New Orpington mural appears outside Walnuts Centre

The new mural, measuring at four metres high, has been erected at the high street entrance of The Walnuts Shopping Centre and was commissioned by Orpington 1st Business Improvement District (BID).

The new mural, measuring at four metres high, has been erected at the high street entrance of The Walnuts Shopping Centre. (Image: Michael Cockerham)

The mural was created by “Orpington born and bred” artist Beci Ward and took over two weeks to complete.

The Orpington teacher and artist has worked as an illustrator for 10 years after graduating from St Martin’s College, and has commissioned artwork for big names including Tesco, the NHS, and the Ministry of Justice along with local business Orpington GPO.

The mural was created by “Orpington born and bred” artist Beci Ward. (Image: Michael Cockerham)

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.

“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.”

The colourful and vibrant artwork features references to Orpington, from The River Cray which runs through south east London to Orpington War Memorial.

The colourful and vibrant artwork features references to Orpington. (Image: Michael Cockerham)

The artwork, created in an “accessible” way by use of bold colours and shapes, also references Orpington’s wildlife such as little egrets and kingfishers, both of which are found in the River Cray, along with the greylag goose, which is commonly found within Orpington’s Priory Gardens.

The artwork also references the cultural and leisure aspects of Orpington, including local businesses, cinemas and restaurants.

Finally the artwork also makes references to the high street's summer planting programme, through its flowers depicted in the mural.

The artwork has been created in an “accessible” way by use of bold colours and shapes. (Image: Michael Cockerham)

Beci added: “I’m very fond of my hometown.

“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.”

The mural has been created as part of the business community’s work to create a “more welcoming” town centre, which 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.

The mural has been created as part of the business community’s work to create a “more welcoming” town centre. (Image: Michael Cockerham)

Orpington 1st Executive Director, Chris Travers, said: “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.

“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.”

The artwork has already been well received by locals, with one saying that the new mural would help to “breathe life” into the local space.

The artwork has already been well received by locals. (Image: Michael Cockerham)

Orpington resident Anna said: “It’s really great that this has been commissioned by Orpington 1st. Art like this breathes life into places.

“I’ve already seen lots of people coming to appreciating it, and my own little girl was so excited to see it and loves pointing out the different parts.

“It captures much of the essence of Orpington and Beci has created something stunning.”