Art is a hard thing to start, make and exhibit. You need inspiration for your ideas and the confidence to carry them out. Then finding a way to show your art to others is another tricky thing, not all venues or avenues are appropriate for your target audience, which takes thinking about. In my latest work I am excited but also stumped by my new ideas. How to stay true to myself, create something meaningful but also something that may be desired by those that will be my audience is a challenge.

So far my guiding principles are my love of colour, playfulness and as my husband says 'See how it flows', to trust my intuition and inspiration. Although I am attempting something out of my comfort zone I feel an energy of adventure and excitement that keeps me wanting to work on it despite my occasional wish to go back to my old ways. I love looking at art history for mental arty fortitude and in this case Kandinsky is my guide, a lawyer turned artist who took a leap and created some of the first abstract art. Not that mine will be a first in the art world, it may not even reach the art world, but I do hope to emulate the courage and conviction in his ideas that he had.

Composition IV, Wassily Kandinsky, 1911

"Each color lives by its mysterious life" One of many quotes by Kandinsky that inspire me. Kandinsky was very much motivated by trying to capture the internal landscape of his mind and create a new world on his canvas. 

My personal journey is no where near at its pinnacle, nor has it a clear direction but I hope to share my own art adventures and offer guidance in the hopes that the young in the Youth Art Club will be able to find the courage to start their own art journey. The Youth Art Club will provide a hang out space to do art in, find like minded individuals and experience techniques and mediums not offered at home or school. The biggest attraction of the Armadale Society of Artists is the opportunity to find a network of people that can boister your arty courage, get some good opinions on your direction and take comfort in the arty community it provides. Sharing that with younger creatives is the goal. 

Get your Youth Art Club tickets here

Some avenues to exhibit your art adventures:

Stirling Art Awards (entries open 1 August, close 22 August)

MidWest Art Prize (Geraldton, entries open now, close 8 September)

City of Bayswater Art Awards (entries open 4 September, close 6 October; also includes an under 18 category) 

Melville Art Awards (entries open 1 September, close 12 September)

Happy Arty Adventuring!