The Murals of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: "Rest in Peace"

Each year, we lose some good outdoor art in Winnipeg. For the year indicated, here's a last look at, a last goodbye to some of the artwork that has disappeared that year.

699 Broadway

This Mural was rendered by Helen� Jaworski in 2003 for the Winnipeg Police Service, with sponsorship by Take Pride Winnipeg, Neighbourhoods Alive and West Broadway-South Sherbrook BIZ. The entire building was repainted in the autumn of 2010 for a new occupant.

Original notes follow:

This Mural is the fourth that local Winnipeg artist Helen� Jaworski has been commissioned to do for the Winnipeg Police Service. They are obviously quite happy with her work.

This brick wall is full of deep crevices which necessitated slow and meticulous work, something that Helen� is known for. Once her sketches had been approved by the client, Helen� then used chalk to sketch out her outlines onto the wall. She likes chalk because mistakes and changes may easily be made at this early stage. She then outlines everything in paint; and then does everything else after that- the fill, the detailing and highlighting.

Helen�: "This brick wall was identical to the ones at the police station on Aberdeen & Main Street for the two Murals there (see 1085 Main). Very deep crevices, hard, coarse, and textured surface. The wall actually sucks in the paint and it's very hard on the brushes. A brush could wear out in a matter of a couple of days. I used an assortment of sizes of brushes on this wall. The small brushes I used mainly for detailing, and the larger ones were used to cover the larger areas."

"When I designed this, I didn't really have an era in mind. It could be the sixties, the seventies or even present day, but it's more of a creative idea than a historic one. What it evokes is up to the individual that's viewing it."

"When you're considering what things to include in the design, you have to take into account the size of the wall as well. Some things you just can't do on a small wall. I submitted three or four different designs to the Police Department for consideration; and there were elements of each of them that they liked. So I combined these popular elements into a new design which they then approved. The Manitoba Legislative Building is prominently featured along with a statue commemorating Queen Victoria which is also on the grounds. I didn't want Queen Victoria to overpower the Legislative Building so I left it in the shade. Anything I put in there such as those round street lamps is on the grounds of the legislative Building, but I've interpreted everything in my own way. Winnipeg has a lot of crows and pigeons, and I wanted to include them in the scene."