ARTHUR – A local artist is brightening up urban landscapes across Canada and the world- one mural at a time.
Born and raised in Arthur, artist Courtney Roelofsen first fell in love with murals and graffiti on a trip to Europe in 2019.
Graduating from a dance school six months before the COVID shutdown brought related opportunities “to a complete stop,” Roelofsen said she eventually turned to drawing and sketching as a creative outlet before “it just escalated from there.”
“(Graffiti and murals) are very big over (in Europe), and (the art style is) a little bit more bright and colourful and playful,” said Roelofsen. “So I really loved how it added to the landscape and I was super interested in it…(then) I started painting in Toronto and did more traveling and fell in love with it even more.”
A self-taught visual artist creating murals and public art for approximately five years, Roelofsen’s work can now be found internationally, all over Toronto, across the GTA and Wellington County.
Starting a mural and custom art business in 2023 called Alley Catz Murals where she often collaborates with other artists, Roelofsen said she’s excited to see how the company grows as opportunities have started to “snowball,” especially this year.
“I think my favourite part about (what I do) is just the joy that it can bring to people that stumble across it,” said Roelofsen. “I definitely enjoy thinking about how many people have stopped and either thought of a childhood memory or remembered something and laughed to themselves.”
Having recently returned home to complete a poolside mural in Arthur, Roelofsen said she feels Wellington County has space for more public art displays.
Roelofsen’s first mural was completed in Palmerston’s Euclid Laneway in 2020.
“I definitely see walls and I’m like, ‘Oh, that would be a perfect spot for a beautiful mural,'” said Roelofsen. “I think the bright colours would really contrast with some of the farmland and stuff like that. I feel like it could really stand out and just make it a little more interesting.”
Comparing painting in public to a “performance,” Roelofsen said painting on a canvas often feels like a private avenue to express emotions too scary to put out into the wild whereas mural or graffiti work “is more open.”
Known for using bright colours and cartoon characters like Garfield in her work, Roelofsen said she enjoys seeing how these elements play with nature and can change a landscape.
“I also think I am drawn to doing stuff like that because I’d like passersby to embrace their inner child and reminisce on days when they were carefree and experimental,” said Roelofsen.
A highlight of Roelofsen’s career was when Alley Catz was invited to the Nam Jam mural festival in Vietnam this March.
Although the festival was shut down after complaints about some of the other artwork’s darker themes, Roelofsen said she was touched when many attendees asked her to finish her Dragon Ball Z-inspired piece even after she was told to stop by officials.
“There were so many kids and people stopped, like even grown men would stop, and they didn’t speak English, but they knew. They were like, ‘Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball,'” said Roelofsen. “They would have a big smile on their faces, and they’d be so excited about the artwork when they saw it.”
For her next project, Roelofsen will participate in Montreal’s annual graffiti festival, Under Pressure, this weekend. Alley Catz was also invited to participate in a graffiti jam wall at an urban art gallery in Ohlao, Portugal, which is set to open this fall.
Looking to the future, Roelofsen said she’d love to complete something “really giant” in either Europe or Asia but is always on the lookout for interesting collaborations.
“(My advice for any small artists trying to expand their portfolio is) I would just say any opportunities that come your way, just go for it. Really. Just put yourself out there and have fun,” said Roelofsen.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
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