London artist Woskerski painted the mural under the ‘A’ bridge, near Byron Close. The route is frequently used by residents exercising their dogs in Crossway Park, Birchmere Park or along the Ridgeway.
Inspired by the location, the artist based his design around a dachshund fetching a stick. But that didn’t stop passers-by suggesting their own dogs might be a better choice.
Woskerski said: “It took me a week to paint the mural, so there were a lot of dog walkers going past while I was working. They were telling me that I should paint their dogs on the wall instead of the sausage dog or include their dogs in the design as well.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have another week to paint all of the many dogs of Thamesmead who were suggested to me!”
A combination of funny online videos and the shape of the wall combined to help Woskerski plan his artwork.
He explained: “We’ve all seen those funny images of the smallest dog trying to carry the biggest stick. Given that I was working on a very long wall, this worked well to match the proportions and not leave too much blank space.”
The new mural was part-sponsored by Peabody for London Mural Festival 2024 and adds to the growing collection of street art on offer in Thamesmead.