“Art is the conscious use of skill, imagination and creativity to produce works that evoke emotion, ideas or beauty, spanning visual (painting, sculpture), auditory and performing arts.
“It is a diverse range of human activities reflecting technical proficiency and cultural expression.” — AI Google
It has been a tough week. Five back-to-back days of onshore east wind messes with any surfer’s mind.
Petrol prices are on a sky rocket to Mars.
America, Israel and Iran are going bonkers, and here at home we are ripping the inner city apart and setting all and sundry ablaze because we do not like the “new king” of Nigeria.
Any working day has its own growing niggles with a sprinkling of potholes, non-working electric lights, water, sewage and internet rage and financial pressure and it is easy to feel a tad anxious.
It is at times like these I often make a little escape to the Ann Bryant Art Gallery.
I find a bit of time spent among art and beauty can add some rest to my soul.
Thank you to our city’s elders who elected to preserve the Ann Bryant.
So let me tell you about grade 7 scholar Grace McLean from Stirling Primary School.
Cyndi Lauper’s song Girls just wanna have fun comes to mind but in a quieter, conservative and a little bit shy sort of way.
And sure, that is how it should be. In grade 7 the world is not supposed to be an awfully serious place.
While interviewing Grace, a consistent theme was that she is not that serious about it. She just wants to have fun.
Even her little entrepreneurial side hustle “Nail It”, her cute, clever, creative, bespoke nail bar offers a whole lot more fun than it is stressful.
This is Grace’s art side on a minute scale as she decorates individual peel and stick nails for sale to friends and family and whoever would buy on the internet and at market and entrepreneur days.
When not prettying up the world of ladies’ hands, Grace likes to play cricket with her dad or with her team.
She plays hard ball, and mini cricket (soft ball) in the Border squad.
Like her dad, she plays keeper behind the wickets.
Funny thing, her brother, Cole, when not playing squash, enjoys cricket too. Guess what, he also plays keeper.
No pressure though, no huge cricket dreams or aspirations right now, Grace just likes to have fun.
Saving the best for last, Grace likes to go surfing with her mom, Taralyn.
Again, no big mantra, affirmation or words to live by, Grace just wants to get out and have a little light-hearted action.
She smiles a lot while she tells me her stories.
Along with some coaching from Wayne Monk, she is progressing very nicely, thank you very much.
Inspired by her art teacher Mrs Birch and drawing from an internet picture, Grace has created a fabulous textured collage of a surfer riding a beautiful wave.
In shades of blue, turquoise, aqua and green, she has captured “Only a surfer knows the feeling”, a bottom turn with flair in a sparkling blue and green ocean on a dynamic wave.
Small pieces of coloured paper are collaged to form the main body of the picture with details in pencil colours.
Sunbird Creative commercial graphic design artist Catherine Monk said: “Grace’s painting is unbelievable.
“Firstly, to capture the surfer’s stance so naturally is truly admirable (I tried once and couldn’t get it right so I removed the person).
“Secondly, the more I look at the painting, the more I see — it just draws you in.”
From this writer’s perspective, the painting is a relief. A respite. A sparkle of humour in overstimulated times.
A ray of brightness from a young lady. I feel better already.
When the wind turns offshore west, I will paddle out again. Thanks, Grace; I feel better now.
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