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Giant bilby and native flora brighten the walls of park cafe

Want to come eye to eye with a giant cockatoo or bilby?

Well you can as the new murals adorn the walls of the Queens Park Café.

Ipswich artist Kim Schubel spent the past few weeks giving the café a beautiful makeover.

Australian flowers and natural things are artist Kim Schubel’s favourite to paint, which is why she was a natural fit when the café owners decided to give their café a fresh new look.

Nestled in the centre of Ipswich’s oldest park, surrounded by enormous trees, manicured gardens and the Ipswich Nature Centre, the family café is well known and loved.

Café manger Kirsten Reynolds said they wanted to say thanks to the community for supporting them.

“I wanted to reinvent the café which is a vision for Ipswich and the community. The concept was to use our beautiful surrounds and bring the inside onto our walls,” she said.

“We wanted something bright, vibrant and inviting for families.

“Lots of people gather here for family events and reunions. We wanted somewhere they can take a picture and make a memory.

“We have also put Kim’s artwork on to our updated menu.”

Kim has been painting her whole life and said her work tends to have an animated edge to it.

“I have done a couple of murals before but none on this scale,” she said.

“It’s also different painting in front of a full café. People don’t usually see your work until it’s finished but here people are seeing it from the ugly stage at the beginning before you add all the detail.

“It’s also been great as people are really lovely and chatty and I’ve had very positive feedback.”

The brief from Kirsten wasn’t overly specific but she did ask for a bilby as a tribute for local icon Frank Manthey who passed away this year.

“He did a lot for the preservation of the bilby, so staff wanted to honour him,” Kim said.

Kim hopes customers will engage with her large artworks and take selfies in front of them.

“Hopefully it’s something that will become iconic in the area,” she said.

“Lots of children come in after visiting the bilbies and they have that instant connection.

“I wanted to paint things that they see around here.

“Art should be something people can connect to, especially public art, it brings people together which is nice too.”

You can contact Kim here.

Queens Park Cafe is open everyday from 8am till 5pm.

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