In the humid heat of a central Tauranga street, a man in cargo shorts and reflective glasses is spraying paint on to a block wall.
His clothes, and his sunnies, are splattered with the evidence of his art.
He is Wongi "Freak" Wilson, and he's painting Powerco's Spring St electricity substation as part of the Paradox street art festival.
Mr Wilson's tools include two spray cans, a bucket of Resene Lumbersider low-sheen paint and a pair of headphones connected to the soothing tones of a sci-fi audiobook.
"I've been listening to heaps of audiobooks," he says. "Music can get repetitive."
Mr Wilson, a professional artist from Christchurch, was coming to Tauranga for another event when a meeting with Paradox organisers resulted in him taking an active role in the 12-week festival.
"They sussed me a wall," the 35-year-old says.
In fact, they sussed Mr Wilson all four walls of the substation.
Pedestrians have mostly walked by in silence, but the occasional one has given Mr Wilson an odd look and a couple have stopped to have a yarn.
Electricity distributor Powerco, a sponsor of the festival, has offered five of its city substations as "blank canvases" for street artists.
Powerco general electricity manager Andrew McLeod says that organised street art on substations in Taranaki has deterred unwanted graffiti.
The street art festival will start on Tuesday with an exhibition at Tauranga Art Gallery.
Between now and then, Fat Albert and Hong Kong Phooey will slowly take shape and colour on the Spring St substation. Mr Wilson has chosen to paint the 1970s cartoon superstars because he is "nostalgic-as".
Although a professional, Mr Wilson says he's not being paid to paint the substation.
"I'm doing this for the love of it," he says.
"I just love painting."
Substation art locations
Spring St
First Ave
Sixteenth Ave
Marsh St
Mirrielees Rd