YOUTH WAY MURAL ART PROJECT

With a 54m wall length and heights up to 8m, The Youth Way Mural Art Project was a big undertaking in Belgrave, VIC.

During this project I mentored 4 young local artists throughout planning, design and painting stages of the mural, as well as painting a large totem inspired by native wildlife.

The design drew inspiration from the local area and community and included references to several local icons, such as Baba Desi, Puffing Billy and local fauna.

The project was funded and supported by several generous donors, including Yarra Ranges Council, Belgrave Tecoma Township Group, Belgrave Traders Association and Upwey Bendigo Community Bank.

You can read more about the project in the Star Mail newspaper here

BLACKSMITH WAY

This freestyle work was created as part of a larger mural festival project in Blacksmith Way, Belgrave VIC.

The work was inspired by the flow of traditional graff piece lettering and blending it with my preference for painting charos.

The Blacksmith Way Graffiti project ran for several weeks and involved multiple artists from around the country and the local area.

HIDING PLACE

With a large focus on art, music and sustainable living, the Hiding Place is a unique property situated in the bushland of Monbulk VIC.

Through a variety events, gatherings and workshops, the Hiding Place offers a safe space to connect, educate and uplift the community.

The overriding aim of this project was to uplift an old water tank that features prominently from many locations of the property, including the function space and bush kitchen. A simple palette of 2 contrasting colours was deliberately chosen to stand out from the surrounding environment but not overpower it with complexity.

The style of this piece balances the funky, counter-culture approach of the operation within the bushland setting. Alongside the “Hiding Place” name, the artwork features a swamp wallaby, kangaroo, kookaburra and king parrot - all regular visitors to the site. The small side of the tank features an abstract work inspired by observing natural patterns in the surrounding trees, creek and bushland.

ST THOMAS MORE PARISH

The design of this project and available budget were in place before I was approached, so I had to problem-solve how I would achieve each element set out by the client and stay within the budget the congregation had accumulated through prior fundraising.

The church ‘silo’ is around 26m in height, and only accessible from one side. By employing a large knuckle boom, a small compressor and a paint gun, I was able to achieve a satisfactory outcome blending the colours all the way around the structure.

The lettering at the highest point was designed by local artist and font enthusiast Mark Westaway, and was deliberately placed at the top of the silo to be visible from a distance throughout the town of Belgrave, and line up with the direction of the cross at the pinnacle of the tower.

The lower lettering and logo were shifted around to be visible from the front of the church and welcome visitors to the site, alongside a painting of olive trees at the base.

ELSTERNWICK SIGNAL BOX

Located in Elsternwick, VIC, this artwork was part of a broader effort by the Glen Eira Council and a selection of various artists. The aim of the project was to uplift the area through art created on signal boxes, often heavily targeted by tags and graffiti.

After approaching local businesses, members of the public and observing the surrounding area, I focused my design on the local multicultural community, public interactions and everyday activities.

The speech bubbles emphasise connection and interaction, while stylised icons form representations of common objects and activities seen and heard in the area. The mysterious “text” inside many of the speech bubbles is deliberately unreadable and represent the large variety of languages spoken by the multicultural community who live, work and commute the area.

VALPARAISO TOTEM, CHILE

While travelling Chile with my wife, I had the good fortune of contributing my work to the walls of Valparaiso - a city famous for the incredible accumulation and variety of graffiti and street art that covers almost every inch of available wall space.

The work was inspired by conversations, observations and experiences from my travels around Chile, particularly the desert region of Atacama in the north of the country.

Included in the piece are several native and indigenous animals - flamingos, viscacha (or “green rabbit”) and alpaca.

Viva Chile!!

NAUGHT GIN

This project is a great example of working with a client to adopt branding and existing imagery into a larger mural project.

Naught is an award winning Gin Distillery and venue located in Eltham, VIC. Adhering to the client brief, I adopted existing artwork used in their branding that references many of the ingredients used in the distilling process.

By breaking up different elements and selectively applying the design in areas around the building exterior, the artwork aims to compliment the space, tying spaces together and providing visual interest for patrons and visitors to the venue.

MORE MURALS & COLLABORATIONS

  • Coburg Head

  • Subsonic Music Fest (Colab)

  • Mediator Djinn

  • Jelly Guru

  • Newcastle Uni (Colab)

  • The Music

  • Powerhouse Stack

  • "Hut Love" Head

  • Don't Panic! (It's only a Pandemic)

  • Australian Open

  • Rando Bando

  • Van Demon

  • The Machinist

  • Sleepy Djinn

  • Spooky (Colab)

  • Bank Corner Cafe, Newcastle

  • Sooki Recovery

  • Weekend Colab

  • Olive Tree