“But that doesn’t look like any tree I have ever seen! Are you a real artist?” asked a Year 1 student, arms crossed, looking at a half-finished tree trunk, with eyebrows raised like a tiny art critic. I’ve come across all kinds of feedback in my career in architecture and art, but there is nothing quite as innocent as the honest feedback from 6-year-olds.
When I signed up to paint a large-scale mural on a metal container at my son’s school, I was stepping outside my comfort zone, as I typically do smaller artworks meant for indoors. However, I’m usually the “say yes first, apologize/Google later” type, so I went in with a clear plan: to figure it out along the way.
This project at Hunters Hill Public School and funded by Hunters Hill Public School P&C Association, on Wallumedegal land, began with a vision to develop a unified Public Art Strategy—one that incorporated the creative ideas and aspirations of the school’s community. The aim was to shape not just this mural but all future public artworks on campus. The entire school community—students, staff, and parents/carers—contributed to the process, which ensured the strategy reflected diverse perspectives.
As Hunters Hill Public School Principal Kim Dudgeon put it, “Having a collaboratively formed strategy provides voice and ownership to all involved and offers the opportunity for lasting involvement in projects for years to come. This mural is a wonderful representation of what can be achieved when everyone works together.”
To maximize involvement, the younger students shared their design ideas and drawings in workshops, while Year 6 students literally got their hands dirty during the painting phase. Of course, they also managed to dirty their uniforms, shoes, socks, and everything else in the process, which led to the implementation of full-body hazmat suits for all participants. Spilled paint buckets, stray ‘elements’ appearing in the mural, acrylic paint on living plants and rogue graffiti were all part of the creative chaos we navigated. But this mural has now become a part of Year 6’s legacy as they move on to high school.
Meghan Murray, Stage 3 Assistant Principal at Hunters Hill Public School, shared, “The Year 6 students really enjoyed having a lasting impression on the school for years to come. They loved wearing the jumpsuits and painting with rollers, which is something they do not get to do in class art on such a huge scale.”
The mural draws inspiration from student drawings and the natural environment of the school playground. It also includes inspirational words chosen by students, hidden within the landscape. Each face of the mural continues the trees behind it—sometimes with a creative flourish. The campus is so alive with plants, birds, insects, and wildlife that almost every element in the mural could be found in reality. Turkeys regularly wandered by, seemingly assessing the painted turkeys, and I’m almost certain I saw one nod in approval.
Watching the mural take shape became a popular spectator sport for students. Every recess and lunch, they would gather to stare, cheer, critique, and suggest improvements. I, on the other hand, often felt like the latest exhibit at a zoo.
The mural, titled “Look a Little Closer”, invites viewers to notice the environment around them with greater care and attention. It was a learning experience for me, too—I found myself noticing the trees and birds on campus more closely than ever before. I spotted a family of lorikeets living in the hole of a large fig tree, turkeys scavenging the playground after recess, and birds leaving the grounds and perching on branches whenever the school bell rang—they knew the bell meant a stampede of children was imminent!
As an artist accustomed to working alone in my studio, the daily interactions with my adoring spectators and support from teachers and staff were a welcome change. There were boys who insisted that soccer balls and handballs belonged in a nature-themed mural, and girls who pleaded for butterflies and bees—the bees and the butterflies won!
On this project I received some of the most heartfelt and charming feedback I’ve ever had. A few Year 1 students decided my work deserved a round of applause, exclaiming, “Clever! Clever! Very clever!”.
Samara Richardson, Assistant Principal at Hunters Hill Public School, often reminds me of how extraordinary this experience was for the children. “The mural is not just a piece of art; it is a collaborative effort that gives each child the opportunity to contribute. Being part of the process allows them to feel ownership of the end product.”
I couldn’t agree more. And now, I find myself embarking on a second mural for the school.
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