Alexandar Bacon was finishing his latest mural when he realized he had enough paint for one more.

The Toronto graffiti artist was only supposed to paint one mural, of a bee hovering near a flower, on the side of Dr. Kelly Davidoff’s office at 110 Baker St. But his paint cans weren’t quite empty.

“I asked Kelly if she wouldn’t mind if I painted the other side,” said Bacon. “And she was stoked.”

Bacon finished his work last week, adding a more traditional graffiti piece to the building that is a call back to when he first started painting in the 1990s. He said swapping styles on the fly isn’t difficult.

“The process of painting is actually the same, the creative is still the same. You’ve got to still sketch, do your design, get everything set, it’s just a different style of art.”

Bacon’s work is among nine murals being showcased at the Nelson International Mural Festival, which takes place Aug. 13 to 15.

Nelson and District Arts Council executive director Sydney Black said the event, now in its fourth year, is beginning to attract high-profile artists like Bacon, whom she describes as the godfather of Canadian graffiti.

“It’s pretty epic and awesome,” said Black. “I feel like we’ve been working really hard to make this beautiful outdoor gallery in our community and people are starting to notice.”

The event also features workshops led by local artists such as Damian John and Slava Doval and musical acts performing at the Hume Hotel. To see the entire schedule, visit ndac.ca/nelson-international-mural-festival/.

READ MORE: Young artists create mural on Nelson recycling building

@tyler_harper | tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com

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Nelson Star