Blue Groove 2001
Blue Groove Restaurant
Croyde, North Devon
Acrylic on interior walls
Approx. 6 × 4 m
COMMISSIONED MURAL
Created as a commercial commission
A large-scale airbrushed mural and visual identity created for the original Blue Groove restaurant in Croyde.
About the Project
Blue Groove 2001 was the first in a long-running series of commissions for the Croyde restaurant. Conor had become friends with owners Rob Colwill and Matt Pine as they were preparing to open the business and was given creative freedom to develop both mural work and elements of its visual identity.
The principal mural covered approximately 6 × 4 metres and featured a large female figure emerging from an atmospheric field of blue and white clouds. Based initially on a photographic reference found in an old surf magazine, the figure was substantially reworked for the mural, with a globe added to her outstretched hand. The idea was partly prompted by the traditional spiritual He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, giving the image its sense of possibility and invitation.
The figure subsequently became known locally as the Blue Lady. Her scale and position made her immediately visible within the restaurant, while the surrounding cloudscape continued for approximately another seven metres around the bar area, turning the painting into part of the architecture rather than a single framed composition.
The commission also extended into Blue Groove’s wider visual identity. Conor designed the original script logo and handmade the exterior sign in brushed stainless steel, airbrushing the lettering onto its surface. Original paintings including Conception and Out There were displayed throughout the restaurant alongside large-format and framed prints, bringing the mural work, abstract artwork and identity of the space together.
Blue Groove quickly became a gathering place within Croyde’s surf community, and the Blue Lady became a familiar part of the restaurant during this period. The original mural was eventually painted over when the premises changed hands, but the relationship continued after Blue Groove relocated, leading to further mural commissions in 2006, 2019 and 2020.
Project Gallery
Design & Process
The Blue Lady and surrounding cloudscape were painted entirely by airbrush using acrylic paint on prepared and primed interior walls. Soft transitions of blue and white allowed the figure to emerge from the surrounding atmosphere while maintaining enough definition to remain legible across the restaurant.
Rather than ending at the edges of the principal 6 × 4 metre wall, the cloud treatment continued around the bar area for approximately another seven metres. This extended the mural through the interior and created a continuous painted environment around the main figurative image.
Once completed, the painted walls were protected with a clear acrylic coating. The same airbrush-led approach also carried into the restaurant’s visual identity through the handmade exterior sign, linking the Blue Groove logo physically and visually with the artwork inside.
Related Projects
An earlier Blue Groove commission marking another stage in the continuing development of artwork throughout the restaurant.
An expansive surf mural placing Gerry Lopez beneath the weight and movement of a breaking Pipeline wave.
An optical mural using distorted geometry and UV-reactive colour to draw the nightclub entrance towards its central payment booth.
Commission a Mural
Mural commissions are developed in response to the individual site, brief and purpose of the project, with the design shaped around the space and the requirements of the client. Further information about the process, project planning and pricing can be found in the commission guide.
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