Werribee’s Cherry Street carpark has a new mural.
Ocean Grove artist Justin Stone spent most of the weekend completing the work, which pays homage to the wetlands, the Werribee River and Wyndham’s proximity to the coast.
Mr Stone, who put in the final touches on Tuesday, said the council’s brief was for the art work to represent Werribee.
“I like getting outdoors and I like the natural world, so I immediately thought of the birds in Werribee … you always see pelicans flying over, so I went with that,” he said.
“I also went with the ocean and the bay, and the Werribee River weaving through it – but that’s a bit more abstract.
“It was more to do with the natural world and nature.”
Mr Stone has been painting murals for the past decade and has works in Geelong and in Melbourne cafes, businesses and courtyards.
The 35-year-old said the Cherry Street carpark wall was one of the biggest canvases he’s ever had to work with.
“It’s definitely the longest – I’ve painted double-storey and higher walls, but the amount of paint that’s gone into this is quite significant.”
Wyndham council paid Mr Stone $6000 for the installation – $1000 for the design, and $5000 for the actual art work.
A Wyndham council spokesman said the sum is in line with fees set by the National Association of Visual Artists, which sets the industry standards for payment of artists.
The mural replaces the infamous ‘Welcome to Wezza’ work done by students from Wyndham Community and Education Centre, a graffiti-style mural that drew a slew of online praise and criticism when unveiled at the end of June.
