This mural, created in 2024, celebrates the historical essence of the John Borlase Mill in Oshawa, Ontario. The artwork captures the mill's function and structure within the surrounding natural landscape near the Oshawa Creek; blending historical and natural elements, creating a visual narrative that honours the John Borlase Mill’s place within the landscape of Oshawa, while reflecting my own personal connection to the area and its beauty.
The composition begins at the bottom of the piece with a closer view of the creek, teeming with life. This section illustrates lifeforms such as plants, flowers, fish, and mammals that rely on such riparian zones both presently and historically. As the eye moves upward it follows the creek which shrinks into the distance, leading to the base of the mill. Here, the structure is depicted with natural elements—plants and flowers intertwining with the mill’s windows, along with figures representing the labourers who worked in the mill.
Further up the wheel of the mill is featured, adorned with natural features including birds, stars, clouds and the water that powered the wheel. The east-facing windows and upper portion of the mural portray the star signs visible from the mill’s former site, connecting the historical with the celestial.
The colour palette is derived from photographs I took of the sky at sunrise, midday, and sunset. The weaving effect is intentional, using repetition of colours and shapes throughout. For example, the star elements begin lower down in the composition where they are visible in the water pooled inside the mill wheel as they are carried up toward the sky.
Growing up in Oshawa and currently living near the downtown core, I have spent considerable time walking along the creek path with my son, immersing ourselves in our local landscape. This mural provided an opportunity for me to delve deeper into the history of this part of my community. I took many reference photos to ensure that viewers can observe elements from the mural along the creek path. Additionally, some features from the nearby Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens’ play structures have been incorporated into the design.
My hope is that my community will enjoy this artwork in various ways: as a playful teaching tool used to seek and find visual elements in the mural along the creek path, while enjoying the mural from different angles and vantage points around the installation area. There are many details in this artwork which cannot be easily seen from one location. Don't hesitate to zoom in using your phone camera or binoculars, or capture a special moment with this mural as your backdrop. Feel free to connect with the artwork in whatever way you choose. I am grateful for this opportunity to share my artwork with my community.
