Even when he’s on holiday, Peter Allen looks for opportunities to work on his craft.
The Victoria muralist was in Enderby on vacation last month when he noticed a blank wall on the side of Mel’s Pizza on Cliff Avenue and saw an opportunity.
Over five days, Allen painted a mural of a turtle on the wall, free of charge.
“It’s gorgeous,” said Melanie King, the owner of Mel’s Pizza for the last 17 years. “For him to do that, to come into town and just want to make it prettier and more beautiful, that’s just amazing. You don’t see too many people like that anymore.”
King said her son was working at the restaurant when Allen came in and offered his services pro bono.
“It was amazing to watch him work,” King said, adding Allen appeared to freehand the mural for the most part.
She says Allen came up with the idea for the turtle after rescuing one that was crossing Mabel Lake Road.
“He saved the turtle, he put it to the side (of the road) that it was going to and then he came up with that idea.”
The mural has received rave reviews from customers and people around Enderby.
“People actually come down and just look at it,” said King.
While Allen didn’t ask for any payment to paint the mural, King says anytime he comes to town, he can eat at Mel’s Pizza for free.
The turtle mural isn’t Allen’s only effort to beautify the city while he’s in town; King said he’s working on another mural three doors up from her business on Cliff Avenue.
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