Queen Street Mural Project
This project began with a request from local residents: “Can something be done to make this big factory more beautiful?”
In 2021, I painted the first mural on one side of the building. Later, as part of the City of Charles Sturt’s street upgrade, funding became available to extend the artwork around the corner, facing Port Road. That’s when artist Jack Fran came on board to install a new mural.
Inspired by the opportunity, the property owner then stepped in to fund an extension of my original design and support a collaboration between Jack and I. The idea was to merge our visions at the corner of the building.
Mural Collaboration
I’ve had the privilege of working with Jack on a number of murals. Bringing our ideas together, we came up with something that neither of us would have painted on our own. For this project, we combined our distinct styles and techniques.
We used a Graco Quick Shot airless paint sprayer to create an abstract gradient haze, something neither of us had tried before. It was exciting to figure it out together through a lot of creative problem solving.
More collaboration is exactly what public art needs. It pushes artists to think differently, step outside their comfort zones, and ultimately leads to more diverse, engaging outcomes for communities.
Residence Response
Every day we painted, people stopped to tell us how happy they were to see the wall being transformed. You know a project is worthwhile when people are drawn in and want to talk about it.
Our hope is that this mural continues to surprise and delight those who pass by. Whether it’s the bold colours, the subtle Queen references hidden in the design, or the way the artwork connects with its surroundings, we want it to feel like a little burst of joy in this residential corner of Croydon.
