First Coat International Arts Festival is an annual celebration of art, music, and a unique culture which has shared huge success with its community since 2014. During the three day event, over 30 international and local artists paint large scale murals throughout the city of Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia.
I was invited to participate in the annual event in May 2017 to produce an original work that holds a strong reference to the areas natural environment.
This piece shares a story on the early life cycle of the Scribbly Gum Moth (Ogmograptis Scribula). The moth Larvae mine the barks of various smooth-barked Eucalyptus species, causing zigzag patterned scribbles on the surface of the bark. The mine consists of a sinuous, zigzag gallery that widens gradually as the larvae grow while feeding on sapwood. When the larvae are about half grown, it reverses course and mines back parallel to the old mine with an increased line width.
Chrysalis or Pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing a transformation. It is the next stage in a butterfly or moth’s evolution with pupation taking place in grey ridged cocoons within cracks of the eucalyptus bark.
We briefed the client on a concept that was both relevant to the Toowoomba region and the business which resides behind the mural. The building this design is painted on houses a well known local accountancy and business advisory. The link to the natural environment in Toowoomba with the businesses practice and dedication to their client's growth, direction, and transformation has proven to be a fitting concept for the general public and the business connected to the mural.
Photography by Luke Shirlaw
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