'It’s nice to be back' - mural maker Claire Foxton gives us giant ‘Suncatcher’

Internationally acclaimed mural artist Claire Foxton is back home and doing what she does best.

Commissioned by Wollongong City Council, Claire, 39, has just completed her latest large-scale work, Suncatcher on Globe Lane in the city centre.

In an interview with Council, Claire said: “It’s loosely based on local flora. It brings nature to the built environment, yes, but it’s also about being really playful in this space, and I find that this little corner of Wollongong is a playful corner. There’s a lot going on usually. There’s a great nightlife and lots of restaurants and a bit of hustle and bustle on the weekend, so I really wanted to create this kind of energetic colourful burst of joy.

“So, you’ll see a lot of textural sort of bits and bobs, dry textures, wet sort of drippy textures. So it’s very much about creating or keeping that energy alive on a large scale, and using the wall to my advantage.”

The Jamberoo artist has developed quite the reputation for her giant creations, which can be found all over Australia as well as in the US and New Zealand.

Perhaps her best known local work is the giant mural of Matildas and Arsenal star Caitlin Foord. Standing 14 metres high at Wollongong Central, the work celebrates Caitlin’s local roots and world-class achievements. It also features Caitlin’s beloved dog, ‘Peach’ who she’s separated from for much of the year.

In Queanbeyan, Claire was commissioned to paint Canberra Raiders’ long-time coach and much-loved former rugby league superstar, Ricky Stuart. Incredibly, this striking mural was created in just four days.

Perhaps her most challenging work, for a whole bunch of reasons, was the giant 18-storey high mural that was created in Brisbane.

Claire said not only was the work done in the heat and humidity of the January 2022 summer, it was also at the height of the Covid pandemic.

“The challenges that come with murals are quite unique compared to what you would face in a studio environment, and I enjoy that,” Claire said in her chat with Council.

“I enjoy working with the weather, and working against it. I enjoy every little challenge that I have to overcome. And just the scale and physicality of it; there’s a really good level of satisfaction, especially seeing the public interact with it as well.”

Claire completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong, majoring in Graphic Design and Visual Arts. She painted her first mural in 2016 and fell in love with it, “trying to emulate the feel and the energy of smaller artworks on a larger scale.

“I’ve lived locally all my life, so it’s nice to do another local piece. It’s been a while since I’ve done a painting in Wollongong, so yeah, it’s nice to be back.”