 Lyn
Cole painting a story of the high country that now hangs in the children's
play area in the newly refurbished Delatite Hotel in Mansfield.
With a background in education, Lyn Cole started painting
as a hobby about 20 years ago and now enjoys mixing her styles and mediums
to suit her mood. She developed her skills through experimenting with
the potential and limitations of artistic product. Soon after Lyn started
painting she started up a business in the Yarra Valley teaching art
from home. She continued her love for art when she moved to Mansfield
11 years ago and has run art classes ever since.
"From an artist's point of view I'm probably a little bit different,
as a lot of artists tend to learn the style of a mentor and add personal
traits to their works," she said.
"I haven't followed this path, as I do a lot of different
sorts of art and mixed mediums such as textiles, paint and clay. "A
lot of people say they're a portrait or landscape artist for example,
but I dabble in all of them, somewhat a jack of all trades."
Lyn has never been formally taught by another artist, except for taking
numerous courses, and she relies on her artistic instinct to create
her inspiration. "I've probably got a curious mind and I like to
experiment," she said. "The marriage between my educational
background which led me to teach art spurred me on to experiment with
more types of art. "You can't teach something unless you know what
the product is going to do. "Inspiration comes from many places
and I tend to paint what I'm in the mood for and that could swing from
animals to landscapes to still life."
Lyn said she has fun experimenting with the product itself, using various
types of paints including oil and acrylic. For example, she now uses
heat set oils, which are friendly to her class environment, as they
are odorless. The paint will remain wet until the painted canvas is
heated at 120 degrees Celsius. She said experimenting has also helped
her with teaching by giving her more scope to meet her students' needs.
"The goal of my studio in Mansfield was to have a place where people
can come and feel comfortable and relaxed and explore something they've
been curious about," she said. "People can come to the studio
and trial everything and sort out the road they want to take with their
art. "Art is a wide encompassing subject to teach and it's not
just the painting on the wall, as the process is just as important as
the outcome. "It's a form of relaxation therapy and it also enhances
observation skills." Many artists sell their work in galleries
or hang them up in cafes, but Lyn differs, as she works off a commission
for the pieces she creates. The painting Lyn has been working on (pictured)
will follow the 'Where's Wally' concept encouraging children who visit
the Delatite Hotel to interact by spotting items in the painting.
For more information about Lyn Cole's art classes, contact her on 57751417
or 0407 093410.
See
more of Lyn's work.
 .
Photo
and editorial by Steve Kelly, Journalist at the Mansfield Courier
Phone: 57752115
Direct: 57331108
Mobile: 0427 050798
Email: edit.mcourier@nenews.com.au
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