Hayley Wells, Emerging Mural Artist, shares their Skills-Share Mural Story

Working with Zabou, Pete, Steve and Candy was an absolute dream – I felt supported and included throughout the whole process and loved being able to develop our ideas together. There was camaraderie and creative solidarity throughout that made everything more enjoyable. I learnt loads about the practicalities of large scale, public artwork that I will now be able to implement in future projects and I am grateful for the opportunity to expand my portfolio in this area.

Written by Hayley Wells, a Chelmsford-based illustrator with an MA in Children's Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art. Hayley has created window paintings for Chelmsford For You, a mural for Wild Walls in Ipswich, and painted an OpenReach box and CCTV base in two previous years of Concrete Canvas.

Hayley was selected by Lead Skill-Share Mural Artist, Zabou, as one of three commissioned local artists (alongside Steve Lawes and Pete Lee) to take part in a unique Skills-Share Mural opportunity. Together they received mentorship and training from Zabou to increase both confidence and skills in creating large-scale public artworks. The completed 4-sided mural sits along Kings Head Walk, Chelmsford, CM2 6FH.

This mural is one of four, co-created with communities across the district of Chelmsford in 2026, as part of Concrete Canvas: Reimagined.

Concrete Canvas: Reimagined is part of the Young Cultural Changemakers Programme, produced by Culture Chelmsford and SPARK!, in collaboration with Chelmsford For You & Concrete Canvas, funded by Arts Council England, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford City Council, Chelmsford College, Chelmsford For You, Great Baddow Parish Council, Mister Gees Foundation and sponsored by Alfreshco, Community RePaint, Thirst Drinks Syndicate and Wickes.