In May 2010 I painted this large scale mural in the library of Barlby Primary School in Ladbroke Grove, West London.

The mural is in frieze form, running around the base of the enormous skylight that fills the centre of the room. Wherever you are sitting in the library, you can look up and see part of the mural!

I was asked to include familiar scenes from the local area, such as Portobello Road, the Notting Hill Carnival and the Westway... ok, so the Westway was my idea :)

There are a lot of other themes incorporated into the frieze.
At one end of the room, over the reference section, the imagery relates to the topics the children study. ie. travel, space, different types of animals, dinosaurs and mythical beasts.
And at the other end, over the fiction section, are vignettes inspired by different stories. ie. Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, and of course, the Gruffalo had to make an appearance.

I used a bright, graphic style, inspired by children's book illustration from the 50's and 60's - a fitting tribute to the room's purpose.

p.s. Spot the space pugs!
(Modelled on the headmaster's pooches)