boarder coming down from a leap in the air. Confidant, well balanced. He was to be pure energy. He was to have his space. This was his moment. It took the best part of an hour to place him correctly. On and off the ladder, back some paces to see him. Then the tiniest tuck here and there and he was coming down at you as you munch your lunch. The final moment for him was to place his goggles on. He stays suspended in flight, breathing energy and skill. It is indeed his moment in time. Stark white against the sky." "I was happy. I had worked on him at home for hours to get his body right. I had watched his brothers on the slopes to make sure his arms were correct for his balance. I knew him, every line of him. He was to be my very favourite snow boarder!" "The rest is landscape. My signature red trees made the third wall send out the message of come and have a look. Some camera flashes some close up shots. And we were gone. Leaving behind no mess, no spilled paint, only a colourful corner of three walls, with the snow boarder dominating the scene of tranquility and quiet of snow filled land." "The Manageress of this Lodge Christina Brown, came to say Goodbye and thank you. I hoped that she liked it enough to live with it. I owe her a big thank you for feeding us throughout the two days, and reshuffling her cafeteria seating while we worked." "If I could still ski I would have donned my skis at this point and vanished down to the hotel. Of course I am restricted now to snowshoes, so instead I climbed into the gondola with so many thoughts racing through my head. I am coming back in March to paint the fourth wall. With whom will my snow boarder share the fourth wall? One person, hundreds of people? Ah that I have already planned. The painting is ready." "Down in the depth of the valley. we sank into big chairs and relaxed over dinner. For all us it had been hard work. The team work made it happen. We left in the morning. I left my lines, which had given me so much pleasure creating, there on the wall, so I can go back and look again!" jane |
2009 November - Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler Roundhouse Lodge
| Jane has placed two murals on the walls of the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain, where a part of the Winter Olympics is to be held in February 2010. |
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| For the ski slope named The Saddle on Whistler, she has reversed the normal
colours. Where you would expect the ground to be white or dirty white with well
used snow she has made it a cool grey/blue and the sides are black rock covered
with snow.
Jane explains: "Yes the colours are reversed however I was looking for impact. White on white gives you white! Grey going into pale grey or white gives you depth. Woops you are over the edge." "You just have to remember that this is not a photograph, this is my painting." Despite all the best laid plans, the time spent planning beforehand when the time came to place this on the wall and the indoor lighting made for differences. Here we see the artist who created the painting concerned to make the best of this work and make sure it comes alive. Sometimes the artist's vision does not work on site, then she must find a solution. This particular solution was very interesting to watch take place. The artist Jane reversed the colour in the foreground, the job was done. The result is truly a fine mural capturing the sensation of movement. It took longer than expected to complete and the time frame made for some pressure on the second mural. |
Whistler Roundhouse Staircase
Placing a mural on a staircase wall is no job for a beginner.
Fortunately Jane has now 20 years as a professional artist, working in
oils on very large canvases and wood panels. Jane built a reputation as
being very exacting to work with, as at 81 she expects others to do
whatever she can do. That might sound simple, it is not! Jane is a very
fearless and intense worker. Her energy level is hard to keep up with
let alone do better.
The mural on the stairs was a challenge to any artist. Eventually we saw the mural up with a section of wall not covered. Jane decided to extend the mural following the same line of mountain range bringing in Black Tusk the well known peak. So! The Callaghan Valley came to life. Red trees were a bone of contention but some amusement. Asked just before painting, what colours do you want the trees, when Jane replied red, there was a moment when we all stopped what we were doing! Red trees, no snow on them with a light triangle on both trees superimposed after painting. mm. The trees were painted red! Of course red trees, what other colour could you have painted them! The trees stand out clearly from even far away. They dont even look odd. They look as Jane intended, the focal point to make the whole painting a truly lovely work. Well this certainly made Jane the artist that day! |
| I have heard Jane on many
occasions tell others that she "sees" the finished painting on her
canvases before painting them . If I ever doubted that, I no longer do,
for it was clear that Jane "saw" in her mind, the finished mural that
day before it was painted.
I asked Jane what she felt looking at her two completed murals in such a famous Ski Lodge, as the Roundhouse on Whistler in Canada. She replied, "Feel? Well, it is a wonderful feeling of elation, excitement to see ones images blocked out on two walls where hundreds of skiers will see them daily. For exposure and satisfaction I suppose there is nothing quite like this. Most of our joys in this life are transitory, so this is a bit longer!" "I am very happy with the result of the last two days work." |
2009 September - West Vancouver, British Columbia
| Dear Friends,
We awaited the North Vancouver City Hall's word for Jane, as the Spirit of British Columbia's North Shore Feature Artist, to start painting her mural of 85 ft long and 25 ft high one end and 20ft on the other. A huge wall with her painting named THE SPIRIT CORNER. City Hall North Vancouver on the night of September 14th 2009 voted unanimously for the mural called The Spirit Corner to be installed on the wall of 67 Mahon North Vancouver, BC. Giving Jane the go ahead and finding the money to pay for it. It seems that not for nothing is Jane nicknamed The Legend! |
 Hon Naomi Yamamoto, MLA; Jane Adams-Clark, The Artist; The Rt Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier; His Worship Mayor Darrel Mussatto; attend the Opening of the Mural THE SPIRIT CORNER on October 2nd 2009 in North Vancouver. |
(More
pictures at the City of North Vancouver website.)
This mural is to Salute The Spirit Trail, a 35 km trail that will skirt
alongside the waterfront of the North Shore. At least this is the beginning,
maybe it will continue further. The mural features the most prominent features
of the area where this wall overlooks the Spirit Trail. The size alone of this
mural will surely make it a most outstanding feature for the North Shore.
This work certainly is testimony to why this little lady is adored and respected
by so many. At 81 years old she appears not to be aware that such a task is not
one to be taken lightly or even attempted by one of her age.
Already a New York video photographer, Amanda Charlwood, a young lady still in
her twenties, has asked for and been granted an exclusive on the story, to make
a video. Amanda will be behind the video camera, recording the event.
This artist, unaware about border crossings in her career, now seems unaware
that artists of her years should stay on the ground! Not Jane, the legend!
The Mural, The Spirit Corner, will stand to please the hundreds of visitors who
pass that corner for the Olympics. We are certain it will become one of the
most photographed walls on the North Shore if not Vancouver as well, and not
only for the Olympics, for a long time after.
Asked about it, Jane replied,
"Yes, the City has given me the green light for go, the wall will begin its
transformation from grungy to spectacular. Should be such fun don't you think? A
studio on the street for a week!"
I have to add in respect of this artist. "Jane, if I had a hat, I would take
it off to you, I would say 'Keep up this amazing work, Keep going Full Tilt'!
We love you."