The streets of Mount Maunganui are coming alive with colour with 16 murals from 18 artists.

The inaugural Street Prints Mauao Street Art Festival has attracted artist from all over to the seaside area to paint one off art works on walls over four days.

Charles and Janine Williams' art on the back of the Furniture Gallery. Photos and video: Tracy Hardy.

The festival, organised by Jah and Lovie Smith, started on Thursday and will continue through to tomorrow.

Tauranga's own Mr G – aka Graham Hoete – has even made the trip from Sydney to take part in the creative festival.

'I know quite a few of the other artists – Charles and Janine [Williams] are really close friends of mine.” The Auckland couple are also professional streets artists, who have been on the scene for two decades.

Mr G is impressed with the line-up for the festival. 'Tauranga's in for a real treat,” he says.

'The calibre of artists is high. You have some of New Zealand's best, and also some international artists who are doing some really big things.”

The theme for the festival is land and sea. 'I'm going to paint a portrait of my father. He's from Motiti Island, right next door to the whole Rena thing, so it's his home. It's something appropriate to paint and I love my father.”

Auckland artist Erika Pearce is painting a big tropical scene with hibiscus and frangipani flowers on the back of Rata House.

Erika felt the theme of her mural went nicely with the coastal backdrop of Mount Maunganui.

Artist Janine Williams is painting a spotted shag in acknowledgement of the Rena disaster.

"In Maori custom birds are like guardians, so we are painting it in a whare shape representing Tauranga and the Bay as the home for these birds.

"Each of the panels are like a tukutuku panel and each design has a story."

Janine says the piece is called Rise of the Guardian in honour of the 20,000 or so birds affected by the Rena disaster.

While the official festival only runs for four days, artists will remain on site until around Wednesday or Thursday.

SunLive headed along to catch some of the creative works taking place and asked the Street Art youth volunteers thought of the event.

Watch the video above to see what they had to say.

Erika Pearce with her art behind Rata House.


Christie Wright from Hawkes Bay with her art.