I’ve surprised myself.
Because it turns out I actually like street art.
I won’t search them out or anything, but if I’m walking past I actually don’t mind checking out the statues and stuff in towns.
And some towns are doing a bang up job of making life less dreary – which is ultimately what I get out of art. Shepparton, I love you. I wish we had time to stop yesterday and take proper photos of your wonderful cow art because they had the whole family cheering from the moment we spotted Shrek Cow. My favourite so far was How Now cow but I don’t think that’ll last long because there were some gems.
It’s not just the big towns and the big art pieces I’ve been enjoying.
We’ve been parked up in lovely Lockington for a few days while we checked out Bendigo, and Tracey had work taking photos of six beautiful families.
Lockington, I’ve learned, is the hometown of Vikings’ star Travis Femmil. He wasn’t home, in case you’re wondering. Tracey asked around.
This mural had me intrigued because I stood next to it whenever the kids went to the loo. The more I stared at it and noticed the little people doing things the more I started wondering if there were any easter eggs painted in by the artist.
Rather pleasingly, I found one and couldn’t wait to tell Tracey. I would have told the whole family but I didn’t think it was appropriate.
“Honey!” I exclaimed as I stepped up into our bus. Then I remembered I didn’t want to pique the kids interest, so I dropped my voice an octave or two. “Honey,” I hissed. “Come with me. Quick. I want to show you something.”
Half dragging her over to the toilets, Tracey seemed to get the wrong idea.
“This isn’t going to end the way you want it to,” she told me, flicking her head at the toilet block with distaste.
“Very funny,” I said, stopping us in front of the mural. “You won’t believe this, but there’s a couple shagging in this picture.”
A look of shock and interest failed to register on her face.
“It’s a guy shearing a sheep,” she said, pointing to the naked couple who’d forgotten to close the curtains. “I checked it out earlier.”
“Did you?” I mumbled vaguely as I squinted at the spot she’d indicated. I could sort of see it now. A sheep and shears and a naked guy leaning over them.
“You think you’re the only person who forgets their phone when they take the kids to the toilet?” She indicated the nice, peaceful township in general and the circular, painted structure specifically. “What else would I be looking at?”
“Point,” I granted.
“And anyway,” she went on, “the naked guy on a ride-on mower gave me a laugh.”
“The what?”
“The naked guy around this side,” came Master12’s voice.
I stuck my head around the other side of the structure.
All five of our kids had followed us out and were pointing, in various stages of falling about in fits of laughter, at a plan as day drawing of…yep…a guy without so much as socks on mowing the green.
There was no mistaking this guy for a sheep. Not even his face was sheepish.
And I have to say, after spending so much time chuckling with the kids at this mural I find myself liking street art more and more. Especially keen to check out some silo art in the next month or so.
I just hope there’s more hilarious easter eggs hidden away in them too.
Only $15/night for power and water, and they’ve left subliminal suggestions in the artwork. Tracey shaved her legs.
Raising a family on little more than laughs
– this post is not sponsored or gifted –
