The Yorkie Mural 

Close-Up of Individual Pieces

Jessica W., Grade 11

In the beginning of the year, Ms. J. came to me and asked if I could put forth a few designs for the mural she was planning. The final design, a forest and sea scene, was based on a few artists whose work really inspires me. Emily Carr, Ross Penhall and Drew Burnham all paint west coast scenes with simplifies trees which are far more gestural than what a traditional tree looks like. I tried to keep this in mind when coming up with a design which honoured the west coast as well as remind us of how we are all inspired by each other.

My piece is the neon yellow one right in the center, which features trees in the same style of the main picture of the mural and an owl taking flight. For me, doing the trees like they appear in the mural brings back the original design process I went through to develop the final design, but also creating a sense of whimsy through their odd, vaguely tree shaped forms. The owl taking flight represents me taking the knowledge I have learned in school with me as I go through post secondary education and into a future career. I consider owls to be a symbol of knowledge or wisdom, therefore when I graduate, I will be taking everything I learned in school and applying it. This year I am only in grade 11, but next year , I will be ready to take the leap off this one branch of my life and spread my wings. I can’t wait.
Grace D., Grade 12

I decided for my mural piece to create an underwater landscape of a pond for two reasons: First, I had to work with a gigantic brown-yellow piece, so I had to keep in mind of the colour palette. My wood piece was also coincidentally shaped like a lily pad, which framed the painting nicely. As with some of my recent art pieces, I have been experimenting with dynamic perspectives. I chose to paint an upwards view centering on the surface of the pond, creating a sense of anticipation of what is beyond - such a perspective reflects my own feelings as a soon-to-be grad. Secondly, a pond worked out quite well as a metaphor for York House School - at least in my opinion. Like being in a pond, York House is a safe, sheltered environment with a unique, tight-knit community; however, much like the creatures residing here, York House students are minimally exposed to the world beyond. I am very delighted to have been a part of such an amazing project - the mural has really brightened up the school wall with a wonderful reflection of YHS’s personality.
Charlotte L., Grade 11

​My part of the mural was a piece that was divided into a four sections. In each of these sections, I painted 3D-like boxes. However, the boxes vary in size, with the smallest boxes being at the bottom of the piece; they grow a size bigger in each section until the top section is reached and the lids of these boxes finally open. The symbolism behind these boxes coincide with the gradual lives of York House students. It is supposed to display how when a student first comes to York House, what they know about the world or rather themselves is limited to a small box. However as the student progresses, their knowledge also grows until it is finally their time to graduate. The open boxes at the top of the piece represents that when a student is ready to leave York House, their knowledge or horizon is now no longer limited.
Ally J., Grade 11

​My panel was inspired by the sea.  I really enjoy swimming, surfing and sailing so it made sense to paint something that I love.  I decided to paint an underwater view because I think there's something magical about the view underwater looking up.  It's a different view  of the world. When I go swimming, I really enjoy looking up and seeing how the light breaks through the surface of the water, illuminating the underwater life.  
Blair K., Grade 11

​After sitting through many art classes staring at the piece I was given, not many ideas popped into my mind. I was focused on creating a perfectly painted and designed shape to match the colours on my work. Unfortunately, art doesn’t usually work that way. Finally, I started thinking of things I enjoy and molding them into the wave. First, a surfer and then the ocean with fish; the truth is I really don’t like the ocean… at all. Eventually I thought of a bridge. Something big and beautiful. A structure so powerful and strong. My aspiration is to become an Architect and designing these kinds of huge projects. As I played around with colours I finally chose the right way and never went back. If I could do it again I would continue working on the detail of the bridge, making it perfected, however the simplicity blends well with the large mural. This project taught me so much and I am so happy to share it with the school.
Marissa M., Grade 11

