To this day, 28-year-old artist Hope Flynn misses Cotton. When the West Highland White Terrier died some years ago at the age of 12, Flynn didn’t just lose a friend. It was like losing a piece of herself.
The neurodivergent and self-described introvert found an outgoing friend in Cotton, making it easier to socialize with people for the then-middle schooler.
“I’m a shy person and she greeted people,” she said. “She inspired me because she helped me be outgoing.”
It's for this reason that animals feature prominently in Flynn's work. Her latest piece in Georgetown, called Postal Wings, is no exception, depicting several birds in flight carrying items on a Bell box at the corner of Sinclair Avenue and Guelph Street.
The municipality was a perfect muse for Flynn because of its status as a bird-friendly community. As there are only about two dozen municipalities in Canada with the designation, Flynn feels it's a "pretty impressive” accomplishment.
“I was fascinated by birds when I was a kid. I love to learn about them,” she noted, adding that her thesis for OCAD University was also about birds.
Flynn's images of feathered friends can also be found in her hometown of Burlington at Tansley Woods Recreation Centre, and on the pavement of Milton’s Hugh Lane.
Postal Wings is the second project she's undertaken through the Town of Halton Hills’ Under Wraps program, where artists can vie to decorate boxes using a printed vinyl wrap.
Perhaps residents have seen her first work in Georgetown, called The View From The Armstrong Avenue Property, at the intersection at Hwy. 7 and Carruthers Road. While those passing by have likely only ever see the train on one side of the box - honouring Halton Hills’ history as a stop on the Grand Trunk Railway - the reverse side features a husky.
Flynn's next goal is to put her chops as a muralist to the test in a city outside of Ontario. She has her eye on Calgary and has submitted a proposal to its local government.
More on Flynn's work is available on her website and Instagram (@HopeFlynnTheArtist).