So after the design was finished, it was now time to actually make it happen. Thankfully the materials were all provided by the Ottawa School of Art. And the paint was provided by our sponsor, Dulux Paint!

The process, step by step:

1. Picking the right colors to match my design and the right amount! This is the photo of the colour library Dulux gave me (on the right) and the final colours I ended up picking (on the left)
   
2. Washing the wall. Van’s Pressure Cleaning graciously washed our wall for us. Here I am ready to start on my clean “canvas” 🙂
3. Priming the surface…This took so long! And a lot more primer than expected. Unlike my previous brick mural, this brick just drank the primer. This was probably the hardest step to complete both physically and emotionally…
   In the end it took 3 coats! Each coat needed to dry before the next. Because of this (and the wet weather), I had to leave the wall over a few days half primed. Something I was terrified to do. (It was like an invitation to others to paint on this wall). Thankfully this never happened. Onlookers were also a bit confused or quick to jump to conclusions that I was just doing a patchy job at painting a wall white…(of course I was not just painting a white wall, but that’s what people thought). If I ever do this again, I will invest on a sprayer. I broke 2 roller extenders completing this step. Exhausting but definitely necessary!
   
4. Painting an under painting of the design. This was super satisfying and one of my favorite parts in doing street art. Seeing my small plan materialize into a big piece of art. Finally people knew I wasn’t just painting a white wall!
5. Painting in the background to foreground. I worked colour by colour. Each needing 3-4 coats of paint.Amazingly, two talented kids from the area came to help me, a sister and brother.
   (They each surprised me with these beautiful gifts, they are so talented!)
   
   Along side my husband and OSA student, Jasmine C. Also, my best friend visiting from NB also came by to help with final coats of paint where needed. I couldn’t have finished as quickly if it wasn’t for them. Thank-you, thank-YOU!
   
6. Final outlines and details. That’s me up there!
7. Done!My biggest mural finished! If you are ever in Ottawa, Canada, you can find this painting at 147 Beausoleil Dr. at the Lowertown community house. Thanks everyone!