Spirit Orbs Faces

The project was set in motion by general manager Julie Eccles, who joined Rainbow last year. She thought the bland grey wall didn't do justice to the theatrical magic created inside since 1955, nor to the verdant beauty of the park.

"This building houses such a fantastic product, yet it really had no personality," she says.

A $25,000 grant from the Lord Selkirk-West Kildonan Land Dedication Reserve and private donations funded the mural. Though it's only one-third finished, "the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive," says executive producer Ken Peter.

Eccles suggested the theme of an enchanted forest, using images of the park's natural assets. The artists added huge masked faces near the entrance to suggest theatrical magic and mystery.

Van Leeuwen, 31, and Saint Hilaire, 39, whose previous projects include the Harry Lehotsky tribute mural in the West End and the tropical-house murals at the zoo, have never tackled a single project as large as this one.

When completed, it will include the park's much-loved Witch's Hut, a female spirit with a garden for a dress, and lots of greenery and flowers.

There's already a massive black crow that seems to be flying into the theatre. A fanciful pink ribbon that starts around a masked figure's neck swirls along the wall, as if enticing the visitor to follow. White orbs that echo the globe lights above the box office float in the scenescape.

Seen from the road between the theatre and the Red River, or by theatre-goers approaching on foot, the mural creates excitement and anticipation. "It's made to affect you from far away," says Saint Hilaire.

Unlike many mural artists who use a projection system to position the design on the wall for tracing, these two use the organic method of drawing free-hand. They say it produces a more artistic image, which is particularly appropriate for an artistic venue.