Travelling muralist set to paint the city

THE city’s walls are about to become a little more vibrant these holidays with the arrival of a touring artist travelling all the way from Queensland.

Artist Lauren Farnham has been on the road with her family since 2020, and will be stopping in town for two weeks as part of her national road trip.

Travelling down the eastern coast, Farnham has painted over 23 murals in 16 different towns, with Ballarat being the next destination on her list.

“We’ve been wanting to see Sovereign Hill for a long time, so this is kind of an excuse to go there,” she said.

“For the location, there’s three possibilities between a kindergarten, the health services, or a mental health sensory room.

“I always try to fit in with the vibe of every town I visit. It all depends on the feel of the town and what the people are like.”

Arriving just in time for Easter, Farnham has whittled down her list of structures to Eyres House in Soldiers Hill, and two other locations yet to be determined.

Farnham first began painting murals in the Sunshine Coast when her sister asked her to paint the wall of her café.

Since then, her family embarked on a six-month roadtrip in 2018, and when it came time to do it again, Farnham thought she’d bring her passion with her.

Since advertising her services on Ballarat’s community Facebook groups, Farnham said she’s been inundated with requests, which has “set the theme” for the entirety of her artistic tour.

Once a location has been decided, Farnham plans to paint in the evenings after spending the first half of each day exploring the city with her family.

She said her theme will determined around feedback from both the community and those involved with the location, but that she always tries to keep things new and interesting.

“I try to do different things everywhere I visit. I don’t like to be pigeonholed to one style, so if there’s any way I can deviate, I’ll do it,” she said.

“I love anything with colour, and anything uplifting that’ll leave a positive impact on the community. A bit of interactivity is always good to have, something that people can stand with and get a photo of.

“I like to leave people feeling more positive than they did before.”