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Meet the artists bringing a burst of colour back to Maritime communities

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Summer is a popular time of year for a makeover, and two artists in the Maritimes are taking that to a whole new level by rejuvenating old buildings through art.

Jake Seibert hasn’t always put brush to brick to make a living. Seibert used to work in a laboratory for the federal government, but when he found himself laid off one year, he ended up doing Christmas window paintings to pay the bills. Now, Seibert has turned his back-up plan into a full-fledged career.

“I have a pretty good pedigree to rely on,” he said. “My mom is a retired art teacher, so I was pretty much grown up with the medium around the house. I always did it in my spare time and finally managed to make the leap and do it full-time.”

Seibert is teaming up with fellow artist, Kristen de Palma, to bring new life to some of the Maritimes’ oldest structures.

After leaving a corporate job where she led a marketing team in Nova Scotia, de Palma took the risk and decided to go all-in on her design business. After applying for a project with the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, de Palma found herself in charge of creating a mural in the city centre.

“I had a moment that was excitement followed quickly by like, ‘Oh god, how do I actually make this happen?’”

That’s where Seibert came in.

“I like to use the materials like a house painter, so I use all the same rollers, brushes, cutting-in techniques,” he said. “I like to use really bright colours and use the transparency in the paint to achieve that.”

The best part about the job, according to Seibert, is that he’s constantly “peddling joy” and “bringing a burst of colour” back to the community.

“You’re selling a product or a message but you’re doing it in the most fun, engaging way possible.”

De Palma agrees.

“When something goes up that has such a large scale and that is really intended just for the sake of beauty or adding colour to the community, I think that has a huge impact,” de Palma said. “It has people stop in their tracks and really appreciate it, as well as creating a sense of belonging and community. I think it’s really powerful.”

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