A new mural depicting a flock of swifts has brightened three benches in Newport town centre.
Local artist, Alice Malia, was commissioned to create a vibrant piece of art that visually unites a busy stretch of the High Street.
Working by torchlight, Alice and her team of painters completed the colourful creation to celebrate Newport's position at the heart of the Isle of Wight UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The design incorporates colours inspired by the sky as well as the three rivers that flow through Newport. There is also a nod to this weekend's Tour of Britain cycle race in the lines and shapes that sweep across the seats.
Alice trained in London in set design for theatre and has worked internationally, painting large scale murals and designing stage sets.
Talking about her latest artwork, she said:
"I designed a graphic and colourful background based on the colours of rivers and sky, with a strong sense of direction, that pulls your eye down the street and links the three benches.
"The artwork features a flock of swifts; they are following an abstract pattern of dots made with fingerprints, which represent a swarm of insects the birds are feeding on.
"Swifts are amazing birds that migrate from central Africa to the south of the UK every summer. They form fast moving feeding flocks in the sky called ‘screaming parties’.
"We have some ideal habitat for swifts in our local biosphere reserve, and ideal nesting and feeding habitat for them here in the Newport area.
"They come here specifically to feed off mosquitos and other flying insects living around the Medina and its tributaries all through Newport. Swifts only nest in human made structures and Newport has a wealth of old buildings that provide ideal habitat for them.
"Like many bird species, sadly swifts are in decline too. People can help them continue to migrate here by installing swift boxes, and property developers can even add swift bricks to new building projects.”
The project was led by Shaping Newport with funding from the government's Welcome Back Fund, the Newport High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) and Isle of Wight Council.
Shaping Newport is a partnership between Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council, the Isle of Wight Council and Newport Business Association.
Councillor Shirley Smart, chairman of Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council, said:
"We were delighted to support the creation of this wonderful new mural in the heart of our community.
"It has certainly brought a splash of colour to the high street and will hopefully put a smile on many people's faces. A big thank you to the super-talented Alice Malia and her team for this striking art installation."
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