A colourful mural popped up on the walls of Wandin’s Marigold Way, showcasing the beautiful native wildlife of the Yarra Ranges while minimising graffiti.
The spray painted artwork was completed by artist Brad Colling during the last week of January, freshening up the drab brick walls with a splash of vibrancy and character.
After a “game of cat and mouse” between taggers graffiting walls and the Rotary Club of Wandin cleaning it off, the idea of a mural came to Mr Colling.
“The wall kept getting tagged and the guys from Rotary kept painting over the tags to try to keep the town tag-free,” he said.
Mr Colling put forward a proposal to Community Bank Wandin-Seville and the bank agreed to allocate $5600 to fund the mural.
He’s had a few murals in the area and you can check them out in person or via his Facebook page, Buzzart.
Community Bank Wandin-Seville executive officer Leah Thompson said the bank had funded other Buzzart murals in the past, and they were always a favourite among the township.
“The mural completed on the opposite wall was so well done and created such a lively and nice vibe in the main street, when we heard Buzzart was trying to secure funding for another mural we knew it was something we wanted to be involved in for our community.
“Creative art lining our streets is so important, it gives our community character and can be something we can be proud of in our beautiful township,” Ms Thompson said.
Using spray paints, Mr Colling transformed the wall into a canvas of bright colours with large, eye-catching animals and plants.
An echidna sits front on against a backdrop of fluro green, while nearby a sugar glider grips onto a branch. The big, wise eyes of an owl makes you question who’s looking at who.
The level detail of each animal is quite complex and is a testament to Mr Colling’s technique.
Mr Colling is known to many in his hometown of Wandin. Whenever he’s got time away from his job as a movie set designer, Mr Colling paints and he enjoys the conversations his art sparks from those passing by.
“I’ve had hundreds of people stop for a chat. I spend half my time painting and half my time chatting, which is great because I get to know everyone,” he said.
Coincidentally, a local approached Mr Colling as he spoke with the Star Mail and complimented his work, before chatting about the joys of spotting echidnas along the Warburton Rail Trail.
“People really love it, so that’s the best part, that people stop and say how good it looks, you know, so that really helps.”
“I’m a local so a lot of people in the town, they know my stuff.
“I got a bit of art all around the town so people appreciate it and they also give me the opportunity to do stuff which I really appreciate.”
There’s a more personal meaning behind the mural too, with some of its subjects being references to important community members who’ve passed away.
Mr Colling said the native flora and fauna was also an attempt to make people more aware of the beautiful wildlife of the Yarra Ranges.
“I try to make people aware of what we’ve got, like all the animals and in the background there’s all indigenous plants.
“Suddenly, it’s sort of at the forefront of people’s minds that these animals are still around. They’re a big part of Wandin and the Yarra Valley.”
