Back in 2010 I was contracted to paint several large scale murals in Richlands in conjuction with the opening of the Darra to Springfield Transport Network. This one was themed Night & Day and stretches 87m of the motorway and bicycle paths. I was recently provided the opportunity to carry out some re-juvenations, maintenance and additions with thanks to RoadTek Department of Transport and Main Roads for making it happen.
I was kept busy with a few murals last year at Windaroo Valley State High and it was great to apply more new work recently.
After completing numerous murals last September at Churchill State School I recently returned for another round. This time we focused on the hall completing artwork on the interior and the Kiss N Ride zone. The exterior was a challenge, not only due to its size and position in full sun but the windows, stairs and hot water unit informed the design to work with these elements as best as possible. I once again thoroughly enjoyed working with Churchill and I will have the Champions jingle in my head for some time!
To quote the words of a student “Without further ado I present to you the Regents Park State School Tuck Shop 2021” A huge thanks to the P & C and school staff who made this project happen. It was great to give the Tuck Shop and Uniform Shop a much needed make over and receive such positive feedback.
I recently had the opportunity to create a collaborative mural at RESQ’s office in Barcaldine, Iningai country Central Western Queensland. It was a pleasure working with local artist Ronell and the RESQ team. I probably learnt more than I taught during the art making process which was very enjoyable. I have a couple of projects up my sleeve so I am very much looking forward to returning to Barcy again soon.
The middle of summer didn’t deter me from hitting the road for another adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed kicking off the year with a project in Emerald, Central Queensland. I had completed the first stage last year and the Emerald State High School P&C were again great to work with. The designs were based from a stack of references submitted by students and I had a fun challenge of applying them. There’s always ideas I never would have thought of such as an electric guitar being consumed by tentacles.
I also made time to do a fresh piece at the BMX track while I was in the area.
It was a privilege to return to Redland Museum for my sixth commission since completing the entrance murals in early 2000’s. Ive worked with Redland Museum on a variety of projects including Strawberry Fields & Grand View Hotel the Printery Display and the Woodworking Display and this time around I was set the task to create a backdrop for the Garage Display. As always I worked with the volunteers and staff and relied on their expertise to ensure accuracy. A large corner wall with various surface textures was challenging. I balanced specific details from historical photographs with the existing site to try and create a design that works aesthetically given the size, scale and viewing angles. The design is based on Mander Bros Garage which opened in Bloomfield Street in 1939 and operated until 1972 before being replaced by a shopping arcade.
The Tuck In at Forest Lake State School received a make over this week. It was previously dark green so the bright colours and happy characters really lift the space. Frankie the falcon is a regular at Forest Lake so he also made an appearance. Thanks to the fabulous P & C for their hard work to see this project completed.
It was a pleasure to complete several murals at Churchill State School. I was provided a brief for each site with the vision of transforming numerous dull areas into vibrant spaces. The mural designs incorporated the school motto, sports houses (Red Leopards, Green Cobras and Blue Foxes) and the Churchill Champions to encourage positive behaviour. As a contractor schools are great to work with for a multitude of reasons and Churchill is no exception. Thanks to all who made this project happen, making me feel welcome and trusting my expertise.
Shailer Park State School has kept me busy over the years with numerous murals, design and signage projects. This time I was set the challenge to create a weather station and chalk boards to be used as learning tools for the younger students. There were a few elements that took some time to refine through the design and fabrication stages to ensure the product suits the application.
