The Man Behind Bangor's Newest Mural; Maine's 'Color Wizard'

The landscape of Bangor is changing, and we're not just talking about the people. Take a quick walk around the Downtown area and you'll notice some pretty remarkable pieces of art have popped up here and there.

Downtown Bangor Street Mural 2, Cori Skall

The most recent piece is right up the road from a large street mural on Hammond Street. This newest creation is being put together by Maine artist, Jared Goulette, known to most as The Color Wizard.

Hammond St. Mural 15, Cori Skall

Bangor Beautiful Inc. commissioned Goulette to paint the piece, he says. The City of Bangor recently voted to kick in $2,300 of grant money towards the project.

JG.Bangor Beautiful-Spring woods mural #7

"I discussed the project with Annette from Bangor Beautiful at the beginning of the year and she expressed an interest in bringing the natural world into downtown Bangor with a 'Spring Woods in Maine' theme. I then created a few digital design variations of this idea and after a few adjustments, we landed on a final design for the mural featuring cherry blossoms, fiddleheads, and a wood frog at the edge of a vernal pool."

JG.Bangor Beautiful-Spring woods mural #4

Gouletts says his process always starts with a conversation.

"I always have a conversation with each client about what they might be interested in for a design, often they have an idea but sometimes I am given full creative freedom and at that point I simply choose something I am passionate about and something that will challenge my skills; fantasy art, photorealism in the form of frogs, birds, plants and other wildlife."

Hammond St. Mural 10, Cori Skall

Goulette's mural is connected, in a way, to the other new street mural down the road from him.

Downtown Bangor Street Mural 17, Cori Skall

"The mural I am working on includes an array of Maine fiddleheads which are also an important aspect of the street mural that was recently completed. "

JG.Bangor Beautiful-Spring woods mural #2

He hopes to have the mural completed by the end of the month, weather permitting.

"I hope that viewers of this mural will take away from it a sense of wonder and exploration, perhaps a feeling of calm and tranquility. It would be wonderful if people took from it positive feelings of growth and the celebration of the natural world around us. "

JG.Bangor Beautiful-Spring woods mural #1

"I think it is great! Bangor Beautiful is making great strides and Public art in all its varying forms is a fantastic way to bring joy, creativity, and interest to any city/town. I think public art adds a lot of value to a given area and can cause positive changes with regards to local businesses and tourists visiting and wanting to return or even stay in a new place."

JG.Bangor Beautiful-Spring woods mural #5

"I have painted over 100 murals (interior & exterior, private & public) in Maine and am planning to paint many more! My largest murals reside in Lewiston and Portland but by far the most murals I have painted are in and around the city of Portland. My work is constantly evolving and progressing along with my ambition for new projects and challenges."

JG.Bangor Beautiful-Spring woods mural #3

"I pride myself on creating unique, custom murals for each of my clients and strive to ensure every mural is different from the last and showcase my ability to paint a variety of styles, subject matter, and more."

Hammond St. Mural 8, Cori Skall

You can find out more about Goulette, the Color Wizard, at his website, www.thecolorwizard.com. He's also on social media: Instagram; @thecolorwizard, on YouTube; @The Color Wizard and Facebook; @The Color Wizard.