The Torquay artist behind a global flock

TORQUAY artist Mike McLean’s wagtail creations have surged in popularity over the past five years, spreading across homes along the Surf Coast, around Australia and now to at least 30 countries worldwide.

The cheerful birds, made from recycled and donated materials, are free for Torquay locals claiming their first – a community gesture McLean is committed to continuing.

He has long since stopped counting how many he has made, with demand now filling several hours of his day.

“It’s like a part-time job, with probably two or three hours a day on the wagtails,” McLean said.

They’re available for pickup from a metal box at his front gate, with online orders shipped further afield. He has also started collecting faded originals for refurbishment or new installations.

Locals can swap out weathered birds for fresh ones at no cost, helping keep the flock vibrant.

 

 

McLean said it is the joy they bring – from children counting them on walks to families gifting them as memorials – that keeps him going.

“The greatest thing is just the joy that it seems to bring people,” he said. “I love the human element [and] people sharing their stories with me.”

The project’s global reach has surprised McLean, with highlights including one perched at an Antarctic research station and another on remote Norfolk Island.

Crafted entirely from waste materials – including fence offcuts supplied by Nick Jones and community-donated paints – each wagtail is unique thanks to their hand-brushed white plumage.

Often, leftover strokes from McLean canvas portraits appear in the backgrounds, linking the birds to his broader practice.

“It’s literally become like a meditative act,” McLean said, after nearly a decade of production. “Every single one is completely original.”

 

 

He settled on the wagtail after trialling other birds, drawn to its “simple and bold” form. It has since become his signature, even inked as a tattoo on his arm.

His wagtail works often feature in community auctions, and he provides them free to schools and community groups.

Alongside the project, McLean continues to teach art, working with people with disability and those with challenging behaviours, while also pursuing larger portrait works and a new collaboration producing nano stainless steel prints with a Melbourne-based artist.

Looking ahead, he hopes to create large-scale public installations mimicking a flock in flight.

“I’d like to do something like a massive flock of wagtails,” he said. “Several hundreds of thousands of birds in the one spot.”

Anyone with a suitable tree or space is encouraged to get in touch.

Follow @mikemcleanartist and @willythewagtail for more.