STRAWBERRY FAYRE
About - - Site Plan - - Entrance

In 2012, I was commissioned to paint this trompe l'oeil acrylic mural for the entrance to the Strawberry Fayre Tea Room on the outskirts of Coleraine. The brief was 'a countryside scene'. I tried to include elements associated with the area. Everything you see here is painted on the flat wall. Reveals, shadows, window sill etc. are all painted on.

Elements include the thatched cottage (A rare sight in Northern Ireland nowadays); The typical round gate post; and a "standing stone" (Lots of them around this area) .
Hey aren't I getting round shouldered? Stand up straight man!
Here is a detail of the mural showing a piece of the Giant's Causeway at the cottage doorway. Now-a-days it is forbidden to remove these unique stones from the Causeway but many local houses still have them in their gardens - a legacy from years ago when these pieces were easily come by.

And on the promontory is the Standing Stone. In the distance are the ruins of Dunluce Castle. (seen from what I would call the back,- an unusual point of view.)

Also in my painting are some whooper swans. These migrate from Iceland to overwinter here in Northern Ireland. Many of them can been seen near this tea room grazing in the potato fields.

Finally, below, a photo of the staff of Strawberry Fayre posing in front of their new mural.
STRAWBERRY FAYRE Tea room and bakery is situated in the old Blagh Primary School.
"The bakery and tea room products are made without artificial additives. We use only natural ingredients to produce good food by qualified staff. The lunch menu changes daily and is served from 12.00 o'clock. There's ample car-parking, in what used to be the school playground, with easy access to the tea room for our disabled customers..
Morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea is served from 9.30 a.m. to 5.0 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays inclusive."
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