The Big Unveiling ~ lululemon's new mural

I am approaching my 1st year anniversary with the Halifax Seaport Market, and what better way to celebrate than to unveil my greatest pride and joy project of 2011, a huge mural installation for lululemon athletica's Halifax store! Check out their Facebook Page for more photos and local happenings.

Daina's completed 7-panel mural installation at Halifax's lululemon athletica store, 5490 Spring Garden Road, Halifax
Dimensions: l x h = 119" x 90" (9.9' x 7.5')

How I came to be chosen to create this soul-filled "Live near the ocean"-inspired series is a question I'm asked often, and can really only chalk it up to being in the right place at the right time, or if you believe in fate, when the universe was perfectly aligned.

It began with a trickle of visits to my Seaport Market "Art By Daina" booth. This lovely girl named Sarah visited my booth before Christmas, once on her own, once with her mom. And then in February I enjoyed a studio visit from her boyfriend who wanted to give her one of my paintings for her birthday! I started to get the idea that she could feel what I felt in my paintings.

Meanwhile, one of my best friends, Peta (who recently relocated to lululemon in Whistler), was raving about her manager and how she was a big fan of my art. Finally I connected the dots! Sarah Hockin is the Store Manager at lululemon! Then in June Sarah contacted me with the most exciting offer. To create a mural for lululemon! The head office began spearheading this amazing project in support of local artists a couple years ago, and it's making its way across the continent. Of course I jumped on board, and we began our collaboration working together over the next few months to make our vision come to life.  I am so thrilled to have been so lucky, and I hope you all can come visit the store and see it in person sometime soon!

Clockwise, from Left to Right, the following are each of the paintings that make up the completed mural installation. They were painted on 3/4" plywood, primed, and painted using heavy body fine art acrylic paints. The solid colour-block texture on each painting was created by imprinting an antique hand-carved wooden textile print block (collected from India, the birthplace of yoga) into a thin layer of gesso prior to painting.

Panel #1 ~ Dhyana (Meditation) Sunset, 45" x 35"

Panel #2 ~ Creativity..., 21" x 84"

Panel #3 ~ Point Pleasant Park Runners, 24" x 35"

Panel #4 ~ Vrksasana (Tree Pose) Sunrise, 45" x 35"

Panel #5 ~ Dance, Sing, Floss & Travel, 21" x 84"

Panel #6 ~ Virabhadrasana I (Extended Warrior I) at Lawrencetown Beach, 24" x 35"

Panel #7 ~ Lotus Wave, 48" x 48"

...and to think it all began from this tiny 8-1/2" x 11" mock up sketch.

Thank you Sarah and the entire lululemon staff for believing in me and trusting me to bring your vision to life, to represent the East Coast! Blessings and Happiness to you all... ~ DDS