Colour-blind artist brings Sid the Octosquid to Bexhill

Commercial artist Eddie Collinson, who is spectrum colour blind, has created a brand-new mural for the Sovereign Light Cafe on Bexhill Seafront featuring Sid the Octosquid helping clean up our polluted seas around the iconic Sovereign Light.

Eddie who usually travels the world painting street art murals for major international brands, adverts, TV shows and even Hollywood studios gave his time and talent to Bexhill in support of arts social enterprise W.Ave Arts run by Bexhill Chamber of Commerce board member Carol Cook.

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce & Tourism president Howard Martin said: “Eddie uses a specially designed palette of paints that allow him to identify colour tones by place names. For example, all British place names are reds with London being the darkest and Edinburgh being the lightest. That way Eddie can visualise by geography rather than sight where a colour is in the spectrum. French places are in the green spectrum, Italy the blue etc.

“Eddie not only travels the world as one of the leading street mural artists but also runs a specialist shop Sea Spray in Folkestone and works on many initiatives to help disadvantaged young people follow his pathway from the streets into commercial art.

“Bexhill Chamber and W.Ave Arts are working with other stakeholders to bring Eddie’s workshops to Bexhill to nurture more local talent into creative employment.

“Bexhill Chamber of Commerce are working with W.Ave Arts to create a series of temporary murals around Bexhill and Sidley by both international and local artists to bring a much-needed lift to our town at the end of what has been a hard and very challenging summer.

“Our Chamber strongly believes that dynamic public art can act as a driver for economic regeneration in coastal towns and are very pleased that Sussex Police, Southeastern rail, Hastings Direct and smaller local companies like Equilibrium Business Solutions and 1066 Motorcycle Training are backing our campaign to bring a smile back to some rather dowdy and neglected buildings.”

If you or your business are interested in being a part of the great Bexhill Art Wave, contact Bexhill Chamber of Commerce or W.Ave Arts.