THE FIRST mural in a program aimed at bringing colour to the facades of a dozen small businesses by the end of this year is well underway.
Small Walls is a program developed by Jacinta Fintan to get more public art around Newcastle and deter graffiti in the process.
"It is benefiting artists and benefiting business but also the community because they get to enjoy spaces that are more beautiful," Ms Fintan said.
"You are more likely to hang out in an area if it is attractive and clean and if it doesn't have garbage and tags."
The program, funded by the City of Newcastle's Special Business Rates, was originally slated to see local artists paint murals on 10 small business. Ms Fintan said extra funding means up to 12 sites in the city will now benefit from the program.
A spokesperson said the City of Newcastle graffiti removal team has seen "first-hand a reduction in tagging /graffiti in the presence of murals by local artists".
Work started at The Roost last Thursday on the program's first mural, which is being done by Hunter street artist Dan Bianco.
"I'm very privileged. It's in a great location and the guys here at the Roost are doing great things," Mr Bianco said.
"Support local. Be local. It's everything."
Running with the "roost" theme, Mr Bianco's installation will feature one rooster and three hens standing at roughly three metres tall.
Yet to be finished when the Newcastle Herald viewed the mural Monday afternoon, the third hen was nothing more than an outline with an infill of random shapes
This is what Mr Bianco called a "squiggle grid" and is the first step to painting murals. When the grid is on the wall, Mr Bianco takes a photo of the space and using software overlays a transparent version of his desired image. He then uses the "squiggle grid" as a reference for the larger piece.
Originally from Muswellbrook, Mr Bianco has been working full-time as an artist in Newcastle for around three years. He was assisted on The Roost's mural by third-year Tafe student Jade Burton.
"It was really exciting to have someone like Jade come on board because I knew she was an aspiring artist," he said.
"When I was younger I didn't think you could ever earn a living and be sustainable being an artist and a lot of kids think the same thing.
"If I could pass on my knowledge then that's my job done and hopefully we can see these things continue."
A key part of Small Walls is that, as the name suggests, the murals are on a smaller scale than some others around Newcastle. This is done in part to keep costs down by not requiring elevated work platforms or lifts.
"We couldn't go too much higher than what I could reach from a ladder," Mr Bianco said.
"They wanted a rooster so I immediately thought if I could get a rooster to the left with the tail feather flicking over the entry that would create more of a presence."
Located just off Hunter Street, The Roost is a co-working space for creative professionals. Member and local illustrator, Ben Mitchell, said by giving people who would otherwise work solo a space to come together, The Roost creates a "sense of community".
Mr Mitchell said members of The Roost started looking at options for the building's facade after it was tagged.
He said they would never have been able to work with an artist of Mr Bianco's calibre without the Small Walls program.
"We got to work with a huge artist who could do something so big and beautiful," Mr Mitchell said.
"We were given the options of four or five local artists and chose Dan because I walk past his work everyday on the way to The Roost. I see it up close and it's incredible.
"I love [the chickens]. It has been fantastic seeing them come up and I can't wait to see them finished."
After The Roost, Ms Fintan said Blue Kahuna's and Papa's Bagel Bar are both locked in for the project and that applications are still open to businesses who want to be part of the program.
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