CITY CANVAS
Illustrations for City Canvas, a program launched by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs to support the installation of visual art on construction scaffolding for an enhanced pedestrian experience.
Beginning with brush and ink on paper, I scaled my illustrations to span city blocks. These portfolio pieces can be licensed by building owners, printed on vinyl, and installed on construction fences, sidewalk sheds, and supported scaffolds. One of my portfolio pieces has been licensed and awaits installation.
My illustrations for the City Canvas program celebrate the lively people — and plants — of my Brooklyn neighborhood. Characters stride across the sidewalk in a continuous running sequence, representing harmony with each other and their environment.
This piece emphasizes some of the wild urban plants that thrive amongst the city’s busy streets and public parks, often overlooked yet omnipresent. Based on my research, I included New York City plants that hold generations of medicinal, mystical, and multicultural significance (from left to right): violet, yarrow, burdock, dandelion, milkweed, mullein, mugwort, chicory, and clover.
Learning the patterns of wild urban plants can help curious New Yorkers develop a connection with the earth — even on the sidewalk. When we learn to see beauty in this unexpected environment, we can become more compassionate towards ourselves and our communities.
