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Paintings to brighten up SEAPARC

Professional life guard spends time painting themed murals
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Jacklyn Evans brightens up her work space.

SEAPARC employee Jacklyn Evans, 26, has been brightening up the leisure centre with colourful and elaborate murals for the past five years.

“I get tons and tons of people just saying how it brightens it up in here and it just adds life to the place,” Evans said.

Throughout the year, Evans will complete between three to four large murals and about 10 smaller artworks. The larger works are usually painted along windows surrounding the pool area.

She is the mastermind behind each design, which, depending on the size, can take up to 40 hours to plan.

The idea starts on paper, where the mural’s features are carefully mapped out.

“Usually I’ll just come up with a theme and just start building off of that theme,” Evans said, adding the themes are usually holiday-related or generic.

Some of the themes Evans has whipped up include an underwater theme, featuring characters from childhood favourites like the Little Mermaid, Shark Tales and Finding Nemo.

And a space theme that featured all of the planets and everybody’s favourite lonely robot, Wall-e.

Evans then singlehandedly draws the design with a dry-erase marker onto the window and paints the artwork.

She started doing the intricate paintings on her own time, and was soon after allotted hours by SEAPARC to continue doing murals for upcoming events and seasons.

Although clearly talented, Evans, who works professionally as a life guard and swimming and fitness instructor, has no history with art.

“I didn’t really know I could paint, but then I just tried it and could,” she laughed.

“I love it, it’s so much fun.”