Mural artist Smackas paints a tribute to Vinnies' op-shop treasures

When you walk into the Vinnies warehouse in Stanmore, one of the first things you’ll spot is a vibrant mural filled with colour, texture and character — just like a great op shop haul. The piece is the work of muralist Sam McAleer, who paints under the name Smackas, and it’s a celebration of creativity, community, and the magic of second-hand finds.

Sam grew up in Annandale and has always been a creative person, but he didn’t originally plan on becoming an artist. “I was a chef. That was my creative outlet,” he says. After burning out at a young age, he spent time working as a barista, but eventually found his way back to creativity through painting — first on the side, then full-time. “I slowly but surely got better and better. And then I've turned it into a full-blown career now,” Sam says. “It’s been three years full time.”

Sam’s mural at Stanmore took three days to complete and draws inspiration directly from the Newtown Vinnies store. As he describes it, it was like being “a kid in a candy shop” picking out props for the design. Among the featured elements are a navy scarf with white polkadots, vintage glass bottles, and a popping pink handbag — all real items from the Newtown store that were arranged into a colourful still life.

Fresh flowers, including proteas and paper daisies sourced from a nearby florist on King Street, also weave through the piece. Including Australian native blooms was part of the creative brief — and a direction Sam was excited to embrace. “They basically let me do what I want within the structure of having Australian natives in it," he says. "It was a really nice balance of freedom and guidance.”

Sam explains that the piece was about capturing the feeling of stepping into a Vinnies store: “I really want to try and capture that where this feels like the store — it’s a little more clean cut, but you still get that feeling," he says. "It’s that fun of op shopping — you’re probably not gonna find what you need, but you’ll find something."

The mural also incorporates the Vinnies’ new retail brand colours, adding pops of soft pink, navy and mint green throughout the composition. It's all part of creating a space that feels fresh, welcoming and true to the spirit of secondhand shopping.

Sam’s style blends spray paint with brushwork to create rich textures and layers. "I started out using predominantly spray paint, but over time I've adjusted into using a mix of house paint with brush and spray paint," he explains. “Spray paint’s quite a smooth medium... but brush, you can really work the shapes, work the feeling. You can see the texture of the threading on the bag or the refraction in the bottles.”

This blending of media helps bring out the tactile, imperfect beauty of the secondhand treasures Sam loves to paint. “There’s that element of organicness to it. Some of the stuff at Vinnies won’t ever see a home again. It’s just sitting there. But I can give it another life by turning it into a painting," he says.

Sam admits he’s still finding his stride as a professional artist, learning how to balance personal projects with commissioned work. "We're always growing," he says. “Every day is still work, but you love doing it. If I can paint every day, I’m happy — that's my goal in life.”

The mural will be a permanent feature in the entrance to Vinnies’ warehouse in Stanmore, greeting visitors as they enter from the street into a customer service area. And for Sam, there’s something special about having a piece of public art close to home. “Some things I paint, I never get to see them again — they're either interstate, internationally, or just far out west. But when they're local, I have a habit of just driving past my own work just to see it again,” he laughs.

To keep up with Sam’s colourful creations, follow @smackas on Instagram or visit smackascreative.com.au.