Wagtails to fly wall-to-wall

THE playful wagtail art of Mike McLean could be adorning large-scale public spaces across the region after the talented artist called out to the Surf Coast community for walls to paint.

Mr McLean posted the call out on his own and community Facebook pages, asking for public and privates spaces to create murals.

The wagtail featuring in Mr Mclean’s work gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, dotting people’s homes, yards and public spaces, and the Torquay-based art teacher hopes to continue to build his breadth of work to include bigger and more ambitious pieces.

“I’m just starting to move more into mural work, especially given I’m teaching less nowadays,” he said.

“I am very community focused by nature and I’m also just trying to broaden things with the wagtail and just push it out a bit more, just making it a little bit more intellectually interesting for myself I guess.”

Mr McLean is on target to have completed 30 commissioned works by the start of 2023 and hopes to start proposed larger scale projects once the weather starts improving.

“My goal in the long run is to do major, large-scale, international art installations using the wagtail,” he said.

“We’re talking a 100,000 wagtails on a single wall in different formats, and that forms part of what I’m doing now, taking thoughts and concepts and bringing them to life.”

Mr McLean said tourists that have passed by his residence, where he keeps a box on wagtail plaques, have taken plaques and shared his work in different countries.

“The wagtail was in Czech Republic the other day, South Africa, Italy, Singapore, Finland, Spain, Norway, the United States, and more,” he added.

“It makes me extremely proud and humble. I know the wagtail is cute, but it’s surreal to see it all over the world.

“Hopefully the murals can allow me to take the next step with the passion I love.”

To offer a mural site, contact Mr McLean at [email protected].