TIM Bowtell is no stranger to large workspaces.
The Benalla-based former graphic designer turned his hand to large canvas work after spending time with a mentor, and cut his teeth painting a theatre backdrop.
“It was nothing as big as the GrainCorp Silos at Lake Boga but it certainly gave me a taste for large scale artwork, and I really loved it,” Mr Bowtell said.
“I had always enjoyed drawing as a young fella but had never painted before.
“After working with a mentor, I did a visual arts course through TAFE in 2009 and learnt more about different techniques and methods for large scale artwork.”
Lake Boga was his fourth silo project. Each has been a very different experience for Mr Bowtell.
“That’s what I really love about doing the large murals, the fact each town is representing itself in a unique way, means that no two jobs are the same,” he said.
“The communities come with their own visions and the towns with their own history.
“Depending on the location, the colour palettes are very different too.
“The colours used at Lake Boga are unique to this region. I enjoyed working with the bright pinks, purples, oranges, and blues.
“I’d never worked with those colours on that scale before, so it was a great experience for me.”
The artist used approximately 125 litres of Dulux external house paint for the Lake Boga work.
Viewing it from the highway allows for an almost seamless blend from the artwork to the actual sunset, the colours meld perfectly together.
Mr Bowtell completed his TAFE studies in 2010 and in 2014 took part in the first Benalla Street Art Festival in 2014.
The annual festival completed more than 70 murals on walls around Benalla until 2019 when COVID-19 interrupted.
Benella plans to run the festival again in 2024, and Mr Bowtell will feature again.
Painting such large canvases may seem like the jobs are few and far between but Mr Bowtell said this has not been the case.
He has completed commission pieces for Vic Roads, and businesses and private commissions for people wanting to paint their walls at home or water tanks.
His previous silo works include Benalla, Colbinabbin and Katamatite.
The method in creating the artwork involves sketching the picture at regular size on grids.
Those grids are then upscaled onto the silo, and Mr Bowtell uses his iPad to translate the correct position from the original sketch.
In the case of Lake Boga’s silo, Mr Bowtell used the existing metal banding on the silo as his grid and drew the original sketch to those dimensions.
As a result, the finished artwork is designed to be viewed from a distance for best results.
While staying in Lake Boga for the past four weeks, Mr Bowtell has had a chance to meet the community and speaks warmly of his experience.
“Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming,” he said.
“What has been really great is how excited and supportive the whole community has been about the silo art.
“I’ve got to know a lot of the locals and the businesses, and I have really felt at home here, I will be sorry to leave really.”
Mr Bowtell headed back to Benella on Tuesday, while Lake Boga Incorporated will now shift its focus to other projects that are planned for the region.
To view Mr Bowtell’s artwork follow him on Instagram or visit www.timbowtell.com.au
