BEVERLY HILLS—Calgary based artist Michelle Hoogveld recently created a bright and colorful mural titled, “I Love You,” on Santa Monica Boulevard-facing side of 499 N. Canon Drive on October 6.
“We wanted to bring something really bright, vibrant, happy, and joyful to the public,” Hoogveld told Canyon News about the mural. “There’s not many murals in Beverly Hills, so we wanted this piece to really spark joy, and bring life to the area, the main message was love.”
According to Hoogveld, ideas for her murals begin digitally on photoshop or on an actual canvas, :that’s where everything can be a little bit more intuitive and organic,” she said. Next she adds shapes and chooses a color pallet to go with it.
“I’ll know if I want it to feel warmer or happier, or maybe a bit more romantic, or have a bit of a deeper essence to it,” she said.
According to Hoogveld, her work encompass the message of love and connection.
Her love for art began at a young age, but pivoted toward mural painting five years ago, inspired by artists painting utility and electric boxes in public spaces on social media.
“And immediately I was inspired, there was something inside of me that said, you need to be doing this,” said Hoogveld. Her first mural was a project in Los Angeles that she created in collaboration with a friend in 2018.
The time each project takes depends on the client or whether it has to go through a city approval, because that could take longer she said. But generally working straight with a client, takes two weeks for the concept.
“And then the mural, depending on the scale can take five days up to three weeks,” she said. It took her five days to finish the “I Love You” mural.
Hoogveld graduated in visual communications and design but later went back to school to get a degree specializing in art education. “For a while I was a high school teacher. And then I decided to go full time as an artist.”
Appreciating the city’s encouragement, she said, “Just appreciation to the building owner Shawn Farr and to the Architectural Commission of the city of Beverly Hills for allowing this mural to come to life.”
“As a public and visual artist, I’m most appreciative of the opportunity to create in as many beautiful and exciting places that I have so far,” said Hoogveld. “There is something pretty unique and special about adding color to walls around the world and it has been fantastic watching cities embrace public and street art more and more.”
“In the next few years I would like to create murals on a larger scale, [particularly vertically], look at ways of creating a more immersive and meaningful experience for viewers and to continue to push new concepts, exploring new ideas on walls, canvas, collaborations and perhaps developing sculptural pieces as well,” Hoogveld said.
