One of the outside walls at the Deloraine Library has gotten a recent facelift - thanks to a provincial grant and the talents of local artist, Teresa Dillabough.

"We decided to beautify some spaces around town and the library decided they'd like to be part of our projects," shares Dillabough. "So, I put some things together and we collaborated and we're adding lots of color here.  It's quite fun!"

"What we were going with originally was a bookshelf with great, big books and I had a complication with some windows so I added a little sitting area, and put some beloved characters that the kids really adore. The big bookshelf is a lot of fun!"

Dillabough is employed at the Deloraine School so has had much of the summer to design and paint her enormous picture, this being her 4th outdoor mural she's painted in the community.   It was through the school that she was inspired to start a summer arts type of workshop for kids, which led to the request for her to paint the outdoor murals on the different walls of businesses and organizations in Deloraine.

"I've always painted canvasses and have done 'crafty things' so the kids knew I do artsy things," she explains, "and During Covid I just advertised that if any of the kids wanted paint parties and that kind of thing, within our gathering limits, to let me know.  One thing led to another and I got an email asking if I would consider painting the umbrella mural uptown."

The Deloraine artist was hooked!  Since that first painting, 3 murals followed. 

"People are loving it!" she adds. "They love the colors and the cheeriness and the interaction with the big, red chair that they can come and sit in and do a 'selfie', then go to the umbrella mural and hold the umbrella and take a 'selfie' of that as well!"

A fifth project might be in the works but we'll all have to stay tuned and see what's up her art-smock sleeve!