A chat with Ayrburn’s mural artist

Angeline Drinan is a Sydney-based artist who has worked with Ayrburn creating murals for The Dairy and The Barrel Room. With a history in set-making and large-scale artworks, Angeline brings big vision to the Ayrburn Precinct. We caught up with Angeline as she finished The Barrel Room mural...

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Sure! I came from Europe to Australia to work in the film industry as a scenic artist and set finisher. I got to work on some great films like The Matrix and Star Wars, allowing me to explore my fascination with large-scale art projects. This definitely influenced my decision to work with Opera Australia as Head of the Scenic Art Department for 13 years. I’ve recently decided to set up my own creative studio, Angeline Drinan Studio, to have a go at creating some large-scale artworks, most recently a mural in the Snowy Mountains, NSW. I love to tackle ambitious projects, which is really what made me excited about being involved with Ayrburn and what the team has brought to life there.

How would you describe your artistic style?

My style is often dictated by the brief I’m working with. Occasionally I’m fortunate enough to collaborate with designers such as the talented design team from A&Co. for The Barrel Room project. Together we came up with a moody dark landscape influenced by the work of Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot and George Inness, amongst others. The feel we wanted to achieve was soft yet expressive, eliciting a depth of mood, atmosphere, and emotion. Something poetic and dark that would suit the subterranean location. While acrylic water-based paints can be the most practical solution for large-scale interior work, I love to experiment. I chose to work in oil paints for The Barrel Room project because I felt they lent themselves to the soft poetic feel of the classical and impressionist style of the 19th-century painting references I was using.

Tell us a bit about the process you went through for the mural — and how long did it take?

The process began with a meeting at A&Co. in Sydney with Alice Nogues and Jessie Wei. The brief was to create a mural landscape on a plaster wall with chunks missing to depict a sense of history and distress. We discussed the brief and exchanged ideas based on what Chris Meehan and the Ayrburn team were looking for. Alex Watts (Lead Visual Stylist), Stu Minty (Development Manager), and Ken Turner (Production Coordinator) were our primary points of contact in New Zealand. We chatted back and forth numerous times and from there, concept drawings and sample-sized paintings were produced — changing and refining tones, values, and style as we went. It was a geographical challenge, given I’m based in Sydney, to ensure everyone was on the same page. When I felt close to finalising the process, a 3D programme was used to allow the creative team in New Zealand to digitally move around the room and see what the painting would look like on location. After a few minor modifications, I was good to go. Working intermittently, this part of the process took somewhere between three and four months. There was a lot of coordination with other tradies to finalise a schedule that worked — the whole building was essentially still under construction. This was all handled expertly by Hamish Brown, the Project Manager for Cook Brothers. Once I arrived on site, I spent three weeks completing the work — the fun part!

Is there anything you'd like people to know, feel, or see when they enter The Barrel Room?

My work in The Barrel Room is but a small piece of the creative process that makes this place feel so special. I would like to think that visitors to the venue might feel a certain depth of mood when they enter the space. Alice Nogues from A&Co. and Alex Watts from Ayrburn have curated the interior exquisitely. It has a refined hedonistic feel, a soft poetic power. Their contemplative lyricism is on full display. I am just so appreciative to be a part of it.

What’s the next project you’ve got on the go?

At the moment, I am working from my studio in Sydney on paintings I hope to exhibit later in the year. I also have a beautiful project coming up at the end of March in the Southern Highlands, NSW. I have been commissioned to paint a landscape mural covering 50 sqm at a wedding venue set in the Wingello State Forest. The clients want a reflection of the surrounding landscape. I’ve visited a few times to make preliminary drawings and can’t wait to start. I just want to say a big thank you to the Winton team and Chris Meehan. Their warmth and sense of fun were infectious, and I have such fond memories of my time there.