Trying Hard Things: The Story Behind My Public Art Mural
Before I left for France and the European Patchwork Meeting, I wrapped up one of the most challenging — and rewarding — projects of my year: a large public art mural right here in Western Australia.
This project wasn’t just about creating an artwork. It was about stepping outside my comfort zone, embracing the unknown, and learning (sometimes the hard way) that doing hard things can be incredibly rewarding.
The Commission
Here in WA, certain building and development projects are required to allocate 1% of their budget to public art. The aim is to enhance public spaces and contribute to a community’s identity — and I love that principle.
I was invited to create an artwork for a new industrial building. The owners showed me several walls that would be suitable, and together with the local government guidelines for public art, we began to shape the brief.
Developing the Concept
If you’ve joined my Botanical Sketchbook Challenge, you’d recognise my process immediately. I started by sketching — lots and lots of sketching. I drew the local flora and fauna, explored patterns and textures, and played with quick thumbnails to test out design directions. There is a RAMSAR-listed wetland close by to the new building, and I love wetlands, so I explored the species that live in and around the wetland. At the same time, because the premises would house an electrical company, I started exploring ideas around networks, interconnectivity, and circuitry — concepts that, in their own way, mirror the intricate balance of a wetland ecosystem.
True to form, I got a bit carried away in exploring some rather complex ideas, and it was quite a process to simplify it all down to cohesive design featuring black cockatoos, eucalyptus leaves and a pattern representing eclectic circuitry.
Navigating the Unknowns
This stage of the process — developing ideas, refining a brief, and sharing concepts for feedback — is always a little nerve-wracking. There’s no clear road map, and it’s hard to predict how much time or back-and-forth it will take.
It’s also vulnerable work, sending those first concepts off to a client and waiting to hear what resonates. Thankfully, the feedback was thoughtful and constructive, and together we moved smoothly toward a final design.
What I know and was reminded of again: lean into the uncertainty. It’s part of the creative process — and it’s also where growth happens.
The Power of Collaboration
This project pushed me far beyond my natural comfort zone.
I had to find a metalworker to help incorporate sculptural elements. We also had to collaborate with the relevant local government department to make sure the artworks would meet their public art requirements. I liaised with the site’s building supervisor and even got my White Card so I could legally work on the construction site.
For someone who usually works alone in her home studio, that meant more emails, phone calls, and meetings than I would have ever chosen. But here’s what I experienced: healthy collaboration facilitates creativity. The right people can help bring your vision to life in ways you couldn’t achieve alone.
Learning New Tools
Another big unknown at the start of the project was exactly how I would go about transferring my image to the walls. I had a plan (the squiggle method) but realised that the circuitry pattern would be tricky to draw neatly using that method. We lined up a projector from some friends, which thankfully worked a treat!
Then came the biggest personal challenge of all: working at height. I knew from the start that I wasn’t going to love that part, but it was as confronting as expected! Even with a scissor lift, getting myself 7.5 metres up in the air is, without a doubt, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
But here’s the thing: there is so much satisfaction and learning in doing hard things. Every time I went up and pushed through the nerves, the fear lessened — just a little — and the reward of seeing that artwork take shape at such a large scale was worth every shaky brush stroke.
So Worth It
For all the unknowns, the phone calls, and the terrifying scissor-lift moments, there were also so many highlights.
It was exciting to see the artwork take shape, to lay down the layers of paint on the wall, to work at such a large scale, and to realise that it was all taking shape according to plan - particularly the collaborative elements. And it felt so nice to turn up on site and just paint for six hours at a time.
I'm so glad I gave this one a go!
The finished project includes a 10m wide by 7.5m high mural at the rear of the site, and two smaller murals at the front of the site. Each of the front artworks also include black cockatoos in flight that have been cut from sheet metal, and mounted with backlighting, to show up at night!
What I Learned
Every creative project brings new lessons. This one taught me:
• Pushing through hard things can be so rewarding.
• Collaboration makes possible what I can otherwise only imagine.
• It’s ok to move ahead through uncomfortable unknowns.
• And yes, 7.5 metres is my absolute maximum height tolerance.
If you ever get the chance to take on a big, slightly terrifying project: say yes. It will stretch you, teach you, and give you stories and memories to treasure.
