A new mural in a Hamilton car park was designed to inspire children to play outside more often.

The City of Hamilton unveiled the 15-metre-long mural at the Par-la-Ville car park’s Church Street entrance yesterday after the final touches were completed earlier this week.

Tai-Quan Ottley, who spent the summer working on the piece, said: “Finishing it was a big relief for me. I had to use stencils for the figures and actually make them by hand. It took at least about a half an hour to develop them.”

The mural shows silhouettes of children playing outdoor games like jump rope and hopscotch against a sunset-inspired background.

Mr Ottley explained that the mural was his second submission to the VIVID Art Project and the largest piece he has ever created.

The mural was created to promote outdoor activity and a return to Bermuda’s cultural roots.

Mr Ottley explained: “I want the artwork to inspire people, especially children, to just go outside and play.

“It should also invoke in adults a memory when they would go outside and play.

He added: “I hope people are inspired to get back to the roots of being outside — playing, having fun and just getting away from technology.

“Personally, I remember marbles were quite fun and I liked flying kites.”

Mr Ottley said that he got the idea for the artwork after he watched a friend encourage her children to play outside.

He added: “They were always inside playing their video games or watching television and they had this nice big yard.

“I was laughing to myself because I wished I could have had that as a kid, so I just wanted to show everybody what it was like.”

Mr Ottley said that outdoor activity was an important form of exercise for young children.

He added that the mural was also a way for him to evoke memories of his childhood.

Mr Ottley said: “I just wanted to show it to everybody because that would make them remember what is was like.

“They might just get their children outside and show them how to play marbles or show them how to play jacks.

“The children are the future and, as adults, we were once children, so we can connect with the artwork as well.”

Charles Gosling, the Mayor of Hamilton, said: “The city has a duty to instil vibrancy in the city.

“To be able to do that through the arts gives us the opportunity to put the spotlight on the hugely talented artists in our community.

“Tai-Quan’s mural is a wonderful depiction of life back in the day, a time before tablets and phones when playing outside was the only option.”