Golden Hour: A mural celebrating Neerim South’s landscape

14 Mar 2025

Neerim South, a picturesque township in West Gippsland, Victoria, has long been a hub for dairy farmers, beef farmers and tradespeople. In recent years, however, its small yet passionate arts community has been transforming the town’s streetscape, bringing vibrant creativity to its residents and visitors alike. Since 2016, the town has hosted the Neerim South Sculpture Festival, an event that not only draws tourists but also enriches the town’s artistic identity. For the 2024 edition, the festival’s arts committee collaborated with the Neerim South Progress Association and the Bendigo Bank Community Foundation to introduce a large-scale mural project. The result? Golden Hour, a breathtaking mural by artist Melanie Caple, painted in vibrant Resene paints.

Capturing the magic of dusk

As a South Gippsland native, Melanie felt deeply honoured to be selected for this project, which she approached with a vision to celebrate the region’s natural beauty. Golden Hour captures the ephemeral moments of dusk, translating the shifting light and rich hues of the West Gippsland landscape into an immersive visual experience.

“A celebration of the West Gippsland bush, for this wall I wanted to use colour and light to try and capture the moments and gradients of dusk in our scrubby landscape,” Melanie says.

Drawing inspiration from the nearby ranges, Melanie’s mural features native flora and fauna in stunning detail. The artwork includes an eastern whipbird, a yellow-tailed black cockatoo, a male satin bowerbird and a female satin bowerbird, all interwoven with blue gum leaves, trigger plant flowers and hellebores – plants that flourish in Neerim South’s distinct climate.

Melanie’s mural, Golden Hour, is painted in Resene White, Resene Mellow Yellow, Resene Essential Cream, Resene Roxy, Resene Adore, Resene Deluge, Resene Blue Gem, Resene Surf's Up, Resene Lucky Point, Resene Harvest Gold, Resene Whiskey, Resene Di Sierra, Resene Strikemaster, Resene Believe, Resene Pizza, Resene Sunshade, Resene Foxtrot, Resene Bullitt, Resene Boogie Wonderland, Resene Gimblet and Resene FX Metallic Gold.

“Because the wall was so long and viewers would be up close to the surface, I wanted to create something atmospheric as well as detailed,” she says. “Being able to create a curated colour palette from the Resene range allowed me to celebrate colour and form and mimic the golden hour that occurs at dusk across the Gippsland hills.”

The power of colour

To bring her vision to life, Melanie relied on Resene’s diverse colour palette, selecting hues that would create depth, vibrancy and a soft transition between elements. Her approach was informed by the natural environment, particularly the way the neighbouring hills fade as the sun sets.

“After a few site visits I felt that the most important thing for the wall was to create an immersive experience whilst also not coming across as claustrophobic,” she says. “By watching the neighbouring hills and the way in which they faded with the last light, I wanted to create that softness across the surface. By using the Resene colour catalogue as my guide, I tried to replicate that softness and the experience of the sun setting through the hills and the bushland. I then teamed the experience of witnessing local birdlife with this passing of the sun – again using the Resene colours to capture the luminescence and depth of bird and floral tones against the landscape-inspired background.”

Melanie primarily worked with Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen for its rich pigmentation and excellent coverage, ensuring the mural’s colours remained vibrant and true to her vision. To enhance the mural’s dynamic qualities, she incorporated Resene FX Metallic paint, adding a shimmering contrast to her curated palette.

Melanie chose shades that pay homage to the setting sun over the local landscape, including (among others) Resene Harvest Gold, Resene Whiskey, Resene Pizza, Resene Sunshade, Resene Foxtrot, Resene Bullitt, Resene Boogie Wonderland, Resene Gimblet and Resene FX Metallic Gold. Image by Nicky Cawood.

Located at 143 Main Neerim Road, Neerim South, this vibrant mural painted in a palette of Resene hues is now a beacon that celebrates the area’s natural beauty.

An artist rooted in place

Melanie’s artistic practice is deeply tied to the natural world, and Golden Hour exemplifies her ability to bridge realism with expressive colour. A graduate of RMIT with a Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting) and a Master of Arts Management, she has spent over fifteen years refining her practice, which spans finely detailed paintings and large-scale public murals. Her work frequently explores our relationship with the botanical world, immortalising native flora and birdlife to evoke a sense of place and appreciation for the environment.

“So much of my work requires the blending and rendering of realistic forms, so it's not often I get a chance to celebrate colour as a hero in my work,” Melanie says. “It was really lovely having the freedom to create something for this project that really took that use of colour and ground it in its place, and to reflect the changing light over the neighbouring hills of the township of Neerim South.”

Melanie’s portfolio is extensive, with public artworks gracing locations across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. From working on railway stations with Rail Projects Victoria to collaborating with Tesla on the Victorian Big Battery mural, her influence on the public art scene is far-reaching. She has also been a selected mural artist for Frankston’s Big Picture Festival and the Benalla Street Art Festival, further cementing her reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting muralists.

Replicating the softness and the experience of the sun setting through the hills and the bushland, Melanie used vivid Resene hues teamed with local flora and fauna throughout her design. Image by Nicky Cawood.

The mural incorporates local wildlife, including the female satin bowerbird. Image by Nicky Cawood.

A lasting impression

With Golden Hour, Melanie has not only contributed to Neerim South’s artistic landscape but has also created a piece that resonates with the community’s deep connection to the land. The interplay of expertly selected colours, the rich natural imagery and Melanie’s artistic skill culminates in a mural that transforms a simple wall into a vibrant homage to the West Gippsland bush.

To see more of Melanie’s work visit www.melaniecaple.com.

Published: 14 Mar 2025