A series of murals created by a young artist is turning heads at Hazelhurst Arts Centre's onsite cafe.
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Emily Crockford was commissioned to design and create a series of murals for the Gymea cafe's servery wall and pillars.
The result is Tweety Lorrikeety - a series of colourful artworks of a lorikeet enjoying a Paddle Pop ice-cream under blue skies.
The largest measures 300cm by 500cm.
Emily honed her skills at Studio A - a supported studio in Sydney's Crows Nest that helps artists with intellectual disabilities to access conventional education, professional development and opportunities needed to become successful visual artists.
Hazelhurst Arts Centre curator and exhibition program co-ordinator Carrie Kibbler approached Studio A about commissioning Emily to create the mural in April.
She said it took about three days last month for Emily to paint the mural directly onto the cafe wall.
Ms Kibbler said she was thrilled with the outcome.
"Emily Crockford's vibrant and highly patterned murals that feature flora and fauna connect the Hazelhurst Cafe to the sprawling Hazelhurst gardens, [and] are instantly uplifting," she said.
It is not the first time Emily has been commissioned to produce one of her striking artworks. Her large-scale murals can also be found at Westpac Concord, the University of Technology Sydney and as part of the City of Sydney's hoardings project.
She is well known for her energetic and whimsical style, inspired by the natural world. Whether creating cushioned characters from plush embellished fabric, or painting familiar scenes of still life, her artworks feature blocks of strong colour alongside intricate patterns.
Hazelhurst has worked with Studio A before. In 2016 it commissioned Thom and Angelmouse (Thom Roberts and Harriet Body) to develop a new work for the exhibition Wonder: Contemporary Art for Children, which included a residency.
Then last year, Hazelhurst worked in partnership with Studio A to develop a 10-week printmaking residency for artists Peter Dudding and Paul Williams, which resulted in an exhibition in its Broadhurst Gallery.
