A winning mural at the Raglan Club

23 Apr 2025

It was another colourful year of entries in the Resene Mural Masterpiece competition, with a huge number of entries received, which of course made choosing the winners a very difficult task! We’re delighted to see all effort and thought that goes into each and every mural.

As we look to showcase some of the winning murals over the coming months, this week we are putting the spotlight on Doug Ford who won in the Best Professional Mural category.

The Raglan Club’s mural, created by long-time muralist Doug, recently snagged the title of Resene Best Professional Mural 2024 – and it’s easy to see why. Cleverly using the club’s existing windows as part of the design, Doug has crafted a vivid, three-dimensional scene that feels like you’re peering into a series of real-life social moments.

From a game of darts to a quiet cuppa, each “window” reveals a slice of club life, packed with charming details and familiar faces. “There are a few sneaky portraits in there,” Doug says. “Rob who used to be at Matapihi Gallery is in there playing darts.”

Doug draws much of his inspiration from the world around him, filtering it through what he calls his "mind’s eye" to create characters that feel both imaginative and recognisable. The mural doesn’t aim to document the club precisely, but rather to celebrate its spirit – the sense of connection, camaraderie and community it fosters through activities like billiards, music, dancing and shared meals.

With close to 200 murals under his belt and a love for Resene paints, Doug’s mural journey spans from local cafés to New York hotels, always bringing colour and character to the walls he touches. Now based at Made Gallery, he’s already dreaming up the mural’s next chapter – a sky extension in rich royal blue. But first, he chuckles, there’s a small fix: “The lady with the cup of tea and the empty vase on the table; she definitely needs a rose in that vase.”

We have opened up the competition again for this year, so if you’re keen to get creative again, you can register for this year’s competition online at www.resene.com/murals.

Published: 23 Apr 2025