VACMA: Kristyn Grieve – Visual Artist

“I used my award to purchase materials, equipment and online tutorials for oil painting. My main goals were to learn to paint with oils and to establish a regular practice for myself. I feel that I achieved this, though health issues and other matters got in the way of my possibly over ambitious vision of 2-3 days a week of study and practice. However,

I have been building my confidence with oils and made a good start to my development in this as I continue. I have also established a space, mindset and way of working as an individual artist. As these were my main goals, I feel like this has been successful.

I simply would not have been able to do this project without the award. It meant I was able to afford the materials, equipment and tutorials needed to enable me to learn to paint with oils without worrying about the financial aspect. Beyond this, it gave me the incentive to establish my own creative practice. The sense that I could take the time to do this for myself and for my own personal development without having an end goal as the focus was invaluable. Having taken this year to experiment and to establish this way of working does not end with this year, it has been the beginning of a model for the way in which I hope my practice will continue.”