Creating the Murals for Branch 324
The new murals on the wall outside Wheatley Legion Branch 324 began attracting attention as soon as the first panel went up.
People walking along Erie Street and passing by in cars craned their necks as the artwork, which shows scenes from Canada's military contributions over the last century, was fixed to pre-existing recesses in the brick wall.
When the installation was complete a couple of hours later, one passerby from Leamington first gave a thumbs-up and then came over to chat with artists Wes Siddall, himself a member of Branch 324, and Cindy Baxter, both of whose parents served in the Second World War.
"The colours are great, vivid," he said, "and so is the detail. You should be proud."
Those bright colours won't fade away, Cindy and Wes said, thanks to special paints and a protective coating that blocks ultraviolet rays.
The pair estimate they spent well over a thousand hours on the project -- which they completed for the cost of the supplies only. All the details of the montages, from the soaring twin spires of the Vimy Ridge Memorial to the shade of uniforms from different eras, are as accurate as they can be made.
The work on the inscription under the murals was donated by Mark Phelan of Magnum Signs in Chatham, who also did the signage at Wheatley fire hall.
Wes and Cindy, who have painted murals in Wallaceburg, Chatham and Windsor, hope the project will spur more interest in the art form around Wheatley and elsewhere.
"There's so much more that can be done," Cindy said.
The formal dedication of the Legion murals was on Remembrance Day, Nov. 11, 2009.
For more information, Cindy Baxter can be reached at [email protected] and Wes Siddall at [email protected].