By Mikayla van Loon
Lilydale artist Brad Colling has just finished painting a week-long mural at Maroondah Hospital as a way to say thank you to staff for their tireless efforts during the pandemic.
The commissioned artwork was organised by the hospital’s administration staff as part of an outdoor courtyard refurbishment.
Brad said the hospital contacted him after seeing his large mural display in Wandin and the only criteria was lots of colour.
“They did up the whole staff, outdoor dining area. They got colourful tables and chairs. So they wanted something pretty colourful and I did a couple of designs but the first one wasn’t colourful enough, so I changed it and made it more colourful,” he said.
“It was just a dull brick wall. So it just really brightens it up and it brings that colour to hopefully take their minds off all the day to day stuff while they’re sitting there having their lunch or dinner.”
Depicting a rainbow lorikeet surrounded by native flowers, Brad said he has received amazing feedback from staff and the community about the design.
“I’m very happy with how it’s come out and I’ve had heaps of really positive feedback from it. So it’s been good.”
Having worked on both small and large projects across the Yarra Ranges, Brad said he was grateful to have been invited and involved in this mural.
“The whole thing was it was a bit of a tribute and a bit of a reward for the staff having gone through a few years of crap times working in hospitals,” he said.
“I tried to put in a quote that was half of what I normally would charge but that’s not the point. Obviously they’ve done it hard and it’s good to definitely be part of that.”
As a site supervisor in construction by day and an artist whenever he can fit it in, Brad undertook this commission during his own Christmas/new year holidays, completing it within a week which he said “for me that’s actually pretty good. I’m usually a bit slower than that”.
Having always been artistic, Brad only began using spray paint in his role as a youth worker in Mount Evelyn when as a collective Yarra Ranges Council asked them to paint the skate park.
From there Brad went on to teach young people the skill of spray paint artistry and mural work to help divert them from tagging.
“We were doing a murals in schools program and it was an anti tagging campaign. We would paint a mural and talk about respecting people’s property and asking permission and all that stuff rather than just leaving rubbish everywhere by tagging everything.”
In his many years as an artist, he has painted everything from a Michael Jordan mural for a games room to local historic moments and RSL tributes.
Making the transition from full time artist, Brad said unfortunately it wasn’t sustainable to keep going but he is always working on a project whether it be a private commission or something like the Wandin station platform works.
The Maroondah Hospital commission cannot be accessed by the public. Find more of Brad’s work via Buzzart on social media.
