Jasen - Mural Artist

I find it amazing how people come in to our lives and how easily those chance meetings could easily be missed. Jasen was recommended to me by a new friend. She was having her home decorated at the time and Jasen was doing a fantastic job. I had recently moved in to the area and I was looking for a new decorator as Guy, my previous right-hand man, had moved to Dorset.

Jasen is a great decorator and so modest. We had been working together for literally years before he told me about his fantastic mural work. It came up in conversation one day as we were working at a client's home. When he showed me his portfolio I was blown away.

From that point on we were was able to promote his mural art as well as his decorating services. In 2016 the perfect opportunity presented itself for both our talents to come together. The Zany Zebras Project was being run by Marwell Zoo throughout 2016 and were looking for artists to paint a life size model of a Grevy Zebra. The objective of which was to raise funds for preservation work in Africa to help this species. We were happy to help.

I designed the 360-degree design and Jasen painstakingly hand painted the Koi Carp and Lily pads over a 3-week period. Renaissance Interiors also sponsored our zebra too as she was lovely. We called her 'Carpe Diem'.

She joined 49 other life size zebras that were sponsored by a wide and varied selection of companies, from Cunard and Williams Shipping to restaurant Casa Brasil and a fruit farm. All the entries were amazing and if you visited Southampton during the Summer of 2016 you may well have spotted the zebras around the City.

Ultimately, all the zebras were auctioned at an event in October 2016, which was hosted by comedian Mike Osman at The Hilton at The Ageas Bowl. 'Carpe Diem' was bought by a dad for his five daughters. 'Carpe Diem' where are you now?

Moving to 2018 Jasen now specialises and no longer paints and papers my clients' homes, but I'm pleased to say that we collaborate on mural projects. The only limit is your imagination... and ours is endless.