This mural at Mews garage in Southsea was truly a unique and spontaneous community project one that I have never seen quite like before which goes much deeper than just paint on a wall, it was by chance I was walking past the garage and asked the owner if he wanted his garage to be represented on the Strand Mural which is just down the road to which he agreed.
I then came back to ask him if he wanted his wall painted and again Rick the owner agreed, this was Nov 2017 so it was a bit late in the year to be starting outdoor murals but we keep having milder autumns so I went for it and finished one wall facing the park.
The theme was a garden looking through a park and Rick wanted his dogs on the mural. Then one of his customers wanted their dog on there, then a dog walker stopped and started chatting about if they could have their loved one depicted on the wall. Rick loved the artwork and response that he asked me back in 2018 to carry on the mural around the other walls. A wandering artist Steve Seymour past by and asked if he could help which I agreed and we spent a few weeks in the sun listening to classic FM which is the perfect accompaniment to painting.
Rick is such a kind fellow he cannot say no to peoples requests so I started to ask people to buy him a nice bottle of Whiskey and I will paint their dog on there. After 38 dogs, 8 cats, 2 rabbits, 2 tortoises, hamster, 2 squirrels, a fox, and many birds later we have filled the wall and Ricks cellar:)
Yet on a serious note, the reaction we have had from people whose pets have been portrayed on the mural is incredible as a quarter of the animals have passed it has become a memorial to them and we have seen 9 sets of tears from eyes on remembering happy memories together.
