If you’re on the North Shore, you may have already spotted a striking illustration of a pod of orca whales on the move. The canvas? Seaspan’s newest employee shuttle bus. It’s just one of a growing fleet of shuttles, including several fully electric buses.
The latest design was created by Darryl Blyth, an Indigenous artist and member of the Musqueam Indian Band. The three orca whales were an intentional nod to the marine industry as well as his Musqueam heritage, he said.
“I’ve created illustrations of whales before and in this case, it was refreshing to see these new colours coming into Indigenous art. I really tried to capture the motion of the water with this work for Seaspan with the family of whales. Each tail fluke is unique.”
This is the third Seaspan employee shuttle to feature Indigenous art, adding to the work created by Olivia George of the səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), and Ray Natraoro of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).
So far, the employee shuttles have helped reduce vehicle traffic by transporting thousands of employees to and from work across the North Shore.
Darryl, who is a graphic designer and car enthusiast, has significant experience doing custom car wraps. When Seaspan began looking for an artist to take on the project last year, his proposal was quickly accepted, thanks to his experience with vehicle wraps and his bold style.
Recently, Darryl had the opportunity to finally see his work in person at Seaspan’s Pemberton Campus in North Vancouver.
“This was the first time that I was able to bring together my Indigenous artistry and combine it with my passion for automotive design. It was cool to see those two paths come together through this project for Seaspan,” said Darryl.
This project represents the first time Darryl has put Indigenous artwork on a vehicle, but it isn’t the first time that Darryl has been involved with Seaspan.
Before going full-time on his art career, Darryl worked at Seaspan’s Vancouver Drydock as a painter for several years. He had followed in his dad’s footsteps, who was a marine technician by trade, having worked several times as a contractor with Seaspan Marine.
Despite working as a painter, Darryl’s true passion was cars. His friends began collecting custom cars, and he wanted to create unique designs for them. Entirely self-taught, Darryl learned Adobe Illustrator and delved into the world of automotive design.
After that, he began exploring his artistic inclinations further, including illustration and graphic design. He began doing professional design work for a sign company before eventually taking on freelance projects, including Indigenous artwork.
In addition to his work at Seaspan, Darryl has designed artwork for the Vancouver Public Library at the West Point Grey branch, which is located on Musqueam territory, as well as for Translink, Vancouver Coastal Health and for the BC Maritime Employers Association.
“This was a really memorable project,” Darryl noted. “I’m looking forward to seeing the shuttle on the move.”
For the next foreseeable future, the whales Darryl brought to life will continue travelling throughout the North Shore as the shuttle transports Seaspan employees to Vancouver Shipyards, where vessels, including two Joint Support Ships for the Royal Canadian Navy and a heavy polar icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard, are currently under construction.
Learn more about Darryl’s other artistic projects:
- Translink Skytrain Artwork | Mark 5 Journeys illustration
- BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) | Dispatch Centre mural
- Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) | Cancer Care Clinic artwork