ILLUSTRATION
The Spirit of Ottawa
CLIENT
First Capital REIT
YEAR
2023
ROLE
Illustrator & Designer
DELIVERABLES
Mural Design
THE BRIEF
As an in-house designer at First Capital REIT, I was asked to design a mural for a hoarding wall at Gloucester Shopping Centre in Ottawa. The goal was to turn a plain construction barrier into a vibrant piece of public art. It needed to make the space more welcoming during the work and reflect the character and diversity of the surrounding community. I was responsible for the art direction and illustration, from first concept to the large-format print files.
THE APPROACH
I started by researching landmarks around Ottawa. Alongside familiar icons like the Peace Tower and the downtown skyline, I included the Canada Aviation and Space Museum as a nod to Gloucester's own identity. I worked out the composition in pencil first, with people walking past the city's landmarks so the long wall unfolds as a scene as you walk along it. I then built the final illustration in Illustrator in a bold, flat vector style. Warm burgundy, orange and coral with sunburst rays keep it legible from across the street, and a diverse group of Ottawans walking between the Peace Tower and a maple-leaf biplane celebrates the people who make the city thrive.
THE RESULT
The finished mural stretches across the full hoarding wall and replaces a blank construction barrier with a colourful panorama of Ottawa's heritage and community. It connects the shopping centre to its surroundings, and a local landmark like the aviation museum gives neighbours something they recognize. The mural makes the site more inviting while construction is underway and shows First Capital's investment in the community around its property.
