SWAN Hill Youth Inc teamed up with artist Bethany McKay to assist three young artists – Sophie Kelly, Brahe Lorimer and Luca Devlin – to paint a mural, featuring tropical plants and an array of bright jewel tones, on the walls of The Dandy Lion studio’s outdoor area.
But as well as learning about large-scale painting, the artists were mentored on how to make a living in the creative industries.
“In addition to creating a beautiful mural, it was the opportunity to look behind the scenes and see what goes into working on a project like this,” McKay said.
“It’s a thorough process – there’s designing the piece, and then there’s organising quotes and working out how much to quote for both material and time.
“To be an artist, your day job includes having insurance, having a vehicle like a van to transport your supplies, working with the client.
“There’s a lot of steps – but it’s also just enjoying the work and being able to have that opportunity to get out there and get creative.”
McKay said the project took months to complete due to COVID-19 lockdowns and bad weather, however the artists were determined to get the outdoor space looking spectacular.
Swan Hill Youth Inc youth support officer Will Burns said the idea to work on a mural was largely self-directed by the young artists.
“They came to us after doing pot painting classes with Swan Hill Youth Inc about doing something on a bigger scale, and we decided to pair them with Beth to learn more about what she did for a living,” Mr Burns said.
“And so we worked with (The Dandy Lion) and the project went from there.
“In addition to being an incredible achievement, it’s great that young people now have another space to hang out.
“For the artists themselves, the mural was a way to relax, but also a testament to what they could achieve when they put their mind to something.
“At the end of the school day it was great way to come in here and unwind,” Luca said.
“It took a lot longer than I thought it would – it’s certainly not something that could be done over a couple of days,” Sophie said.
“However I’ve definitely realised what I’m capable of.”
