Creating a work of art intended to disappear into the background may not seem like a triumph, but a local artist is feeling honoured for her inclusion in a unique part of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Red Deer Lake artist Wendy Palmer said her 12-inch by 12-inch painting of a beach in Tofino will be seen by millions of people, but the first thing viewers will notice is the 20-foot long killer whale with her calf swimming beside her.

Palmer’s painting is like one piece in a puzzle. The beach in Tofino is an artwork on its own and stands alongside 230 other paintings which make up one large mural.

The mural, called “Kunamonkst”, was unveiled at the 2010 Winter Olympics on Feb. 13. Palmer said the mural was in a prime spot and will be seen by the many tourists visiting Vancouver during the Games.

“Oh – millions. It’s in a prime location where they handed out medals,” said Palmer. “They’re selling posters (of the mural) worldwide and they’ve done a documentary on it, which will be aired on television. Once the Olympics are over the mural is going to be shown at the Galliano Inn on Galliano Island (B.C.)”

Palmer is among some accomplished painters who also contributed to the project including Robert Bateman, Fred Peters and Roy Henry Vickers.

Albertans Lewis and Paul Lavoie and Phil Alain orchestrated the project, keeping the image of the final mural secret from each artist invited to paint a panel. Participating artists were given a 12-inch by 12-inch panel with some abstract shapes and base colour requirements on it. The artists then had to create a painting incorporating those shapes and colours.

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