Billy Apple Artwork, Walters and Sandringham – Late 2025

Before the World Cup in 2011, Billy Apple, an Auckland artist, constructed an artwork at the intersection of Walters and Sandringham Rd, near Eden Park. It consisted of green surfacing to look like grass and wide white lines to look like, let’s say, the Try Line and edge lines, all referencing the park itself.

Over the years the surface faded to a blueish green, and the council wished to restore it back to the original bright, yellow rich green colour. Billy Apple died in 2021, but his wife was keeping everyone honest to ensure the colour was as Billy specified.

Resin Surfaces spoke to an overseas outfit that coloured glass aggregate. In simple terms, the glass aggregate is coloured by tumbling it in a bath of paint, then continuing the tumbling minus the paint until it dries.

We also spoke to Resene Paints, who recommended a 2 coat process for the glass aggregate colouring. The 1st coat is the colour, which they formulated using the most UV resistant pigments available, and the 2nd coat is a clear coat with UV inhibitors like Tinuvin in it.

This is the same process as used on cars. I am sure you have seen older cars with a clear coat peeling off, revealing the colour coat underneath that rapidly fades.

Resin Surfaces bashed the work out in early December 2025, and after one year the fade is unnoticeable.