A house in a Welsh village has gone from dull yellow to a full-scale wildlife mural, and the owner says people are now stopping their cars to see it.
Wyndham Stokes, who was born in the semi-detached house 59 years ago and has lived there ever since, had the front of his home in Treharris painted with a colourful nature scene.
The mural features UK wildlife including a robin, a blue tit and a rabbit. It was designed and painted over five days by local mural artist Matt Dey.
Wyndham said: “I really am happy with it!
“I sit in the garden, look at it and think what more can I wish for?
“It’s very pleasing to the eye and enjoyable to look at.
“It’s the little things that bring joy.
“Everyone was coming up to watch Matt whilst he was painting! Now I get cars coming up just to come see it for themselves.
“He is very talented.”
Wyndham said he wanted “something a little different” and was inspired by his love of nature.
He said: “Well, I love nature and I am a little different!”
After seeing Matt’s designs online, Wyndham contacted him with a loose idea for a nature theme on the front of the house. His only request was for a red kite in the right-hand corners of the design.
Matt, 51, said: “He gave me complete freedom and the only brief was that he wanted a nature scene, other than that he was open to whatever I wanted to do!”
Matt said he started designing murals after Covid-19. He painted the work with a spray can and acrylic paint, despite being afraid of heights.
He said: “It was like painting in a gold fish bowl!
“There was no room for error as everyone can see you.
“The whole village was looking, had to be spot on!
“I am terrified of heights, so that was something I had to try and get over pretty quickly!”
Matt recently appeared at Upfest, Europe’s largest street art festival, held every two years in Bedminster and Southville in Bristol.
He said large murals are always a challenge, and that he has painted everything from animals to Formula 1 cars.
Wyndham has now asked him to paint the entire house, with the work due to be finished by the end of summer.
Wyndham said: “It is even going to have a pine marten on it! How exciting.”
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