I was really excited to do this mural, and have it hung up on our school walls where everyone could enjoy it. The colours that were chosen are perfect for me, as I love nature and I love the colours blue and green. I thought the colours of the mural would fit so well in our school, and balance out the greyness of the walls. For my section of the painting, I chose to paint water flowing, rocks, and avocados. The avocados symbolize my love of food, especially wholesome and natural foods. Due to technology and the creation of chemicals etc. there are so many foods nowadays that are processed which don’t lead to a healthy body or a healthy lifestyle. Going back to the wholesome of the avocado and its healthy fats we can really fuel our body with good food that will make it feel awesome! Also, I have a special love for avocados spread on toast. For my second part of the painting, I chose to paint a waterfall. The waterfall symbolizes my love for swimming. It also shows how everything will naturally flow and work out if we let nature do its path. Lastly, the water with the rocks symbolizes hiking, something that I love to do. The world is full of wonderful things for us to explore and appreciate, but they are often overlooked for material goods. Overall, I found that this project allowed us to use our creativity, within certain bounds to create a unified picture. I love how the painting looks different from far away or close by.
Marna S., Grade 11

I decided to paint 3 princesses walking through the forest as my part of the mural. Even though I am technically not in art class, my spare aligned with one of the blocks, and everyone just looked like they were having so much fun with it, that I wanted to get involved. To me, my piece of the mural represents sisterhood, friendship, and also childhood- (growing up, I adored the Disney princesses). I enjoyed playing with color, and using the sponge to create a texturized background. I am very thankful to have been able to be a part of something so cool with my peers, and I am happy with how my piece turned out!
Melinda T., Grade 11

​What else do I love as much as art…? I love food! To me food is fuel: it’s a necessary and inescapable component of my life. It's a practical commodity that, quite literally, we are unable to live without. Let’s be real; without food, our bodies simply do not have the sustenance to survive. After all, being a Yorkie is tough! Not only does food offer a sensory experience but it connects us all together. Food makes me happy. Food makes everyone happy! 

Summer Z., Grade 11

The piece I have worked on consists of a selection of many types of foods that we encounter and should appreciate on a daily basis. Food is something that literally and spiritually gives humans life, and it is indispensable in giving us energy and joy every single day. As teenage girls, we value food in a very special way as we like to record every beautiful dish that we have, and maybe post it online to share with others. Every time I feel depressed and unmotivated, the moment I see a plate of food in front of me that I can enjoy, I somehow regain my spirit and thank life that, no matter what kinds of difficult situations I am in, I am still lucky enough to have food. With this thought in mind, I am able to get through many of my difficulties with gratitude instead of a negative mindset. The importance of food in my life has prompted me to dedicate an art piece just for it to express my thankfulness.
Chantel N., Grade 12

​For my mural piece I wanted to incorporate our four houses. I distinctly remember getting assigned my house in Grade 3 so I find it to be a fairly large part of my YHS identity. As well, the nature of my piece already had the four colours of our houses, green, blue, red and yellow so I thought that the design of the animals would fit perfectly. I painted the four animals in their respective colours and as well added the words “house pride” along the side to further tie my piece together. Overall, I am extremely happy with the way it turned out and also the meaning behind it!
Aria D., Grade 12

For my mural I wanted to show the different sides of York House that I had interacted with in my years here. Starting with the different sport and activities; Soccer and Field hockey were significant parts of my York House experience, and the other sports were to represent the exposure we have as part of our athletics program. At York, what I have found is, you don't have to choose sports or arts, but they compliment one another. I painted the masks to represent the arts and put the curtain behind them in order to represent the theater and the elaborate productions York puts on every year. All of these activities do great jobs in bringing the community together; that is why I surrounded my piece with the background of the clocktower for York, to symbolize our time at York as the quote 'The Time of Our Lives".
Louise L., Grade 11

"The Light Within"

For the centerpiece of my mural section, I chose to paint a hand, holding a melting candle stick. This image is a metaphor of people holding up their own light, their own passion and their own goals. Much like the flickering light in my mural piece, I believe that often times, especially as students, we struggle with keeping up our passions and staying positive during the difficult and stressful periods of our lives. In other words, the hand that is holding the candlestick represents the constant struggle to maintain one’s inner drive. In addition, I chose to illustrate one hand and not both hands to symbolize the individual and often times, lonely, journey that we must take to discover our own light, where at the end of the day, it really comes down to you, yourself, to maintain your innate motivation. To add a more personal touch to my mural piece, I painted a spiraling film strip in the background to demonstrate my love for cinematography and all things film related. From my adoration for film-making to watching films, movies have always been my favourite pastime and method of solace to escape the reality in which I live in. All in all, my mural piece is an amalgam of a personal reflection on a prime characteristic of Yorkies as well as a display of a distinctive passion that only I wish to present to the YHS community. ​
Julia S., Grade 11

My piece is about diversity at York House. The different patterns symbolize the individuality and creativity at our school. The patterns overlap and interconnect, just like our own lives.
Bridget C., Grade 11
Emily D., Grade 11

This mural piece is shaped like a fish. As a York House Community we swim like a school of fish and strive together to accomplish goals. Although there may be obstacles in our paths, some unexpected and some expected, portrayed through my octopus, we hold as strong as a bridge because that is how supporting our community is as a whole. Lastly, although we will always remember and be part of York House, we paint our own individual lives and journeys ahead of us, as displayed through the image of my paintbrush in this piece.
Sydney R., Grade 11

My portion on the mural was a grey rock and while looking at what I had to work with I instantly thought of clouds. I love the dreamlike feeling of them. When I was younger, I would always lay down on the grass and look up the sky seeing what shapes I could make with the clouds and that's what I wanted to incorporate in my mural piece. I wanted to do something simple and peaceful to remind everyone about the beauty and imagination that surrounds them. You can look at these clouds and let them be what you want them to be.
Monique C., Grade 11

"Building Bridges"

When we were given the mural assignment, I would say it was during one of the roughest times during the year for me and I had no idea what I wanted to do. Things outside of school happened which affected the way I was feeling especially at school. My friends constantly told me that I had to forget about what had happened in my life and move on to the great things that would come next. Something I heard all the time from my closest friend was that I needed to build and bridge and get over it, obviously metaphorically. That gave me the idea to restart my whole mural piece and turn the painting into a painting of the golden gate bridge. I would say the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most well known bridges in the world and considering the fact that I had just recently gotten back from San Francisco during spring break, I decided to make the bridge a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge. The base of the bridge is a mix of multiple colours that don’t really mix well together, just like the way I was feeling, a bunch of emotions that didn’t make sense as a whole. Under the bridge, is a bunch of bamboos which signifies my culture and family. As in no matter what happens, my family and friends will always be there to support me.
Angel D., Grade 11

For my mural piece I wanted to incorporate some of our values at YHS. At first, I had absolutely no idea on how to represent my thought. So rather than start with what I want to paint in mind, I first looked at the lines and colour palette that was assigned. My piece was mainly green and had a vine like shape coming out of the edges. I stared at my piece for a long time, trying to think of something that will fit the shape, colours and YHS. After thinking over and over for a long time, I had the idea of painting a beanstalk from the story Jack and the Magic Beanstalk, and I eventually incorporated some Ghibli characters that symbolized different values. The beanstalk symbolizes how dreams can be achieved through dedication, which is something we emphasize at YHS. For the Ghibli characters, Totoro represents adventure, creativity and happiness, and the emphases on “whatever scares you will go away” if you are happy. I also decided to add  Ponyo to my piece because of a quote from the movie that I absolutely adore: “ I love Ponyo whether she’s a fish, a human, or something in between.” This quote coincides perfectly with something we emphasis at YHS, that every girl is different but beautiful. Finally, the violin is form another film written by Hayao Miyazaki “ Whisper of the Heart”, and I decided to add this piece in because of another quote from this movie. “ If you are looking for a happy ending and can’t seem to find one, maybe it’s time you start looking for a new beginning instead.” :)
Gabriela A., Grade 12

My piece of the mural is a metaphor for the mind of an adolescent: cluttered, busy, moving and confusing. I decided to use words, and these words in particular because of the power they hold as well as the distraction they create. All the words are lines from poems that resonate with me and bring an experience common to adolescents.
Hillary C., Grade 12

In Chinese mythology turtles often represent longevity and tenacity. When I was younger my father told me a story with warmth and pride: my great grandfather helped a giant turtle back into the water when he was in the English Navy to honour its legacy. This story inspired me to incorporate a bit of my culture, along with my passion for art into my mural piece. Each section of the turtle combines designs and patterns that I have used within my art pieces throughout YHS. For example, the pattern on the shell mimics my font design, which I used to create 12 separate art pieces for AP art. This mural piece allowed me to reflect on my art career at York House and the wonderful memories and experiences I’ve had in the art room. I am thankful that I had the chance to collaborate with such a skilled community of artists and how our creative spirit shone through in the overall piece.
Hunter S., Grade 12
Jocelyn C., Grade 11

"Galaxies"
Jasmine Y., Grade 12

There are four sections for my mural piece and I decided to tie in these four sections with a bug/nature theme. Outdoor Education is an important aspect of a Yorkie’s life, so I thought that it was appropriate to carry out this theme on the mural. At the left side of the base of the wave, I have incorporated a large dragonfly flying over the water. Dragonflies are symbolic of having deeper thoughts and desires and maintaining a sense of peace and purity.

