Graphic designer Travis Price – who is currently working on a mural on the side of the Dimboola Café in Lloyd Street – last night presented the journey he’s taken from his days in Dimboola to working with some big names as a graphic designer.
Interested community members gathered at the Dimboola RSL rooms last night to hear from Price, who is donating his time this week to paint the mural.
Talking of his younger days, he said that Dimboola “was the perfect environment for us [brother Luke] to grow.”
It was in Dimboola that Travis got a good taste of artwork – when he got into skateboarding.
“Skateboarding was the first time I’d seen artwork I was really into.”
From there he started studying art, and thought he would study drawing after high school.
It was upon advice from his teachers – and that of university staff – that he ended up studying graphic design as opposed to drawing.
After completing his studies at the University of Ballarat, Price moved to Melbourne where he worked casual jobs before moving back to Ballarat. He spent the next few years commuting to Melbourne for work, but a “quarter life crisis” at 30 changed his approach.
He went into freelance illustrating work and began experimenting more with his art, building a more diverse folio.
Drawing inspiration from the Mambo shirts of his teenage days, from which he would take the tags due to liking the illustrations on them, he launched a kids shirt line. This expanded into greeting cards and wall stickers with his designs.
Before long this change of direction paid off: Price was asked to design for Mambo, a “dream come true.”
He once posted an image he made – after a night out – on folio website Behance. A week later he had a call from Nike wanting him to work with them on a project.
Instagram has also been an important platform, where Price is able to post almost anything – a way of keeping his work interesting around commercial projects.
A realisation over the last few years that he needed a balance has led to another slight shift in direction.
“You need a balance of what’s fun and what makes money at the same time.
“I’d got stuck in commercial work and stopped having fun.”
Price is now focussed more on connecting with those around him.
In his community of Ballarat, Price has produced poster designs about the city that are sold at a local framing business.
A mural he painted in the city a few years ago has also proven popular – being the backdrop now for many photos from weddings to pet dogs.
Dimboola Mural
The mural in Dimboola has been a multi-year project.
In the opening words last night Phil King from the Hindmarsh Shire Council acknowledged the role of the Hindmarsh Shire Youth Council, and Kynan Clarke, Scott and Mark Polycarpou a few years ago who raised the idea.
Consultation with community members and the Barengi Gadjin Land Council since then has resulted in the design currently being put on the wall.
Price said that the colour scheme choice was chosen to appropriately contrast with the streetscape.
“I didn’t want to add more maroon and terracotta.”
Phil and Travis thanked everyone who has been involved with the project, including those mentioned above, Trevor and Kerrie Clarke, and all those involved over the last week with preparing the wall.
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