I Volunteered at Burnside Library in the 1990’s painting some large murals. The first mural I painted was of the Great Barrier Reef. It was featured on the far wall of the children’s section of the library until the library was demolished to make way for a new building. Then I painted two African murals displayed on the walls above the central library, separating it from the mezzanine area, where office staff were accommodated.
Both murals were painted in oil pastel on large sheets of cardboard before being assembled on the library’s walls. It was difficult to see how the completed mural would look as I worked by advancing from one section to another rather than from a complete sketch of the mural. I held a general idea in my imagination as I went and balanced weight and colour from piece to piece. I could assemble sections on the floor between the office desks from time to time but could not get larger sections together. The first time I saw the whole painting was when it was set up on the wall.
Because of how I worked, I could paint the creatures and plants in the murals in fine detail. That is not evident in these photos. I did not take detailed photos as I proceeded.
Lynette Arden 