The Big Easel featuring a giant replica of Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting “Sunflowers” has returned to Altona. The giant painting has been a focal point for nearly 30 years in the community, but last year during a windstorm it experienced some damage and needed to be taken down. “When we brought it down, we noticed that repairing it would maybe need to be updated to replacing it,” said Harv Schroeder, the mayor of Altona. So the town called the artist who did the painting almost 30 years ago, Cameron Cross, to see if he would be available to do it again. Cross recreated the famous painting on four panels that were each eight feet by 24 feet. In total the painting is 24 feet wide and 32 feet tall. The artwork is done on marine-grade plywood, and each panel has two layers of fibreglass mat to prevent water from getting in. The painting was also finished in a protective gel, an industrial-grade primer, and an automotive clear coat for added protection. Once complete, the panels were put together and then lifted by a crane onto the 8,000-pound easel on Monday. Schroeder said the upgrades will ensure the painting will be around for many years. “When it was missing, you could tell there was a definite hole in the community,” said Schroeder. “People (would) come from other communities and wanted to see it and realize it was missing.” Altona is known as the sunflower capital of Canada, and Schroeder said it points to the town’s history, as the radiant flower helped bring business to the area. When crews were installing the new painting, he said people became very interested in what was happening, and everyone started to take pictures of the setup. “When a sunflower blooms, it faces east and as the sun goes to the west, the sunflower follows it. So when people drive by on the highway and see this big van Gogh painting, their heads turn to see the painting.” The town got the painting up just in time, as it is celebrating the 61st annual Sunflower Festival this weekend.
