A bright new mural greets everyone who walks through the front doors of John MacLure Community School in Abbotsford.
The artwork is a display of stunning turquoise, rusty red and deep yellow depicting the school’s mascot, the thunderbird.
Artist Chantelle Trainor-Matties stands beside the mural, her creation, smiling. As people pass by, heading in after a break, they chat with her about the new art, its beauty, and its impact on the school community.
She chose the colour palette as a way of using primary colours without using the conventional blue, red and yellow. It’s eye-catching, and child friendly, she said, smiling as she looks over the finished project.
She was asked to come to the school and create a mural in the small space at the front entrance. The area already has a totem pole, created by Indigenous artist John Julian. His nephew, Carlos Julian, is the school’s Indigenous Support Worker and is the one who reached out to Trainor-Matties, who is Nisga’a Metis.
What he didn’t know was she already had a connection to the school, too.
She went there as a child, and even won a colouring contest there that she remembers fondly.
But her whole life to date is chronicled through artwork. Her mom still has all her drawings from that her childhood, and she has a collection of more recent work. In 2017, she took the plunge and enrolled in a fine arts program at University of the Fraser Valley.
“I decided I was going to go and see if I could do anything with my art,” she said.
She emerged with a diploma two years later and immediately found herself busy. It was a shock to her, as she had assumed commissions would trickle in, maybe. She’s booking projects months in advance, working as a muralist, graphic designer, painter and illustrator.
“I’ve been able to keep busy. Overwhelmingly busy,” she said. “I never thought that would happen,” she said.
Her first mural is in Chilliwack, and was created for the Chilliwack Mural Festival. It’s a raven, on Victoria Avenue near Black Cat Yarn. She was also invited to help create a piece in New Orleans, she calls Connections. The project was put together by the Consulate General of Canada, New Orleans mayor’s office, and others.
Her work is inspired by other First Nation artists work and cultures, but she says she also draws inspiration from looking back at what her younger self created. Looking back also gives her a chance to see what has changed and what has stayed consistent, she said.
And for her, it’s her love of animals. Even the mythical thunderbird.
To see more of Chantelle Trainor-Matties’ work, visit her on her Instagram account, @frettchanstudios or her website, frettchanstudios.ca.
READ MORE: Abbotsford city flag in running to be named best municipal flag in Canada
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