A NEW street art mural has popped up in Newport city centre, adding to the eye-catching collection of work under the Harlequin roundabout.
Street art is springing up all over the city, with murals featuring on houses, garage walls and bridges.
The 17th mural at the underpass features a giant fox in stunning detail, created by Walls by Paul.
What started off in March as one pillar commissioned by Newport City Council has turned into a strip of art on all pillars.
Before and after shot of the latest fox mural at Harlequin Roundabout. Picture: Newsquest
Paul Shepherd, Walls by Paul artist, was commissioned by the council to start the project in March this year and has already completed almost all pillars at the underpass.
He said: “The council commissioned me a while back on that project, it started off with one or two supports and, as the public feedback was so good, the council decided to do the whole underpass.
“The fox is the latest one. I painted the fox as they are really timid animals and the reason I put him in that spot is so that you can just see him at the bottom of the roundabout.
“The mural is not in your face, it's like someone will see it and go 'ooh, a fox'. I painted it for aesthetic reasons which is nothing to do with Newport.”
Artist Paul Shephard has plans for final two pillars. Picture: Paul Shepherd.
Each painting, aside from the Owl and Fox, has a significance to Newport’s history and, so far, there are 17 murals with three pillars left to painted.
The 50-year-old from Newbridge has a few ideas up his sleeve for the last empty pillars and will stick to the current colour scheme of primary colours.
The next pillar will feature the Medieval ship that was discovered in 2002 on the banks of the River Usk.
A snapshot of some of bright art work done on the underpass pillars. Picture: Walls by Paul
He added: “People are saying they love the ties to the city on the artwork, I plan to stick with that theme with the last three. The next one will feature the Newport medieval ship.
“It's good times for street art, and hopefully fingers crossed I get commissioned to do a few more.”
A selection of some of the stunning colourful work under the Harlequin roundabout. Picture: Walls by Paul
The pillars at the under-pass feature the Harlequin pattern one, Harlequin two, Harlequin three Diamond, Lady Cherub, Hummingbird, Dicing, Barbed Nature Weave, Owl, Welsh Geometry, Helping Hands, John Frost, The Bell Carrier, Ivy, Lady Rhondda, and the Urban Fox.
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