Melton, Victoria: A Street Artist's Rainy Day Rant

i'm sitting on a dirty milk crate in melton, victoria, watching my spray cans sweat from the humidity. this place is a concrete maze of industrial estates and half-finished housing developments. the weather app says it's 11.14°c but it feels like 10.53°c because the air is so thick you could chew it. humidity's at 85% - basically tagging in a bowl of soup. pressure's high, 1023 hpa, so the sky's this flat, oppressive grey that never changes. i just checked and it's... exactly what the numbers said, hope you like that kind of thing.

if you've never been, here's roughly where i'm stuck:

melton's one of those suburbs that's constantly in-between: not quite city, not quite country. you can see the melbourne cbd lights on the horizon, but it feels a million miles away. if you get bored, the city's just a 30-minute drive east, or you could head west to ballarat for some real ghost-town vibes.

yesterday i hit a wall that had the digits 2158151 sprayed in tiny white caps next to a burning tire. no idea what it means - maybe a phone number? a bus route? a secret code? then my homie texts me a string of numbers, 1036007778, says it's the new paypal for our art sales. i'm not sure i trust it.

anyway, i thought i'd share my essential kit (the stuff i won't leave the crib without):

- *mtn hard-to-buff 94 - the only paint that'll survive a chemical wash, but it's expensive as hell.
- fat cap - for those thick drips that hide my shaky lines.
- disposable gloves - the less evidence, the better.
- small first-aid kit - nicking yourself with a blade is a real risk when you're half-asleep.
- windbreaker - not for fashion, because spray mist sticks to cotton like glue.
- hair dryer - yep, you read that right. in this humidity, paint takes ages to dry. i stole one from a girlfriend's place and never gave it back.
- mask* - not a corona thing, i need it to not breathe in fumes and also to disguise my face if the cops show.

now, the walls here are tricky. you'd think there's tons of empty surfaces, but the council's been on a buffing frenzy. still, here are my top 3 fresh walls in melton (as of today):

- the back of the old mattress factory on williams st - huge brick, minimal foot traffic, but the owner's a paranoid ex-cop. hit it at 3am and pray he doesn't have night vision.
- the drainage canal under the melton highway - it's always damp, so paint runs like tears, but the concrete is smooth as butter. just watch out for the weird algae that glows at night.
- the rotting wooden fence behind the train yard - it's falling apart, but it's a classic 'buff it and it's gone' spot. still got 2 weeks before council scrapes it. bring a crowbar for extra effect.

someone told me that the new security guard at the mattress factory used to be in the special forces, so don't even try it unless you want to get disappeared. i heard from a local bartender that the council's new pressure washer can strip a fresh burner in 30 seconds flat - they call it the 'ghost gun'. also, apparently there's a gang of retired plumbers who patrol the canals at night with flashlights. fun times.

i've also learned the hard way that painting in this weather is a whole different beast. so here are my pro-tips for tagging in 11°c, 85% humidity:

- shake your cans longer than you think - the cold makes the paint thicker.
- bring a microfiber cloth to wipe the nozzle every few minutes; clog city.
- avoid black-on-black in this light; it just looks like a smudge.
- if you're using metallics, they'll streak like crazy - maybe skip.
- always have an exit route; you can't run fast when your fingers are numb.
- don't forget a beanie - the paint fumes plus cold air give you brain freeze.
- test your caps on a scrap piece first; the humidity messes with the spray pattern.
- if you're doing a large fill, work in sections and use the hair dryer between coats. sounds ridiculous, but it's saved my pieces.

if you're looking for more intel on spots, check out the melton street art tag on tripadvisor [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g255897-Activities-Melton_Victoria.html]. i've also found the yelp reviews for 'graffiti supplies near me' surprisingly helpful [https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=art%20supplies&find_loc=Melton%2C%20Victoria]. there's a local facebook group called 'melton walls' where they post buff schedules [https://www.facebook.com/groups/meltonwalls]. and if you want to see what the hype's about, here's a video from a youtuber who got arrested trying to tag the train yard [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ].

oh, and one more thing: i keep hearing rumors that the old water tower by the river is haunted. i'm a ghost hunter on the side, so i might check it out next week. but that's another story.

for now, i'm off to find a warm cup of something and maybe a dry wall. if you're in melton, watch your back, keep your cans warm, and don't trust a number that starts with 103.

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