ONE of the first things I ask the artist of the week is “When did your art journey start.”
For Tom, his first competition was at a Mt Gravatt Show at age 13 – he remembers getting some sort of prize.
He had always sketched and did an Arts course at Nambour State High School, junior level. Tom recalls receiving an SLR camera for his 21st birthday and has been a dedicated photographer since.
But like many others, one must put aside certain loves and gain employment, which Tom did for over 30 years, chasing a career that included 50/50 photographic (all aspects) including his own professional photographic business and 50 per cent newspapers including The Telegraph, The Courier- Mail, the QT, Ipswich Advertiser and Big Rigs Newspaper.
For Lyn, from a young age, she always had a creative flair having sewn, knitted and crocheted. It wasn’t until later in life that she diversified her artistic talents.
Lyn’s career background included 11 years with Woolworths followed by a lengthy career with a variety of roles with Telstra.
She came to photography in the 1990s when both her and Tom joined the Ipswich Photographic Society.
Tom chooses acrylic and watercolour as his medium of preference, but also enjoys exploring pen and wash using fine markers.
With a passion for our great landscapes and seascapes, Tom also loves to explore portraiture, clay sculpture, with the odd abstract thrown in.
As husband and wife, they are each other’s biggest inspiration.
Tom shares that he is most inspired by Lyn’s work ethic towards her art.
They are also inspired by other artists they have met and worked alongside and the world around them, its beauty and dramatic landscapes.
Lyn says Tom has been her constant mentor throughout her art journey.
With many photographic awards under his belt, Tom as also been awarded many accolades for his painting.
Lyn tends not to enter competitions often, but recently received a first for photography at Bentley Art Prize.
When asked, “Why do you do art?” the response was simply put:
“It’s the love of escaping into our own world while being creative, and of course recording our travels through paint and photos for future reference,” they said.
“We both love to paint in watercolours during our travels. It’s a form of meditation with a beautiful outcome.”
You can follow their journey via the Arts Connect Ipswich Inc and The Ipswich Art Society Facebook pages.
