Do you enjoy ART as a Hobby?

Are you good at ART?

Have you ever considered an occupation in ART ?

My creative skills began as a child.

In 1968, at the beginning of my School Certificate year in my ‘elective’ class for art, I was given a canvas and paint to work and complete for marking that formed part of my School Certificate exams.

I recall working on this painting all year and never being happy with it. With only 2 weeks out from my School Certificate, my art teacher stood alongside me, looking at my painting and looking at me, and shaking his head. He was so frustrated with me, for not being happy with my artwork and nor was he happy with my art work either.

Suddenly, shock, horror, to me and my classmates looking on. My art teacher had a paint brush and tin of white enamel paint in his hands and proceeded to white wash a year’s worth of painting. When he was finished, my canvas was white again. I remember the tears.

My art teacher, told me to start again and hurry up about it. Only two weeks left before my artwork had to be completed and submitted for marking for my School Certificate. I painted this canvas again with a lot of encouragement from my art teacher and a lot of after school hours. It was finished for my School Certificate exams.

I still have my little piece of paper, my School Certificate that says I not only topped the art class coming 1st, but aced my school grade in ART, receiving a ‘Credit’.

I gained my School Certificate at the age of 15. Unable to continue to Year 12, I set off into Sydney and found the only commercial art college and it was at The Rocks. I filled in an application form, to continue my art studies. I wanted to become a commercial artist. More tears and rejection, I had to be 18 before I could enroll in a commercial art course.

My career choices changed and, at 19, I became the youngest female bank manager on record for NSW.

Over my lifetime, I have continued my lifelong creative interests mostly as hobbies but I have also tried to incorporate my creative flair into many of my job roles. I have enjoyed creative art works at a basic Level 1 for sketching, painting oils, acrylics, fabric painting, porcelain painting, water colour’s, cake decorating, cartooning, tracing, pottery and photography. Then I extended my art work to Level 2 which included works in advertising, artist – art works, calligraphy, cartooning, crafts, dressmaking, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, floristry, tiling, sign writing, screen printing, jewellery, a variety crafts and illustrations. At Level 3, my creative juices were more useful at work, in a business manager role, doing advertising, compliance, marketing, desktop publishing, display art works and multi-media developing of creative works.

43 years on, in 2011 whilst caring for my dying mother, I decided the best way to stay focused with the world around me was to participate in some good therapeutic artistic challenges. The time seemed right to combine my creative commercial art skills with the computer. In many of my jobs, when intricate graphic design work was required for my employer all I could do was outsource this help, because I didn’t have the skills to do this on the computer myself.

2011, I contacted the only commercial art college to be found in Sydney, again at The Rocks. Yes the very same college I called on in 1968. This time, I signed up for a Diploma in Commercial Art (Graphic Design), submitted my portfolio and was accepted. I have completed the Certificate III and IV levels and am finished the Diploma level.

So many challenges and changes in my life this year. I can no longer work, I am a commercial artist and I have turned 60. I look forward to completing my Diploma in Commercial Art (Graphic Design) towards the end of this year ! This year I have become a ‘Graphic Designer’ too ! Woo Hoo !

My creative skills have passed down to both of my now adult children. As a single, parent my children made it to Year 12 and university. They have started their careers in artistic creative fields that have taken me 60 years to achieve.

I never lost sight of my dream – I believe I was born to be an artist.

The painting I completed for my School Certificate, I sold to my art teacher. He liked it more than me.

My artist name is ‘La Rene’.

Do something creative, it’s good therapeutic activity.