Drab Thornhill bridge now boasts colourful mural

Artist earned gifts, thanks from neighbours

Yorkregion.com
Aug. 20, 2015
By Laura Finney

Local art teacher and artist James Ruddle has transformed the CN Rail Bridge embankment on Henderson Avenue from a slab of dull, grey concrete into a colourful work of art.

He, along with local high school students and alumni, painted a 6,000 square foot mural showing the transition of Thornhill from a natural to an urban landscape.

“As an artist, this is probably one of my most exciting experiences,” said Ruddle during the celebrations in Thornhill last Thursday afternoon. “Having an opportunity to paint something of this monumental size is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Thornhill Councillor Valerie Burke said work for this project began a few years ago after she received complaints about the unpainted CN bridge.

While they were not able to put the mural on the bridge, they were able to paint the walls on the side.

“When you look at this, it was really like making lemonade out of a lemon,” she said.

The painting, named Shifting Landscapes, begins with boldly coloured trees, rocks and sky that develops into an urban environment with a mix of natural elements.

“When I was asked to make a design for this, I started to think about our country and what a wonderful blessing we all have to live in a nation where we have such vast amounts of natural landscape,” said Ruddle.

The mural begins under the bridge and wraps around the wall. The best place to view it is on the northeast corner of Henderson and Proctor avenues.

The piece is designed to help people reflect about the future, and how we urbanize southern Ontario, specifically the GTA, Ruddle explained.

“In the past, we have done a lot of clear cutting and we have ruined a lot of the natural habitat we have. A lot of artists challenge the status quo,” he said.

“How, in the future, are we going to treat our nation, how are we going to be respectful of our great natural habitat that we have here?” he questioned.

Many dignitaries came to the celebration, including Mayor Frank Scarpitti, who noted it’s important to protect natural spaces as the community grows.

“What I love about this particular installation is that that green is represented within the public art that, I think, is a reflection of what our community is all about - creating liveable neighbourhoods and public art is part of creating liveable neighbourhoods.”

The painting incorporates a “Group of Seven” style along with modern graffiti art and features words such as “reflection,” “technology,” “revitalization,” “nature,” “J. E. H. MacDonald,” and “Markham,” that were added with the help of the student assistants.

“I’m so excited, because this is really an expression of the youth,” said Burke.

“To think that our local youth have participated in this ... there are just so many positive outcomes with the fabulous mural.”

“This colourful addition to the modem landscape has also helped the next generation of Markham artist develop their talent,” said Scarpitti. “Truly, it’s not every day that a young artist gets to create a work of art on this scale.”

It took six days for the artists to finish the painting and Ruddle said the community was wonderful.

“It’s a very, very welcoming neighbourhood,” he said, noting people often stopped to talk and some invited him for lunch. One man gave him a bag of tomatoes from his garden.

This piece is the second phase of the Henderson Bridge transformation, and is one of a series of public artworks that the city has planned for the year.