Mixed media projects find beauty in the details

Father and daughter collaborate for ‘Under the Same Roof’

By Cheryl Minns, Arts Editor

On the fourth floor of the Douglas College New Westminster campus, there is a wall-length mural adorning the Laure C. Muir Theatre wall in the Amelia Douglas Gallery. A colourful mixed media collage, “Mural for a Theatre Lobby” is an exclusive art piece designed by Ewan McNeil and Jessie McNeil, a father/daughter team, for their show Under the Same Roof.

The McNeils discussed the piece during their presentation in the gallery on October 24. Originally starting as a black and white sound wave pattern, the 46-foot-wide mural evolved into much more as Ewan would add details to the project and then Jessie would add some of her own.

“It represents the process that my dad and I had on this project,” she explained during the presentation.

Along with the mural, Ewan and Jessie also brought their own individual works, including Jessie’s collages and Ewan’s sculptures.

For the collages, Jessie took photos of people hanging out and walking around town during her summer trip to Stockholm, Sweden, which she used as a guide for laying out the paper pieces on the wooden panels.

“Spending time in Europe, you really get a sense of how people use their urban space to their full advantage. They walk and they enjoy the scenery and they go to parks. I really responded to that and loved it,” she said.

Ewan’s sculptures are mixed media creations made from random items he has found or had stored in his studio, such as cardboard, rearview mirrors, bicycle helmet pieces, and more.

“I have a little micro-economy going with one of the bin guys. I slip him $20 every once in a while and he brings me building things,” Ewan said, explaining where some of his supplies come from. “I tell him why I need this, so he’s thinking about my work and he’s into it.”

Under the Same Roof will be on display in the Amelia Douglas Gallery at the Douglas College New Westminster campus until December 12.