Jungle in YZD: A Paint-by-Number Mural Built With Community

The majority of murals are painted quietly, one brushstroke/spray at a time, until the final reveal.

But then there are murals like Jungle in YZD: big, colourful, public, full of people, and full of those beautiful little moments where someone walks by, picks up a brush, adds a bit of colour, and suddenly becomes part of the artwork.

Jungle in YZD is a permanent outdoor community mural I created at YZD Toronto's Open Gallery area for North York Arts and Northcrest YZD. The mural came to life during Play on the Runway, a public event that invited people into the site through art, play, and shared creative experiences.

This project was special because the mural was not only something people could look at. It was something people could help create.

A tropical mural for a changing public space

If you know my work, you know I love tropical plants. I value oversized leaves, bold colours, organic movement, and the way a wall can suddenly feel alive when plants and colour take over.

For Jungle in YZD, I wanted the artwork to feel lush, joyful, and welcoming. The design included tropical foliage, bright shapes, and a sense of movement that could hold its own in an outdoor public space.

I did not want the mural to feel quiet or precious. I wanted it to feel generous, playful, and easy to connect with, especially because public art has to speak to so many different people. Some people will stop and look closely. Some will pass by quickly. Some will take photos. Some will remember helping paint a section.

A paint-by-number mural for public participation

One of the most meaningful parts of Jungle in YZD was the community painting process. The mural was designed as a paint-by-number experience so members of the public could participate during Play on the Runway. This made the project more approachable for people who may not consider themselves artists, which is honestly one of my favourite parts of community art.

People did not need to know how to draw or understand mural composition. They could simply show up, find their colour, paint their section, and become part of the final artwork.

I love this format because it lowers the pressure. It gives people a clear way in. It turns a large wall into something people can help build, one shape at a time.

Community murals create a connection.

When people help paint a mural, they remember it differently. They can walk by later and say, “I helped make that.”

That sense of ownership changes the relationship between people and place. This is why community murals are so powerful to me. Yes, they create visual beauty, but they also create connection. They give people a reason to gather, participate, talk to each other, and feel part of something visible.

In a city like Toronto, where neighbourhoods and public spaces are always changing, murals can become shared markers. They can add warmth, colour, and a sense of memory to places people move through every day.

The planning behind the magic

Even though community murals feel spontaneous on painting day, there is a lot of structure behind the scenes. For Jungle in YZD, my role was to design the mural, prepare it for public participation, guide the painting process, and ensure the final artwork still felt polished, intentional, and true to my style. North York Arts supported the project with volunteers, which helped make the public painting portion possible.

A paint-by-number mural has to work in two ways. It needs to be simple enough for people to participate, but strong enough to hold together as a finished mural.

That means considering scale, colour, access, visibility, flow, volunteer support, and which parts of the mural need more detailed attention from the artist.

The magic is real, but so is the planning.

What does Jungle in YZD represent in my work

Jungle in YZD brings together many parts of my practice: tropical plants, bold colour, letters, public art, large-scale painting, and community engagement.

It also reflects something I come back to often in my work: art should feel alive. Not distant or cold or hidden away, but alive in the street, in the hands of the people painting it, in the photos, the conversations, and the way a place feels different afterwards.

That is what I hope people feel when they see Jungle in YZD: a little more colour, joy, and connection to the place around them.

Thinking about a community mural?

If you are planning a community mural, public art project, school mural, business mural, or large-scale artwork in Toronto, it helps to work with an artist who can think about both the final image and the process behind it.

A mural like Jungle in YZD is not just painted. It is planned, designed, coordinated, and brought to life with care.

And when it works, it becomes more than a wall. It becomes something people remember being part of.

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Related reading

• Thinking about a mural for your space?
  Check out my mural pricing in Toronto.

• Not sure how to choose the right artist?
  Read how to choose the right mural artist for your Toronto project.