Great Barrier Island mural

Last month, I was thrilled to visit Great Barrier Island for the first time. It’s a stunning and unique place with friendly, welcoming people.
In March, Michelle reached out, and we excitedly planned a workshop for the island’s youth to create a vibrant mural on a wall at the local marae.
I flew in on a Cesna and was warmly welcomed with a traditional Māori pōwhiri at the marae. That night, I stayed there with the energetic rangatahi (youth) and tamariki, after a delicious meal prepared by the women.
On the first day, we used VR headsets to trace elements onto card for stencils. The kids loved previewing the mural and tracing the designs. Teens cut out the stencils with snapblade knives, while younger children and some older youth applied the base coat to the wall. Then we sprayed on background colors, working together and enjoying homemade pizza for lunch outside.
The younger kids had fun spraying the stencils onto the wall, while teens added details with brushes and paint.
Finally, we finished with bold black outlines using spray paint and markers to polish it all up.