The artist behind some of Sheffield's colourful murals - BBC

tapanggane.blogspot.com

By Victoria Scheer

BBC News

An artist behind a series of colourful new street murals in Sheffield says her work allows her to "leave a little bit of you where you live".

Megan Russell, 30, who goes by the name Peachzz, has created several pieces in her home city, including recent work in Pond Street and London Road.

The Sheffield Hallam University graduate has also worked in Ireland, the US and Colombia.

She said she loved the "here today, gone tomorrow" aspect of street art.

Megan Russell is a Sheffield-based street artist

Her most recent creation, near the city's bus station, was commissioned by her former university and features bees, berries and Yorkshire's iconic white rose.

But she said it was not always plain sailing and she almost turned her back on her passion for spray paint.

"It's tough when you start out, you can't just rock up and paint somebody's wall, because you are still learning," she said.

Instead, she practised on legal walls and boards until she realised she had a particular fondness for painting wildlife, nature and portraits.

Among her work is an enormous image of a brightly coloured parrot and the slogan "forge your path", emblazoned across the side of a four-storey building in London Road, which was commissioned by payment platform Rapyd.

Megan described the painting as an "ode to Sheffield" with its subtle nod to the city's steel industry.

While Banksy may have turned street art into a collectable artform, with his works regularly selling for millions of pounds, for many artists their work is highly unlikely to be seen in a gallery or auction house.

But for Megan, the potential transience has made her appreciate the medium even more.

"The beauty of street art, and what you take away, is that it can be here today, gone tomorrow, which is what makes it so special," she said.

"There is an element of letting things go."

As for how her work has been received in Sheffield, she said the feedback had been largely positive.

"There is always a worry, I want it to be right for the community and the space but when I get those [positive] comments, it makes me feel like I've done right," she said.

"I love painting in my home city and I definitely want to do it more. There is something quite special about it, you can leave a little bit of you where you live."