"I find it hard to sum up what murals are for and why they have been created because they are so diverse.

They range from crude amateurish paintings to incredibly accomplished works of art.

Some are propaganda, some advertising. Some are informative, often historical or religious. Some are 'paintings' some are 'graffiti'. Some are considered decorative and some vandalism.

In fact I think there is probably a mural to represent almost every genre and function art has seen over the course of time.

Painted walls are possibly the oldest manifestation of art. They start right back with ancient cave paintings, and reappear throughout history in various forms, such as ancient frescos.

And later the famous work of Michelangelo in the Sistine chapel in the 1500's.

It's pleasing to me that there is still a demand for, and an urge amongst artists to create, giant scenes across our urban landscape, all with many different motivations.

I love to see the illusion of space and depth created on a flat surface. All representational art is, to some extent trompe l'oeil (trick of the eye) but some artists are able to play with this and take it to astonishing extremes.

An example of one of the biggest, trompe l'oeil murals in Europe is painted in the Silk-Workers' quarter of Lyon, a French city famous for its painted walls.

The painting is continually updated, it represents individual inhabitants of the quarter. It shows the residents having aged and cars and shop fronts changing with the times.

One of my motivations for painting murals is that I enjoy making such a big statement. I like to draw people's attention to things that interest me, so I try to represent nature in many of my paintings.

Commissions along this theme are always welcome and I've enjoyed working on paintings such as the dolphin storyboard for the Boat Place in New Quay

And an entrance piece for the Magic of Life Butterfly House in Cwm Rheidol, Ceredigion.

In my most recent work however, there is a slight change of theme. It has also taken me outside of Wales, to a school in Barnsley.

The headmaster wanted something that related to the local area.

So it highlights and celebrates some of the interesting places to visit nearby and the lovely green rolling landscape of the area.

It was a joy to design and paint as I felt it was an acknowledgement of what makes this particular environment and locality special. It can now serve as a cheery reminder as people enter the school grounds.

Article written by Stephanie Renshaw.