Winner of Newquay BID Door Mural Trail 2026

I was delighted to win the public vote in the 2026 Newquay Door Mural Trail with my mural, The Island After Dark.

Organised by Newquay BID, the project invited artists to transform doors and shutters across the town centre into permanent public artworks, creating a trail that celebrates creativity, local identity and community engagement.

My mural is inspired by Newquay's coastline, with The Island silhouetted on the horizon beneath a luminous night sky. As with much of my work, the focus is on how light transforms familiar places after dark, capturing the glow of harbour lights against the depth of the evening sky.

Creating the Mural

This was my first experience creating a large-scale artwork directly in a public space, and it felt very different from working in the studio.

Over several days, people regularly stopped to watch the mural develop, ask questions and share their own connections with the location. Seeing the painting emerge in such a public setting became one of the most rewarding aspects of the project.

Like many outdoor commissions, the process brought its own challenges. The Cornish weather made itself known during painting, requiring some repairs after rain affected sections of the surface. However, once viewed from a distance, as the mural was intended to be seen, the overall effect remained strong and the piece came together as envisioned.

A Community Response

One of the things I enjoyed most about the project was seeing how people interacted with the artwork.

Unlike a painting displayed in a gallery, The Island After Dark became part of everyday life in the town centre. People discovered it while shopping, meeting friends or simply passing through Newquay, often returning to check on its progress as the painting developed.

For that reason, winning the public vote felt particularly meaningful. The award reflected not only support for the artwork itself, but also the connections people made with the scene and the place it represents.

I am very grateful to Newquay BID, the team at EE, and everyone who voted for and supported the mural throughout the project.

The Island After Dark can be found on Bank Street in Newquay, between EE and The Cornish Oven, as part of the Newquay Door Mural Trail.

I chatted to Newquay BID about the mural - you can see the short video here: