Canberra artist serves up a novel idea to Kyrgios and world's tennis stars

He wants current and retired big-name tennis players to create paintings by smashing paint-dipped tennis balls against a wall and selling the dynamic end result for charity.

Yanni was inspired to try tennis painting after moving into a new studio at ANCA (Australian National Capital Artists) in Mitchell.

"It had a really big wall and when you're in a bigger space, you start to think bigger ideas," he said.

Yanni used to play tennis when he was a kid.

"A lot of my ideas are based on memories," he said.

"I have a distinct memory being at Canberra Boys Grammar, when I was about 13, and they resurfaced the hardcourt tennis court.

"When they were preparing the tar, a few of us were dipping tennis balls in the tar and then throwing them against a wall. Just being boys.

"I really remember the explosiveness of the balls hitting the wall and the different splatters the balls created."

Now, he's taken some childhood skylarking to a new, artistic level.

Yanni's new contemporary art series, called Tennis Paintings, has colours that pop and vibrate with energy. The series is for sale.

"The tennis strokes replace the brush strokes," he said.

"I dipped tennis balls in acrylic paint and fired them onto a canvas.

"The first balls were heavily saturated, which created spectacular explosions.

"There's so much to look at - it's like delving into a coloured cosmos formed by a plethora of 'big bangs'."

And he's been surprised by the results.

"It was more exciting then I thought it would be," he said.

"It's like a conversation. You can really see the energy. And a serve looks completely different to a backhand."

His next step is to bring on some big-name tennis players to have their own go at the unique painting.

One of the first stars he hopes to recruit is Canberra's own Nick Kyrgios to smash a few aces into the studio wall in Mitchell.

The end painting would then be auctioned off, with half the proceeds going to the player's choice of charity.

"I'm also hoping to collaborate with retired players," Yanni said.

"It's just a big idea at the moment. It's more like a dream.

"How good would it be to set up a wall at the Australian Open, when all the players are in the one location, and they could all just smash out a painting?"

Yanni is now part of Canberra folklore after creating the much-loved Big Swoop magpie sculpture in Garema Place.

He hasn't left maggies behind entirely.

Yanni is now working on a private commission for a collector in Yass of a new magpie sculpture as large as Big Swoop.