Ever noticed the hundreds of smiley faces graffitied on buildings, the back of road signs, guardrails, power boxes, reservoirs, bridges and bus shelters around Tasmania?
They appear everywhere and are known by a host of names such as smileys, Dougals, ghosties, potato heads, happy worms and hobs.
The smileys take many names and many forms. (Supplied: HobGraffiti)
The man who painted most of them is George*, who started doing it two and a half years ago and thinks of them as a simple way to spread joy. He says people do not greet each other enough.
The genesis of George's passion for street art can be traced to what he describes as his "Mecca" while growing up — the legal graffiti and art wall at Launceston's skate park.
"I always liked the colours, patterns and skill used in those pieces," he says.
I'd always wanted to do something myself but never a word … I wanted to have something a bit silly, lighthearted and simple."
George started painting the smileys two and a half years ago. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
One afternoon George drew his character growing out of the ground on a power pole opposite a house he used to rent.
Admiring it, he asked his housemate what they shou
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