Q2 Murals · Project case study

Blue Jays — Alley Cats Jam

Mural by Quinton Trott

Two graphic blue jays perch above a doorway in a Downtown Barrie alley—an individual artwork within a larger wall painted by several artists.

Two blue jays painted by Quinton Trott above a doorway on a black alley wall in Downtown Barrie — Blue Jays section by Quinton Trott above an alley doorway in Downtown Barrie.

Project facts

An untitled artwork, documented by its place and moment.

“Blue Jays — Alley Cats Jam” is a descriptive case-study title. The mural itself was not formally titled.

Artist: Quinton Trott
Event: Alley Cats Jam — Street Food & Street Art Edition
Event date: August 16, 2025
Location: Alley/courtyard associated with 112 Dunlop Street East, Downtown Barrie, Ontario
Project context: Individual section within a larger multi-artist alley wall
Section size: Approximately 9 ft × 5 ft
Medium: Spray paint on prepared exterior masonry/block
Painting time: Approximately two evenings

The opportunity

A last-minute opening on the wall.

Quinton attended Alley Cats Jam because a friend was participating. During the event he met Bruno, they talked, and an open section of the wall became available above a doorway. It was an informal, in-the-moment opportunity rather than a commissioned or juried selection.

Bruno loosely suggested a rounded, bean-like shape. Quinton read the doorway and its ledge as a natural perch, then developed two blue jays nesting above it with only enough branch and nest detail to hold the composition together.

Composition & technique

Wildlife forms, pushed through a graffiti-trained eye.

The birds are representational, but they are not a literal photo copy. Blocks of blue, sharp cut-in highlights and exaggerated separation give the feathers more colour, shape and graphic clarity while keeping the blue jays immediately recognizable.

Quinton has worked with graffiti lettering, clean outlines and colour blocking since around 2009, later extending that language into portraits, characters and animals. This section brings those habits into a wildlife mural without letting the styling overpower the birds.

Process & reference

Built directly around the wall.

Quinton supplied his own spray paint and painted the section over approximately two evenings. The wall had already been prepared and painted black by the event organizers; that preparation was not part of Q2's scope.

A publicly available blue jay photograph found through Google served as visual reference, with composition revisions worked through on a phone. The reference image is not reproduced here because its publication rights have not been verified.

The Toronto Blue Jays' strong 2025 season made the subject feel timely, but that sports connection remained a secondary layer rather than the organizing idea.

Event & wall context

One section in a shared alley wall.

Alley Cats Jam — Street Food & Street Art Edition was produced by Clandestinos Art with Downtown Barrie as part of Open Air Dunlop on August 16, 2025.

The Blue Jays occupy an alley/courtyard wall associated with 112 Dunlop Street East, rather than the building's Dunlop-facing elevation. They are Quinton's individual contribution within the larger multi-artist wall. The Blue Jays remained in place as of August 2026.

Completed Blue Jays mural above a doorway with portions of adjacent artists' mural sections visible on both sides — Completed Blue Jays section with portions of the neighboring mural work visible. Quinton authored the birds above the doorway; the surrounding sections were painted by other participating artists.

Illustrated Alley Cats Jam event flyer for August 16, 2025 in Barrie, Ontario, with producer and partner credits — Official Alley Cats Jam flyer. It credits Clandestinos Art as producer, Downtown Barrie as collaborator, and identifies the August 16, 2025 event as part of Open Air Dunlop.

Have a wall in mind?

Start with the wall, the place and the right artist.

Start a mural project Back to projects