Cars larger than life in new Katikati mural

Award-winning mural artist Shane Walker with his latest creation at Henry's Rod Shop in Katikati.

Shane Walker was in the middle of painting a large mural for new business owners in Katikati when the Covid-19 pandemic sent the nation into lockdown.

The renowned award-winning mural artist said he started the work a couple of weeks before lockdown and as soon as the Government moved to level 3 he was back into it.

The mural is a commissioned work for owners of Henry's Rod Shop, Ray Thompson and son Mark, who wanted the front of the Marshall Rd premises to depict a 1950s style hot rod shop, since they specialise in hots rods, custom repairs, fabrication and paint.

Shane said when he met with the Thompsons they said they wanted a rustic looking old rod shop, which "threw" him a bit at the start.

Forming a 5m high x 100sq m wide mural spanning the building into something that resembled the brief, was going to be a challenge.

"I'd painted a Chev station wagon on the toilet block mural at Waihi Beach and small scale stuff, but not cars of this scale," he said.

Both Ray and Mark's classic cars feature larger than life in the mural - a purple 1936 Ford coupe and a 1939 Ford Tudor sedan - painted from photographs.

The green Ford coupe in the centre is Shane's partner's father's car.

"I tried to put something into the mural that means something."

Shane said he was happy with the finished mural which had been "super testing" to paint being on colour steel with ridges and pipes.

Shane Walker included an old premium petrol pump in the mural at Henry's Rod Shop.

"I tried to get that wood grain rustic look and the lines ... it wasn't easy getting them to line up with the dips in the colour steel."

The Thompsons were thrilled with the finished work.

"Shane has done an amazing job. His expertise is second to none in this field," said Ray. "It actually makes the building in the flow with Katikati's Mural Town title."

As far as murals go Mark said he hasn't seen many of that quality.

"Working on panel that's not flat, it's been made that it looks like 3-D."

"It has the wow factor! The minute you come into the driveway the mural is framed around everything you see."

Steve Roberts, who has been building and servicing hot rods and muscle cars for many years has merged with Henry's Rod Shop.

Ray said they are excited with the prospects of ongoing new work arriving, as a lot of the work they do is for customers all over the country.