Col Mitchell . . . Contemporary Paper Artist: 2012 Nuit Blanche North Installation Project

Completed!

Another gorgeous day this Saturday, for which we were all thankful, as Mr. Weatherman was threatening intermittent showers. Didn't happen. Instead, those of us partnered with local businesses to make Tom Thomson inspired works, integrating materials or themes from those businesses, wrapped up and put the final touches in place in preparation for an evening of Nuit Blanche North.

My project spread over two days and involved creating a public interactive installation with a Tom Thomson theme that would use live flowers from my paired business, Florence's Flowers, and end as a installation in the business' main street window.

Five sapling panels stretched with clear plastic sported Tom Thomson related shapes (canoe, paddle, fish).

Each shape contained an image cropped out of three paintings by Tom Thomson.

The cropped images were blown up into templates and placed under the plastic panels as guides for the application of live flower parts, petals and leaves which would "recreate" a a floral version of a Tom Thomson painting.

For two days, I worked outside on the main street location, encouraging passersby to lend a helping hand. The response was brilliant -- from fellow artists and friends, men, women and children of all ages, local residents, tourists, campers and cottagers, to including the occasional helper who classed themselves as "art challenged" but were willing to give it a try.