Heesco Town Murals
We decided to invite Heesco to our motel, where he would paint a galleon battle scene on the front wall of the Motel. Following this project, which was a great success, we had regular discussions with Wayne and Ann Tindall and spoke with Eric Greenaway, who proposed the idea of the Heesco Town art project. With Wayne and Anne’s contacts, the ball started rolling. Wayne organised a select group of people to help drive the project, and I had the privilege to be a part of that group.
We have been fortunate enough to have had Heesco reside with us as he transforms our sleepy town of Yarram into Heesco Town, converting bare walls into vibrant and meaningful artworks. During this time, we have had the pleasure of getting to know Heesco well. We have dinner together each night, sharing stories, music, cooking each other traditional meals, and learning about each other’s families and homelands. Heesco attended our daughter’s wedding and has met all of our extended family. We have got to know him as more than an artist, and as a wonderful, caring person.
When it came to deciding what type of art we wanted at the Ship Inn, we brainstormed with Wayne over glasses that became empty quickly, and inspiration struck for a bar scene. We imagined the bar filled with colourful characters such as pirates, skeletons, and a Mongolian Warrior Queen. Of course, Jody also insisted that a treasure chest would be a necessity. The design was open to interpretation, Nevertheless, Jody and I knew that if we held back on providing too many ideas and let Heesco have free reign on the wall, something magical would happen. I get excited and get goose bumps when I think about the painting. This is a wonderful piece of art I get to see every time I walk outside and is the first thing I see when I look out our bedroom window. This artwork needs to be viewed in person to experience the true depth and colour of the piece. At certain times of the day, the light changes and I can see details I hadn’t seen before, and the painting seems to come alive. Like all of Heesco’s art, there is so much more to it than paint on a wall, it’s a story that connects with you no matter who you are.
The bar scene is full of interesting characters. There are three skeletons causing mischief in the top corner, we’ve named them Garry, Trevor, and Geoff. These three get a little bit cheekier as the sun goes down. There is also the most amazing portrait of a Mongolian Warrior Queen standing centre-stage with a majestic eagle perched upon her shoulder. She is statuesque, intimidating, and certainly not one to be messed with. The bar is staffed by a peculiar bartender, a roguish pirate with a tankard in his hand. Frank, a skeleton that liked a tipple of rum in both worlds, is resting casually on the bar enjoying his otherworldly refreshment. If you look closely, you can even find a few references to some wonderful people that were involved in the project hidden in the backgrounds.
I look forward to continuing to work with Wayne and taking Heesco Town and the community in Yarram on our next journey in sharing the fruits of this labour with rest of the world. I’d also like to show my utmost appreciation of those who worked on the project but preferred not to be highlighted. There was a tremendous amount of work and organisation undertaken by a lot of different people for this project, and I’d like to give my sincere thanks for the effort everyone put in and for the support we have received from the wider community.
On a personal note Jody, myself and our family look forward to a time when the Khosnaran family can come to Yarram to stay and see the fantastic work he has done here.