Meet the artist behind Macclesfield's new Charles Tunnicliffe-inspired mural
Macclesfield gained a new mural over the Bank Holiday weekend, and Macclesfield Nub News met the artist behind it.
The artwork was completed by Yorkshire-based street artist Peachzz over a three day period.
It is a colourful piece of swifts, known to be a favourite bird and subject of late Macclesfield artist Charles Tunnicliffe.
Peachzz had originally applied for the contact to do the Ian Curtis mural on Mill Street, but was instead awarded the contract for the latest mural on Waters Green inside Macclesfield Railway Station.
"I paint a lot of wildlife pieces to raise support the wildlife around us, in contrast with urban spaces", said Peachzz.
"It was quite serendipitous that I had the honour of doing this Charles Tunnicliffe mural.
"I am really inspired by older illustrations. And I realised that Charles Tunnicliffe did a set of PG Tips cards that my granddad used to give me as a child. [Click here for an example]
"I loved them, I collected loads of them. About 80% of my collection were from Charles Tunnicliffe, which was without me realising until I started to plan the mural. It was a special inspiration point and nice connection added to the project."
Charles Tunnicliffe was born in Langley and raised in Sutton. He later studied at the Macclesfield School of Art, and was internationally renowned for his naturalistic paintings of British wildlife, particuarly birds.
The pink and amber vertical mural adorns a previously grey unit, that will stick out to rail passengers going to or through our town.
It can also be viewed from the walled footpath on Davenport Street. From a vehicle, the mural is visible from the Silk Road when travelling in a northerly direction.
It took Peachzz about 32 hours to do. Cheshire East Council have described it as "what was once a blank canvas is now a beautiful arrival for passengers."
"I studied Charles Tunnicliffe's work, and also used the Love Letter to Macc poem as inspiration," she added.
"I took a few works from it and mentioned the sunset, which informed the colours.
"A piece of his that particularly inspired me was of swallows, but somebody mentioned to me that there is a big project in Macclesfield in trying to get the nesting swift population here back, so I decided to change it to swifts.
"And the thing that resonated with me the most is thinking that Charles Tunnicliffe would be most supportive of this project to help the local swift population."
Following spring's Ian Curtis mural and Peachzz Tunnicliffe-inspired addition this summer, there are plans for a third street art project in Macclesfield in the coming months. No details are known as of yet.
The mural is on a 3x12 metre canvas, which was previously blank, and features Peachzz watermark on an appropriately orange part of the piece.
She has been painting stunning murals such as these for seven years.
"The hardest part was the fact it was on a train platform," explained Peachzz.
"Even though all of the lines were off, there is still a lot of logistics to be put in place to be on site in the first place.
"At times I had to have my mechanism on The Silk Road instead of the platform to reach it, which was quite interesting as well.
"I live in Sheffield, where I studied Illustration and Graphics at Sheffield Hallam University.
"As a result, I am also a northern Peak District lover, so I really liked Macclesfield and the drive to it.
"When I got to Macclesfield, I immediately liked the place. It is such a nice place where you can really imagine living.
"My only regret is that I was working so hard that I actually didn't get to explore Macclesfield as much.
"It has been very well recieved so far, which I am incredibly grateful for. Thank you to everyone, including those who helped make it happen."
Peachzz is lucky to globe-trot for her work, with her next project in Michigan, USA. But Macclesfield has been one of my favourites this year.
If visiting the station, the mural is visible by walking to the end of the platform.
You can support the artist for free by giving her a follow on Instagram.
Macclesfield's train operators are also delighted with the mural.
Laura Harper, Avanti West Coast Station Manager at Macclesfield, said: "We're proud Macclesfield station is now home to a beautiful mural, as we want to champion the people, places and communities we serve.
"Macclesfield station is an important gateway to the town, and with the artwork inspired by Charles Tunnicliffe, we hope it will give local people a sense of pride and provide a warm welcome to those travelling to or from the area by train."
It is not the only new mural to come to Macclesfield this August.
A shop on Market Place has also painted birds and nature on their window, and you can find out why by clicking here.
Are you an artist who would like some coverage in Macclesfield Nub News? Get in touch...
See Also: Charles Tunnicliffe 120th anniversary: Macclesfield artist sketches home of a famous local painter
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