Orpington 1st Business Improvement District (BID) has commissioned local artist Beci Ward to design and paint an Orpington inspired mural, celebrating the town.
Completed over two weeks in August, the 4-metre-high Orpington Mural can be seen on the reverse of the pillar at the High Street entrance to The Walnuts and has already captured the imagination and the adulation of shoppers.
The mural has been delivered as part of the business community’s work to create a more welcoming town centre, which this summer alone has included the removal of chewing gum from across the high street’s pavements as well as the installation of a parklet and technicolour flower cubes.
Orpington 1st Executive Director, Chris Travers, explained, “we wanted to brighten up this corner of town with an eye-catching, vibrant, and colourful work of art which reflects the Orpington’s identity and encourages visitors to connect with their environment.
Above: Artist Beci Ward with Orpington 1st's Chris Travers
“As a fellow Orpington resident, and having seen her work, Beci was the first person we thought of, and we were delighted with how she interpreted our brief. It’s been a pleasure to watch her design come to life on the wall.”
Beci said, “When Orpington 1st shared the idea of creating an Orpington Mural, I thought it would be a really nice opportunity to put a creative mark on my hometown.
“I’m very enthusiastic about promoting the creative scene in Orpington and a big believer in the positive role which the arts can play in communities, so it’s been great to work with a likeminded organisation in Orpington 1st."
Orpington born and bred, Beci studied at St Martin’s College before completing an art degree and has been a freelance illustrator for the last decade, with clients including Tesco, Unilever, the NHS, Ministry of Justice, and Orpington GPO! She also teaches at Crofton Junior School, the school she attended as a girl.
“My brain tends to work intuitively and spontaneously, but when I got the brief, I started to think about how to incorporate all the different elements listed in the most fun and vibrant way possible and I came up with the idea of using the word “ORPINGTON” as a mechanism to frame the visual elements.”
Transferring the design from a screen to the wall presented a challenge.
Due to the location use of a projector was not possible, so the image was created in a black and white form to the appropriate dimensions, then printed into a grid system (104 x A3 size!) and transferred on to the wall using graphite paper, aided by a light duty scaffold, before painting could commence.
The style Beci employed for the Orpington Mural is accessible, using bold colours and shapes, with finer detail added where appropriate.
Tucked up in the top left is a silhouette of the London skyline, highlighting Orpington's location on the southeastern edge of the nation’s capital, whilst a strong natural theme highlights and the abundance of green space surrounding the town.
The River Cray flows across the mural, with featured wildlife including the Little Egret and Kingfisher, both of which can be spotted along the river, and the Greylag Goose, many of which populate Priory Gardens, where the river’s source is. There's also a Ring-Necked Parakeet - the UK's only naturalised parrot, now common across southeast England - and inside the O of ORPINGTON you can find the famous Buff Orpington Chicken.
Local landmarks depicted include Orpington War Memorial, the historic grade II listed Priory, and the iconic tower of London South East Colleges' Orpington campus.
There are small pictorial nods to different types of town centre businesses - hospitality, cinema, personal care, and gyms - whilst floral choices reflect the high street's summer planting programme, the abundance of blossom across the Bromley Borough, the rose gardens of the Priory, and the Poppy - emphasising the importance of remembrance.
“I’m very fond of my hometown,” said Beci. “There are many hidden gems, lots of creative people, and so much potential. Painting this has strengthened my sense of place, and I hope it does the same for others. The local engagement has been overwhelmingly positive, and people have been delighted to see the work happening.
"I think it’s a wonderful reflection of the positivity in the town. Local businesses and residents have been incredibly supportive, and I have certainly felt looked after. There is tremendous generosity of spirit in Orpington.”
Above: Left - Local resident Rory on ribbon holding duties as Beci cuts the ribbon
Orpington resident, Anna, said “It’s really great that this has been commissioned by Orpington 1st. Art like this helps breathe life into places. I’ve already seen lots of people coming to appreciate it - my own little girl was so excited to see it and she loves pointing out the different parts. It captures much of the essence of Orpington and Beci has created something stunning.”
You can learn more about Beci’s work on the blog section of her website, studiobeci.com