As Yorkies, it is important to be ambitious in our goals and to try to strive our best in our abilities, yet remaining honest with our actions. On the bottom right side of the wave, I painted fireflies dancing in the night. Fireflies symbolize creativity and inspiration. Above the fireflies, I painted butterflies flying around some flowers. Butterflies symbolize the beauty of growth. After being at York House for 13 years, my classmates and myself have definitely grown up and are now ready to transition into University. Lastly, at the tip of the wave, I incorporated some white, Jasmine flowers. As my name is Jasmine, I thought it would be cool to somehow include some of those flowers in my piece.
Kinna C., Grade 12
Saskia F., Grade 10

"Mountains, the outdoors, friendship and art"
Jenna T., Grade 11
Rida W., Grade 12

"My piece is about York House, the friendship we make and how all of us end up leaving the school to follow our own path."
Emma Y., Grade 9
Elizabeth L., Grade 11

My mural piece is inspired by my love for fairy tales. The happy ever afters and possibility of magic found within the pages of the story always enrapture my imagination and charm my romantic streak. When I was in the junior school, I  read a story a day and would often admire the array of colours in the illustrations. The few characters I have chosen to paint are those from recent/future movie adaptations. Maleficent (Maleficent 2014), Cheshire Cat (Alice Through the Looking Glass 2016), Ursula (Little Mermaid 2017) and hand of the Evil Queen (The Huntsman: Winter's War 2016)
Alice J., Grade 12

"Music, the ocean, tailoring and architecture"
Alice L., Grade 9
Jenny Z., Grade 11

When I have first received my mural piece, I was bewildered by the vast range of colors. Having so many colors all in the span of one art piece, I admit I had struggles determining my final design. However, after much ponder and thought I decided to paint an animal I felt the most connected to: the whale. The whale is a special symbol in my heart that represents one’s kindness, intelligence and compassion. They are often known for their strong sense of family values and unity in numbers. Tranquil and loyal, I believe these are valuable traits that are constantly strengthened and visible in one’s actions.

This leads me to the eye. I have painted an elaborate eye as a remainder and reference to karma. While I am an atheist, I do strongly believe that “what goes around comes back around”. With this thought in mind, I hope my piece will incorporate the sense of community and trust we have here in York house.
Jessica C., Grade 9

Macaroni and cheese? Van Gogh? Both.

This is a piece inspired by both the food and the person. Macaroni and cheese is actually not my favourite food, but nevertheless they just magically appeared when my brush touches the wood. This project proved to be extremely relaxing since all I had to do was to create colourful brush strokes while thinking about food.

While the texture and brush strokes don't exactly imitate Van Gogh's style, it was painted with him in mind.

These two factors represent my passions and my necessities for life: art and food.

Food? Art? Both.
Maggie H., Grade 11

My Mural piece was inspired by the geometrically aligned style found frequently in wall papers. The allocated pattern of fruits symbolize the rigid path we all have set for our futures. With A Yorkie on the side grabbing down one banana, however, the orderliness is broken. Thus, the disrupted image provokes a sense that we are all capable of pushing the limit. 
Justine L., Grade 8

"Art"
Sophia P.M., Grade 11

My piece was meant to express my passions... This includes my Italian background, love of running and my favourite dessert, ice cream. I included a mask in my piece to represent the fact that I am actually a shy person, even though most people don't know that about me. However, the water is a symbol of my free-flowing and positive outlook on life at large.
Christina X., Grade 11

"Architecture - inspired by four of my favourite architects"
Christina X., Grade 11
Isabella F., Grade 11
Lizzie D., Grade 10

"The four elements"

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