Process video of the creation of the mural:
The members of Thomastown Men's Shed and I have collaborated on a large-scale outdoor mural for the side of the Mens Shed premises on Marshes Street, Thomastown.
This collaborative public art project which has been supported by Kilkenny Leader Partnership, is now complete for all to enjoy.
We developed the project through interactive workshops, design discussions, and a huge amount of hands-on teamwork over the last few months.
The mural depicts the local iconic landmark of Mullins' Bridge, which provides the unique context for the Thomastown Men's Shed, as there are over 450 Men's Sheds in Ireland, and 1800 globally.
Also depicted are line drawings which represent the activities and values of the mens shed such as appreciation for biodiversity and nature, wood as a material for making, boat building, bicycle mending, kindling and birdhouse production, as well as welcoming and connecting with each other, and working together.
This project aimed to inject creativity and energy back into the locality which it has succeeded in doing not only through the aesthetically pleasing final product, but through providing an opportunity for positive contribution and involvement in the community, as well as reconnecting local people through a creative medium.
Launch:
After three weeks of hard work, and months of planning, we finally launched our collaborative mural on July 22nd.
Myself and the members of the Thomastown Mens Shed invited some friends and family to view the mural, have a drink, take some team photos, and formally launch the project.
I gave a brief speech in which i detailed the process involved in the creation of the mural including initial creative workshops and design discussions, as well as the stages of priming the wall, painting the base coat, transferring the design, adding colour and finalising the details.
I also specifically thanked the Mens Shed Members for their hard work and dedication to the project, as well as Murey Healy for allowing us to paint the wall, Kilkenny Leader Partnership for sponsoring the project, and Capitol Hardware for providing the paint.
The following week we were happy to see a small piece in The Kilkenny People about the project.
