The Peach Ice Cream Shop, known more famously as the Penticton Peach, has a new look.
And it may well be the best yet.
Rather than the cutesy seasonal face we've all come to expect, the Peach is now adorned with a miniature mural depicting Okanagan Lake, Munson Mountain and the celebrated silica and concrete "PENTICTON' sign built in 1937.
It's a gorgeous look, with a magnificent twist. In the water below the mountain is a rippled reflection of the sign. But it's spelled "SN'PINKTN" -- the name of the Okanagan First Nations' settlement that long preceded Penticton.
"We're honoured to reside and operate on the traditional territory of the Syilx peoples," said Peach co-owner Diana Stirling. "This beautiful artwork by Johann Wessels is to respectfully show our gratitude to the people, the land and the water.
"Sn’pinktn in Nsyilxcen language means Penticton."
The mural, said local artist Wessels, is the product of some deliberation.
"I've been working with them (Stirling and husband/co-owner Dustin) for quite a while now, and we were talking about a different direction for the artwork. Something that didn't involve a lot of duct tape.
"We wanted to do something along these lines, and then they came up with the idea of the reflection and that was it."
Wessels drew the image digitally then projected it onto the wall of his studio, where he'd taped multiple sheets of printer paper. He traced the image, collected all the papers together, and made his way to the Peach where, with the judicious aid of some old-school carbon paper, he transferred the image and painted it.
It was all done quite stealthily in the early morning light late last week.
"Transferring an image onto a spherical surface like that does present some unique challenges," laughed Wessels. "But it was just a huge pleasure doing it. It's been a wonderful project."
With wonderful results, we might add.
