Hampshire street artist Hendog leaves his mark on Hengistbury Head

The artwork of a small child fishing in a fishbowl was painted overnight by the Hampshire-based street artist known as Hendog, on the side of the coastguard lookout station at Hengistbury Head.

Hendog has previously produced street art in various locations including Basingstoke and Southampton but this is the first time he has bought his art to Dorset.

He said: "The reaction has been positive, I did think the spot was risky but it was fitting so I kind of went with it but the reaction's been really good.

"What I do is based on emotion and what I want people to feel but once you put people in a nostalgic place it's up to them to figure out their own connection with it.

"That's what I want to do with all of my artwork, they have specific meaning to me but everybody will take their own connection from it, or not.

"The thought process was based on a metaphor of not giving up on something, so the idea was the boy is fishing but when fishing is too hard, he didn't give up he just started fishing in his fishing bowl.

"So the metaphor was based on not giving up but obviously everybody will take their own thing from it and for some people it will just be a joyful image, for other people they'll connect with it how they want to connect with it."

Picture by Lyn Moreland

Speaking about why he chose the coastguard lookout station at Hengistbury Head, Hendog said: "I go to that location quite often. Everything that I try and do street art wise has a charitable angle either in a direct way or in a different way.

"And I just thought that location-wise it's a beautiful spot, I feel like the piece is fitting for it but also there are people to benefit if it does become quite popular.

"When you're up there, there's a lot to take in but the one thing you don't usually take in is that building so it just gives people a reason to notice it, maybe see what it is and realise that they take donations."

The street artist says he will probably produce more artwork in Dorset, in the future.

Hendog said: "I always try and fit the piece with the location, so it depends on whether a location springs to mind when I create a piece but I will probably do another one in Dorset."

"I would never paint on residential properties, I do research into whether things are listed or not and I make sure that if there's a problem its an easy one to fix."

NCI Hengistbury Head praised the artwork as “very cool” in a social media post and said it was attracting lots of visitors and photographers.

Station manager Peter Holway said: “Whilst we appreciate that the artwork added to the lookout overnight by street artist Hendog is really very good, we also need to emphasise that it is graffiti and that we cannot condone the building being used in this manner.

“Furthermore, the building isn't owned by the National Coastwatch Institution and we, therefore, have no say on whether the artwork will remain."

Hendog said: "You should go and visit the area not because of the art work but because it's a beautiful spot."