Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 28/05) - When the last embers of a forest fire burn out, often the first new growth to emerge through the ashes is Fireweed, with its straight, simple stem, scattered leaves and soft pink petals.

Artist Dean Robertson painted the plant as a symbol of new life in his mural titled In a Field of Fireweed.

Volunteers from Quality Furniture and members of Robertson's family installed the seven by 12-foot mural on the wall of the company's furniture warehouse across the street from the Franklin Avenue store earlier this month.

The public art was organized by the Aurora Arts Society and funded through the City of Yellowknife Downtown Enhancement Committee.

The mural features a contented-looking black bear and her playful cub resting in a lush, colourful blanket of fireweed.

Singed and charred tree trunks dot the bright landscape.

Rays of yellow sunshine wash over the scene.

Painted in golden acrylics on sign board, the mural took more than 100 hours to build, paint and waterproof, Robertson said.

The Yellowknife artist paints from his own wildlife photography, much of it snapped along the Ingram Trail.

"I try to use my own references as much as possible," he said.

Some of Robertson's work hangs upstairs in the Northern Heritage Visitor's Centre and in the lobby of the Yellowknife Public Library.

He is working on smaller wildlife paintings on wood, to be sold at the Little Bear's Den gallery in Stanton Plaza.

Soon he will transfer some of his artwork onto giftware, including mugs and other items.