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The castle that Nintendo (and Paige Walters) built

She spent 10 months creating her Nintendo-inspired masterpieces which are on display at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library

It all started with Super Mario.

Local artist, Paige Walters has had a love of video games ever since her cousins introduced her to the moustachioed plumber when they were kids, and her obsession has only grown from there. Now, fuelled by a passion for Nintendo and a love of multimedia arts, Paige Walters has transformed her obsession into a new display at the BWG Public Library.

She started work on a castle in January. From there, her vision grew, incorporating new media and new challenges.

“Some of the things I wished to do I had never tried my hand at before, like clay sculpting,” she said. “I envisioned something much simpler, but being an artist, I kept thinking of more things I could create.”

The first few weeks of work on the display were spent mapping out how things would look, scribbling ideas on scraps of paper and creating a plan. It took all year to complete the individual hand-crafted pieces, with Walters working on the display right up until the night before it was going to be showcased.

“Throughout the past 10 months, there were many times I would work long into the night without regard for the time. Some nights I’d fall asleep in the pieces of whatever I was working on,” she said.

Walters admitted that she was surprised by how difficult the intricate castle was to build. She had initially thought it would be the easiest of the projects; in fact, it was the hardest. Originally planned to be on a much smaller scale, the castle took on a life of its own. Built mostly of old cardboard and construction paper, it took two months and many hours of cutting and measuring to complete.

There were times when Walters thought about giving up. But now she says, “All that work was definitely worth it when I see the smiles it brings!” Children, adults and teens have been entranced by the elaborate display.

Throughout the display case is her own collection of vintage Nintendo memorabilia, as well as the pieces she created, which include the drawings behind the gaming systems, dioramas, statues and the felted background.

Paige Walters works at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library and is a freelance artist. To contact her, stop by the library to check out her display!


Miriam King

About the Author: Miriam King

Miriam King is a journalist and photographer with Bradford Today, covering news and events in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.
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