Visit to Mural Fest in Sheffield, Tasmania

Last week we had the lovely experience of visiting Sheffield in Northern Tasmania. Recently the annual mural painting competition Mural Fest was held, with artists from Australia and overseas competing. During this annual event the small town of Sheffield, with its beautiful green rolling hills and post-Federation architecture is glamorised with the most stunning paintings, most of which are displayed in a special park. Many of these murals are so beautiful that you need 15 minutes just to look at all the detail. Each year a theme is chosen and the paintings reflect the artists' individual interpretations of that theme. The theme for 2018 was "Our Wonderful World". What's also wonderful about it is there are murals for all ages and artistic tastes, however the common element between them all is the very high standard of expertise.

The winner was Greg Freeman, seen here with his winning entry, an explosion of Australian colour and bush themes. Greg has won this award before in 2016.

My favourite was the mural above, with the girl clutching the globe. This painting explored an intimacy between humans and the Earth we are meant to protect, a sense of responsibility and love, a call to cherish what we have. From right across the other side of the mural park this caught my eye. And the light behind the girl's face, the way it highlights her profile, is gorgeous. However, there were many very beautiful paintings and it was difficult to choose a favourite! My second favourite was of a small boy holding a sailboat. The vibrant colour and sense of movement in this painting was wonderful. Just look at those waves!

This painting depicted a local doctor who served the community for many years. Looks like he had a very interesting life with some quirky interests of his own in his spare time and was much beloved. It's amazing how much information can be conveyed with one mural, illustrating a person's personality as well as their achievements.

Sheffield may be a small town but it is definitely very well organised and geared towards the tourist market. We found lots of treasures in local shops and happily spent our money on handmade wooden crafts. The tourist information bureau was extremely helpful, providing everything we needed to enjoy our day. The staff were lovely. In addition, on my way to the loo, I saw this sweet little cat snoozing in the garden bed.