LOCAL artists, Jasmine Mansbridge from Hamilton and Jimmi Buscombe from Warrnambool have teamed up to collaborate on a newly commissioned art mural on the wall of the National Australia Bank in Corriedale Lane, Hamilton.

The Corriedale Lane Revitilisation project was commissioned by Southern Grampians Shire Council to brighten the walkway.

SGSC mayor, David Robertson said the mural was the first step in a revitalisation of the Hamilton CBD.

“We’re really excited to have things start on such a fun and vibrant note,” he said.

“We have engaged two magnificent local artists who are working hard on a beautiful piece of artwork that we know will stand the test of time and bring a bit of brightness and joy to our streets.

“In the coming months, we’ll also see some other additions to Corriedale Lane to activate and enliven the space for the community to enjoy.”

Mr Buscombe specialises in highly detailed wildlife art, portraiture, anamorphic public art, murals and street art to create life-like representations of his subjects.

His realism will complement that of Ms Mansbridge’s works that are ostensibly geometric and abstract with strong lines and valiant colours.

“We have worked together before on the laneway project (in McGuigan Lane) - that’s how we met - I knew of Jimmi,” Ms Mansbridge said.

“We had an idea for some time to collaborate - we wanted to do something together, because our styles are so diverse.

“We thought we really need to put some effort into getting a job together - both of us were obviously really busy and then the pitch for the council came up for individuals but we thought we would like to do it together.

“It’s very nice to work with someone else.

“It will be quite different than if we were working on our own.”

Ms Mansbridge’s art has taken her to a number of mediums – sculpture, large-scale public works and intimate paintings for private collection.

Mr Buscombe has been commissioned by councils, private clients and organisations both nationally and internationally. He has been a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and The Kennedy Art Prize and has won the Judges Prize (2018), come 2nd in the Judges Prize (2021) and won the People’s Choice Prize (2019 & 2023) at the Warrnibald Portrait Prize (the Warrnambool Art Gallery annual portrait prize).

He said council was looking for the project to tie community together to the history of Hamilton.

“The brief was essentially a fitting recent history of Hamilton tying in weaving, wool and the landscape,” he said.

“So, we kind of pieced that together with Jasmine’s elements being the middle wheel, which is kind of the spinner’s wheel, but also Jasmine uses that sort of wheel motive in a lot of her works.

“Then we’ve got Mt Sturgeon - the idea is there’s a thread that comes off the back of a Corriedale sheep that runs through the whole mural through Jasmine’s elements of the spinning wheel, the bridge, the huts, to then come down to a place where it joins onto a young girl’s jumper and in the jumper is reflected the mural as well.

“Across the top are the words, ‘The weaving together of our stories creates the fabric of our lives’.”

Ms Mansbridge concurred that it was tying all the elements of Hamilton and the area together.

“Hamilton is quite diverse,” she said.

“We’ve got the sports, the arts, agriculture - we were trying to look for a way to put that together.

“Jimmi’s wife Sheridan is also an artist and she really helped conceptually - she helped piece it together.”

Mr Buscombe said agreeing on what colour scheme to use was developed in the concept of the work.

“The main background colours were definitely leaning on Jasmine’s aesthetic and more geometric work,” he said.

Ms Mansbridge was also keen to sing Mr Buscombe’s artistic praises.

“Jimmi is obviously the master of realism,” she said.

“That’s why it’s really nice, because we’ve got the abstract geometry and then this contrast with realistic figurative work.

“It’s that utopian idealistic feel that I love but then it’s in a real environment.

“We can aim for these idealistic views of togetherness and community - they don’t have to be so abstract.

“That’s kind of what art does.

“It allows for conversations of how you want things to be because you can create worlds in an artistic sense that don’t exist.

“It all starts with a dream.”