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The Canadian Champion, Friday, January 23, 2009 - Bi Meaningful mural graceslocal school entrance Milton man dusts off artistic shilis to create painting of ongmial Martin Street building - By Steve LeBlanc CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF Dormant, but nut dimînislied. Ibat's a faîriy accurate descnip- ion of Martyn Mtcbell's painting skilis, wbtch ater about tbree decades have recently resurfaced - much tu tbe delîgbt ut diose at Martin Street Sehool. Wîth his youngest son Spencer attenckng the local eiementarv scbool last year and wsfe Katherine theti part of the parent cout- cil, the 48-year-old Miitcînîan dusted off bts long-ago abandoned artistic flair wben thie upportunity tu create a backdrîîp for- the sttt- dents' produc- tio uutf sented tselff ast spning. li do sketch- es for ay wrk design, but had- u't dune any real art stnce 1 was a teenager," explained Mitchell. Apparently tîme had not robbed bîm ut hîs abdtity, wbtch witb the responsîbîlîties ut aduithood had simply been put asîde. Now sooner did bis creative contribution toth play bit the stage than another oppor- tunity - une tnvolvîîîg a btgger ccommiît- foyer that principal Robert Harrison among others - fotînd rather bare. There's a space ou tbe wail wben vou fîrst walk in that real> needed sometini'g," said Harsn now in bis second year at the sebool. His desire for a more invîtiîîg entrance tii tbe sebool and bits admiration of Mitciiell's work on the backdrop forged the basîs for a projeet thats heen quite meanînglul for al concernied. Gracmng the scboof s foyer sînce the hulIt day break ts a seven-foot-by-three-foot mural of rbe sebools original building from tbe 1920s - complete wttbils distinctive dome top -. shich at the une was a bîghi sclîool but onfly about a third uft Os current size. Saici 1Harrson, -For this tobchethe ftrst thing vou sec when von walk in 1 think shows how much thts sclîool <otimufltty cares about its htstorv fi, created a lot of buzz amiong students and visîtors, and I cant say enough about thts tnural or thc work Martyn put into it." The latter part is liardi> ltp service, gîven that Mitchell',, cotiititttieut tii the project began svell before puttiîg îiaint ush to tan- vas. Ibrougli school secretarv Barbie lasior aind latcr Mitonu H itorîcal Soctcts's jîm Dtîls, lie sxas able to gel litslîands oct au orig- tuai photo tard ofi tu ;(.c1itol1 member jobti Dcignan. i ont îîed a pîct Ire ut a his- torical building iu tosvt, lin the gos vou cornic lu said Duignati. se ouls sceetithe mîural tri au e tmail, but 1 îhînk he realîs capicircd the spir- it ut Il, Aong w îîh usîug the photo tard as a tetu- plate, Mitchiell tadked to a nunîher ut people - înciudîng an elderiv inan wlio aîîeîîded MartiunStreet aud lîses utsia stînes tlîross awav - lu finit oui about the buîldings colotir schemne (silice the photo was ol)\ i OUS]is iiblack-atîd-ss hîitie) anid how the school s sun outîdîugs iooked at the uinie. "Betng iii niechauttal desigtn recluires great atteutiont tictaîl andclitais whaî i triedt o bnng b ilîts projeci hebcsaici uf the paitidng, wlîich just tbts week won a sîsual arts award [roîm the hîstorîcai sucit ts. - wanted it (sebtiol) to be as htsttiricalsv accu- rate as possible. That iticluclec ihe additicmn of a pîair of martîns (type of ird), the school's uîascot atîdutie conition to the area ducte itue proxiiitcî otue Miii Pond. ihe giant paintinrg toîîk uearly tlîîee weeks to complete last nîonth, wtth Mitchell puttîîîg ii about eîglît bîîurs cach day nii a nîakeshîtt stuîdio -bis livs'ng îocîii but thexi agaîi afier 30 sears ofl nut painîting -M> wie was liretis uîîdeîstaîîclîug about iiis a miîracle ît carnie oui as weli as it dîd, he ithe mess, anîd even 'if she wasn'tiît was satd. 'i'm happs to have been able tu gise becatîsecof fber ibat I iook un ihe proulect su 1 back îo the school in îhts ssas coulci jusi blame fier if su cLotiipiained, Mitthlefs aircads on lu bis îîext ssurk clciplied the local artîst.coi Montreals Champlain Bnidge, near where i lotigli acitttdis' rutts, Mitchell saîi il Kaiberine gresi up - ai-d ssouil ccrtainis clîcn't tale long toicisue lits creailsectîonsideu takîrîg on siiîîdar projects as the sîdcriesisiotîtng the lavocit ant iditiîîhe une oferecl bs Martin Street Sebtiol. rîglit tîix of colotirs, andc that lies (fute Tfhie curge tu paint is cefinitels' back." pleased wîth btîw the îmucral turned out. StL CieBIîic tiinibc nac l ied Ic1- it piobabîs cîîuiî lasve been a bit heitet, hti ~i/îhîauni iopu n ~',47n( K Blowout Sale! Kitchen& Gameroom Barstools Have Arrived! Ail Barstools Custom Ordered!oh " Choose Your Fabric * Choose Your Finish * Choose Your Height Hundreds 0f Options! M