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A nature-inspired mural has been painted on the side of Machen Village Hall as part of a drive to bring more colour to south Wales.

Animal scientist and graffiti artist, Aidan van den Bergh, travelled all the way from Hampshire to paint the mural – a task he described as “too good to refuse”.

The mural is part of The Valleys Street Art Project, which was set up in 2023 by local artist Matt Dey. He asked the people of Caerphilly to offer-up their ‘legal walls’ for fellow artists to paint.

A legal wall is when a homeowner gives permission for someone to graffiti the outside wall of their house. This can be just one wall, or all walls. Any public facing wall can also be considered a legal wall.

After painting the Machen mural, Aidan told Caerphilly Observer: “It’s a lovely little sleepy village so I thought a nature theme would be a good idea.

“I looked-up which animals were native to Wales but found most are the same as in England. I opted for a badger and a snail because I know first-hand they get a bit of an unfair rep as pests.

“I had the robin in my mind early on, and was happy with the initial outline I created.”

After drawing the outline, Aidan then spent two days spray painting the wall.

“I’m probably less detailed than some artists when spraying but I still think it looks good. It’s a great spot and I hope the community like it.”

Matt Dey described the piece as “amazing” when visiting, adding how it looked exactly like the illustration sent to him.

He continued: “It’s been brilliant to see how involved the community is with the project. After our last wall, there was already £100 in the GoFundMe within two days. For people to reach into their pockets in this day and age is unbelievable.”

The project relies on donations and goodwill to pay for the paint and other material costs.

“I find it so rewarding and surreal to drive around the borough and see our work at various spots. I had a man message me the other day to say he’d cycled from Cardiff just to visit each mural.”

Through the Valley Street Art Project, 24 legal walls have been painted in the last 16 months.

Another recent example of this was fellow artist Paul Shepard’s tribute to Blackwood band Manic Street Preachers, which was sprayed onto the side of a building just off Blackwood High Street.

Matt said: “We’ve got people coming from all over to paint and we’re so excited for the future. I’d love to try and organise a street art festival where local businesses could trade while a few artists paint outside their shops.”

Machen and Rudry councillor Amanda McConnell added: “I believe that the mural will help deliver a strong message about the hall’s goals and objectives as a community venue.

“By capturing the public’s attention, I’m sure that it will help the hall to expand its reach, establish a broader presence and give a long-lasting impression to the community.”