A HIGH-PROFILE Torquay artist has created a striking mural in honour of the volunteer tradies and suppliers who helped make the 2025 Good Friday Appeal (GFA) Home in Armstrong, Mount Duneed.<\/p>\n
The $1.4 million house, the result of a collaboration between Henley Homes and Villawood Properties, will be auctioned with no reserve on April 18 with all proceeds supporting The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH).<\/p>\n
Fans could follow Kirstin Walsh on Instagram as she used a host of spray paint cans and worked away on the large-scale commissioned piece.<\/p>\n
The work centres on a child spraypainting a red love heart, who is surrounded by pages from children’s books and different coloured love hearts and flowers as well as words such as “family” and “home”.<\/p>\n
Described as ‘a living canvas of gratitude’ the mural is inspired by artwork from children whose lives have been touched by the RCH.<\/p>\n
“When I heard about the children’s artwork being the inspiration, my mind immediately went to Banksy’s Girl with Balloon, a simple, yet powerful image recognised across the world,” Walsh said.<\/p>\n
“I wanted to capture that same raw emotion, but through the eyes of the children, in a street-art-inspired explosion of colour and creativity. Think Hosier Lane meets heartfelt gratitude – artwork that is bold, joyous and filled with artistic energy.”<\/p>\n
Walsh, a resident at Torquay’s Ashmore Arts, won bronze at the 2020 National Street Art Awards for her first artwork, located on Pakington Street.<\/p>\n
Among the many volunteers bringing the home to life is Jake Murrell, a father to four-year-old Evan, who has been battling the rare genetic disorder X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH).<\/p>\n
Mr Murrell’s commitment to the GFA 2025 house is deeply personal, as his family has seen first-hand the impact of the RCH.<\/p>\n
“Helping out on the GFA house project is one way I can give back. Being part of something that supports families like ours reminds me of the incredible strength Evan shows every day,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A HIGH-PROFILE Torquay artist has created a striking mural in honour of the volunteer tradies and suppliers who helped make the 2025 Good Friday Appeal (GFA) Home in Armstrong, Mount Duneed. The $1.4 million house, the result of a collaboration between Henley Homes and Villawood Properties, will be auctioned with no reserve on April 18 […]<\/p>\n