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The Hive

by Sandy and Steve Pell

Medium: Mixed

Location: 5 Church Street W. Elmira

This mural is a little love letter to Elmira, built one bee at a time. Each honeybee is doing something different. Some are hard at work, others are taking a well-earned break, and a few look like they’re catching up on the latest buzz. Together, they reflect the everyday efforts that keep a community thriving, even when no one is looking.

The patterns around them draw on local plants that support real pollinators in this region: nodding onion, bee balm, New England asters, goldenrod, and swamp milkweed. These flowers root the artwork in Elmira’s landscape and highlight the natural resilience that helps the town flourish. The Hive is a reminder that Elmira grows stronger through shared effort, small acts of kindness, and the joy of working side by side.

Artist Statement

Pellvetica’s high-contrast illustrative style blends a precise grid system with organic, free-flowing patterns. Their work celebrates the meeting point of order and chaos, inviting people to experience moments that go beyond words.

Every stroke matters. Each one contributes to the whole, reflecting the belief that balance and meaning come from unity. Their art sparks a wide range of reactions, from peace and empowerment to passion, anxiety, or even a sense of beautiful chaos.

Sandy and Steve have worked across many formats, including large-scale commercial murals (both interior and exterior), art prints, applied illustrations, fine art commissions, digital art, vinyl wraps, packaging, and more.

Portfolio

https://www.pellvetica.com/portfolio  

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Artist Bio

We are an artistic partnership specializing in commercial murals, graphic design, and applied illustration.
Pellvetica is a Vancouver Island-based, collaborative artistic partnership between Sandy Pell and Steve Pell. Combining their backgrounds in graphic design, illustration, and photography, they create custom, interactive mural experiences that connect with people and leave a lasting impression. Since establishing the agency in 2014, they have partnered with private organizations, local municipalities, design firms, and commercial illustration agencies.

Select clients include Google, The Art of Home (Galt), Boeing Vancouver, Allianz Global Assistance, Hootsuite, Clearly, Free People, L.A. Care Health Plan, Chronic Ink, Collective Arts Brewing, Vancouver Mural Festival, Royal Canadian Mint, City of Vancouver, City of Nanaimo, Aragon Properties Ltd., Maricich Health, Ideon Agency, Fusion Homes, and several others.
Lürzer’s Archive, a celebrated creative resource for advertising professionals worldwide, recognized Sandy and Steve as part of the Top 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide in 2017. Pellvetica clients have also received honours, including Top 10 of the World’s Coolest Offices, Top 10 Coolest Offices in Canada, and the SHINE Annual Interior Designers Institute of B.C. Awards of Excellence.

The artists live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia with their fetch-obsessed border collie, Colin, who often inspires big smiles in the community.