Local Community Feature: Amaranth Mural by Chels Dyer

If you've visited our Arbour Lake location lately, you may have spotted something new on the garage door: a bright, colourful mural by Calgary artist Chels Dyer. 

We're so excited about this collaboration. Working with a local artist to bring more colour to the neighbourhood felt like a natural fit, and we're hoping to highlight more of the makers, growers, and creatives in our community along the way. We sat down with Chels to talk about how she got started, what inspired the design, and what it was like painting on a ridged garage door. 

From digital prints to full-scale walls 

How did you get started as a muralist? 

"I got started in muralism years ago. First, I was creating digital art for large-scale print and install, and then I had opportunities to support other mural artists on their projects. From there, I began applying for my own mural opportunities, like BUMP Roadworks, and started pursuing more mural-focused projects."

The goodness inside, on the outside 

What inspired this piece? 

"This piece was inspired by Amaranth's desire to connect meaningfully with their community of growers, vendors, and customers, and their focus on supporting local. Visually, I knew we wanted something bold, colourful, and inviting to the neighbourhood. So I thought, what better way than to represent all the goodness inside the store on the outside? I wanted to play up the connection to the community and show local crops in full, inviting colour." 

The words on the wall came straight from our mission statement: At Amaranth, we are driven to nourish the health of our community. Chels distilled that into a shorter line that could live on the mural - Nourishing Our Community. 

What do you hope people feel when they see it for the first time? 

"First and foremost, I hope they're delighted, and that their day is brightened by the bright colours and cheery crops."

Up close and stepping back 

What was your favourite detail to paint? 

"My favourites were the text and the picnic basket. They're both big framing elements that were so satisfying to get on the door, and they help anchor the piece. The text was especially satisfying after all the careful measuring and transferring work before any actual paint went on." 

What's the hardest part about working at this scale? 

"At a large scale, one of the challenges is reminding yourself to step back and look at the literal bigger picture. Up close, it's easy to get stuck trying to perfect every teensy detail. Stepping back, looking at the overall piece through the eyes of the viewer, and thinking through your next move really helps." 

For this wall, though, the trickiest part wasn't the size at all. "The hardest part was the surface! The garage door has ridges, which made it challenging to paint smooth, clean lines." 

Audiobooks, podcasts, and neighbours stopping by 

What do you love about creating murals? 

"I love painting and creating at a big, bold scale! But I also really love making something a whole community can enjoy, and seeing how quickly art can change a space." 

What was playing while you painted? 

"It's always a real mix, but I love getting into audiobooks and podcasts. This time I was listening to Sarah J. Maas' House of Flame and Shadow from her Crescent City series, mixed with episodes of Perfect Person with Miles Bonsignore, So True with Caleb Hearon, and Binchtopia." 

What does it mean to leave your mark on a local spot like Amaranth? 

"It's so special to make something beautiful that can be shared with Amaranth's customers and community. It feels great to contribute to Amaranth's legacy in Calgary and be part of their story." 

The connection went both ways. "Many people stopped to say hi, tell me they were excited to see the final piece, or ask about the process. Especially now, with the rise of AI, it's so special to create something by hand and have those moments of connection." 

Find more of Chels' work 

Follow Chels on Instagram at @letter.buck or visit chelsdyer.com. Next time you're in, take a minute to step back and enjoy the bigger picture. 

Know a local artist, maker, or grower we should know about? We'd love to hear from you.