Mike McLean - Artist
By
Melissa Ann Kulinski
Torquay artist Mike McLean has his own style that merges between traditional oil paintings and modern street art. His vibrant colours and masterful brush strokes leave you captivated and engaged. With a strong depiction of female portraits and native birds, each image highlights both design intelligence and natural creativity.
“With women I am drawn to their eyes and their hair, birds it would be the sense of freedom they symbolize. An important part of my work is creating vivid, contrasting colour schemes which catch the eye.�
By profession Mike works with disengaged youths as an arts teacher for Diversitat Youth Education. He works with them to improve their literacy and numeracy as well as engaging them in the classroom through art projects. He has continued to involve his students on a variety of art projects over the past 15 years. His passion for his trade, raw skill and life experiences are shared through his teaching and work in the community.
The McLean family garage/Mike’s studio.
I first met Mike only shortly before I started this project. I came across his Instagram account on one of my regular late night “I should be sleeping” inspiration finds and instantly fell in love with his eye-catching style. A couple of weeks later I required a subject for a contextual portrait assignment. Unable to find someone close to me to photograph and the deadline fast approaching, I realised two things; I should probably start surrounding myself with more interesting people and for now I would have to outsource my subject.
That is when Mike’s boldly coloured artworks popped into my head. I took a chance and contacted him about it to see if he would be interested. To my surprise he agreed, “I’m always happy to help out a fellow artist”.
It was after that initial meeting that I decided Mike and his art is a story that needed to be told. As they say, the rest is history.
What I like most about Mike and his work is all of his projects take on a much greater purpose, whether it be giving a local café some character or putting some life back into the schoolyard and informing children of current day issues, for Mike there is always reason to create.
That is the reason I find him so interesting and worthy of documenting.
“Art with a good cause” - Mike McLean
Miranda Kerr
Mike’s signature Willy wagtail stencil can be found all around the Torquay area. They are most likely to be found in school yards and at one school in particular; Torquay college.
Torquay College Mike’s vibrant Orange-bellied parrot sandbox mural. Pictured: Harrison, Boston, Mike & Fern McLean
The
Orange-Bellied Parrot
Project
OBP
The Orange-bellied Parrot project (OBP) is a concept designed by Mike to promote the plight of the OBP and to support the organisations who actively assist it. Always wanting to educate through art he created these unique cut out stencils of the endangered OBP from corflute materials he found. Once the ‘flock’ consisting of 36 birds were completed they would embark on a month long journey around the Torquay/Geelong area stopping at a new location each week. This project is completely funded by Mike, he has recieved no renumeration from this endevour.
Mike spray paints all of his artworks in a small area down the side of his house.
“The OBP project is an opportunity for me to use my art to deliver a greater message than myself to the public.� With this project Mike is hoping to show people what the Orange-bellied Parrot actually looks like so that maybe one day they will make it off of the critically endangered list. Art with a good cause.
Drysdale Bus Shelter Official opening of the Drysdale Potato shed bus stop mural and launch of the mobile Orange-bellied Parrot flock unveiled by the city of greater Geelong.
The Drysdale mural consists of 61 OBP birds and the regional flora that it feeds on across 7 bus shelters, which were painted by Mike and a group of disengaged youths. The Potato shed then seemed the perfect location for the launch of Mike’s second phase of the project, the ‘mobile flock’.
The
Launch
Geelong hospital The first stop on the OBP’s journey.
Kane constructions allowed the OBP flock to rest on the construction gates of the new section of the hospital.
The recently completed Soul Fuel Cafe Mural in Torquay. Located in the outside childrens play area has become a chalk board for the kids to interact with and express their artisic side.
Quiksilver Head offIce
The flock arrived at Quiksilver’s head office on Baines Crescent in Torquay just in time for the 2014 Rip Curl Pro surfing competition.
Baylie Place mural, Geelong.
Armstrong creek
development
Mike originally intended to place the Armstrong Creek flock on posts around the lettering. The ground proved too hard for the posts, so abandoning the idea he improvised and placed the birds on the letters instead without confirming the change with owners, Villawood Properties. This seemed to work in Mike’s favour, as Villawood were so impressed by the artwork that they asked him to put forth a proposal for a permanent installation at a different location along Geelong Ring Rd.
Mike often sketches his female portraits before they become large vibrant paintings.
Torquay college
Mike & Harrison installed the OBP stencils on their last stop at Torquay College, with Fern supervising the activities in preparation for the school fete the next day.
Geelong Ring Rd/Barrabool Road, Wandana Heights. The future site for Mike’s 200 wooden bird installation.
The entire project is to be funded by Villawood Properties with the construction of the birds by the Grovedale Armstrong Creek Men’s Shed to be overlooked by Mike.
The next chapter..... As well as the construction of the OBP stencil installation which is happening over the next few months Mike recently started a collaboration with a Torquay handmade candle brand Loosha designing their labels. He’s also started on a range of artworks using recycled timber so they can be hung outside in entertainment areas as well as inside. He will continue to educate and follow his passion, creating art for clients and projects importrant to him but most importantly for himself and to help others.
Art with a good cause.
Acknowledgments Mike McLean Thank you for allowing me to follow you around like a creep and capture the colour in your life. I’m forever grateful.
Stephanie, Harrison, Fern & Boston McLean Thank you for being so lovely and welcoming me into your home.
Rob Gale & Jessie DiBlasi Thank you for all of your amazing hard work and brilliance. I wouldn’t have known where to begin without your guidance.
Bill Burrows Thank you for assisting with layouts when you had no obligation to.
RMIT TAFE Photo Imaging Department Thank you for trusting me with your equipment.
Bernadette Hewitt To my beautiful Mum, thank you for your unconditional love and support.
Andrew Paranavitana Thank you for being the ying to my yang and my light holder on shoots.
Emily Delphine Thank you for the long hours we spent on the phone stressing and convincing each other to keep going.
Team Awesome Thank you for remaining awesome and being always supportive. You know who you are.
My 1991 Mitsubishi Lancer Without whom the 1968.4 Km’s it took to make this book would not have been possible. Thank you for not breaking down.
Author/Photographer Melissa Ann Kulinski www.melissaannkulinski.com www.facebook.com/melissaannkulinskiphotographer Instagram: @melissaannkulinski melissa.ann.kulinski@gmail.com
Mike McLean www.facebook.com/mikemcleanartist @mikemcleanartist
For more information visit the OBP Instagram page @orangebelliedparrot