Whimsical

Whimsical art is a vibrant and playful style of art that is childlike and carefree. It is characteristically (but not necessarily) bright, colorful, and fun.

  • Laing House Mural

    With funding provided by Downtown Halifax, Christian Toth created this geometric butterfly mural on the side of the Laing House, a peer support group for youth with mental illnesses. This mural was completed for Halifax’s Mural Festival in 2023.

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    It’s like a mix between geometric language with different patterns, digital parts with organic parts… something like that. The Edmonton mural, for which Alberta is supposed to serve as the inspiration, should last forever although some colours may fade somewhat from exposure to sunlight.

  • Backstories

    This mural features a backstage scene, with props and set building materials. It’s located behind the theatre, and I liked the parallels between a backstage and an alley—all the types of objects you can find in both areas, and how each of those objects have backgrounds and stories they help narrate. Quite a few of the objects featured in the mural have symbolic significance to the building and the community, such as the fire coming out of one of the vents (for when a fire blazed out of that very spot), and the watering can for a homeless man named Whiskey, who waters the plants and keeps the neighbourhood clean, and with whom I shared many lovely chats throughout the weeks I worked on the mural. My hope is that the objects in the mural will gain extra narratives, holding different significance for each viewer, as the piece ages into its surroundings.

  • The Hero

    ‘The Hero’ mural, crafted by the artistic talents of Hardthirteen, Trevor Peters, and Annaliza Toledo, not only ranks as their largest creation but also signifies a monumental achievement for EMF. It is a striking work of art, radiating both immense presence and boundless inspiration.

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    “The client wanted a wall that showcases the diversity of their surrounding neighbourhood as well as the city as a whole.”

  • Nest

    While the nature of my work is to live within the surreal, a world that I often describe as an escape from reality, it’s an incredibly fun challenge to interpret a very real theme or issue within the realm of my work. Often the elements that make it more fantastical, actually make it universally relatable, as it allows more people to see themselves in the work than a purely literal interpretation of the subject matter would allow. For this piece, “Nest”, I worked with the themes of inclusion and community and pondered what a safe space looked like for all of us. Whether it’s a home, a person, community, or even a sense of calm we find within ourselves; I wanted to create a piece that felt like the place someone would go when they need a safe haven. Wherever it is, I hope you find your “Nest.

  • No Beginning/No End

    This mural was partially inspired by the graphic challenges of the wall—a very long, narrow shape split up by several doors and windows, with diamond elements imprinted into the stucco—as well as tying in the weekly seasonal farmer’s market that takes place right out front. The image references my experience as a farmer’s apprentice several years ago in Duncan, BC. One of my many tasks was to tend to the large strawberry patch, and pick as many pints of strawberries as I could on the afternoons before the Saturday morning farmer’s markets. In the patch, there were always garter snakes—a sight I wasn’t really familiar with as a city kid. I would almost never see their heads or their tails initially, but rather sections of their rope-like bodies, nestled and hidden within the strawberry plants. At first I was scared of them, but eventually I grew to appreciate the wise and weird looking creatures, who seemed to protect the desirable red fruits in the field. In the mural, the viewer doesn’t see the head or tail of the snake-like form, but feels its presence among the strawberry plants.

  • Goddess Victory

    Painted by duo PichiAvo on one of the most visible walls of Edmonton Downtown.
    This big-sized horizontal wall, covered in graffiti, represents goddess Nike (Victory) leading a chariot horse.
    Four storeys tall and stretching 36 metres across.