About the Artist: Kayla Whitney

One of the latest murals in the Track to the Future mural project is brought to us by regional designer & artist Kayla Whitney. This latest mural is located at Simply Pure Water, and showcases the nurturing and special relationship between a mother elephant and her calf. We've really enjoyed seeing all these murals go up around the city as each artist uses their own style to tell a story. If you're looking for an activity to get you out and about, take a stroll down the Whistlestop Trail and visit this masterpiece!

Artist Profile: Kayla Whitney

What inspired you to pursue becoming an artist?
​
My path to 'becoming' an artist has sort of been a life long trajectory starting with colouring with crayons every morning while my mom got ready for work, but there have definitely been a few key moments. I remember vividly when I was thinking about going to OCADU, but I wasn't sure if it was the right choice for post secondary education, my dad said - 'Someone has got to be an artist, who is saying that it can't be you?' I think that moment gave me the little push I needed to start visualizing art making as a life long, lucrative option for myself. I have also always really struggled to be traditionally employed and felt best when I was working for myself towards my own dreams. Since 2017 I have been able to work full time as an artist and I really couldn't be happier!
​
How do you make your art/murals? What technique do you enjoy the most?

In my studio work I work with a lot of different mediums, creating colour and texture that is often guided by impulse. I like to take these works and use them to inform my mural making. I am always seeking to capture the creative impulses of my smaller studio works and translate that onto a big wall. I often have a small painting I have made in studio which I am using as reference for the mural. I will use a doodle grid, or just a agrid to chalk out the image on the wall and then paint it in from there. I am often remembering the way the small painting was made and using that as a guide for how to execute the larger mural. If there is a line in the original painting that I remember making quickly in one gesture with a pencil crayon - I will try to use a big brush and load it up with paint in order to capture that same energy and movement when I reproduce that gesture in the mural. 

What are your thoughts on the Jumbo story?

It is a really devastating story. I think from beginning to end the story of his life is completely tragic. I have known about him since I was a little kid, but I did a lot more research on him before making this design and the more I found out, the more heartbroken I became. That is the reason I decided to make this mural of what would have been the best moments of his life. This mural is a celebration of his time in Sudan with his mother, before she was murdered for her tusks and he was taken from his home. I think if any parts of his life should be commemorated it should be these glorious moments of peace with his mother and family before human beings intervened and caused so much suffering.

---

Artist Bio

Kayla Whitney is an artist, muralist, illustrator and community engager. She graduated OCADU in 2013 and has since explored a diverse and expansive creative practice. In 2017 Kayla started Koe Design Studio, through which she has connected with others through illustration and mural making. In her studio practice Kayla explores the relationships between drawing and painting, classical maximalism and contemporary minimalism and the simple yet endlessly captivating interaction of colour. Kayla is continually humbled by the privilege of taking these visual explorations to the public realm by creating large scale murals. Her passion and creative interest in participating in the growth of communities has given her the pleasure of serving and connecting with people in a meaningful way through her art.

The ‘Track to the Future’ mural project is coordinated by Railway City Tourism in collaboration with Andrew Gunn Consulting and young & free press with generous financial support from the Estate of Donna Vera Evans Bushell.