Page 6 - Just Better Care Possible Magazine Issue 9

ILLAWARRA
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION IN LUSH WOLLONGONG
“Through the local art classes, I’ve made new friends and we love to visit the local coffee shops after working the canvas.”
“There was nothing like the Outsider Artists group even back in Sydney,” Brenda says.
“He’s learning so much more about art and enjoys the social aspect as well.”
Glen agrees. “I don’t feel like
I would’ve been able to take the time with my art if I was still living in Sydney,” he says.
Glen loves to do abstract painting, working with acrylics. Among the lush surrounds of Illawarra, he draws inspiration just by looking into the sky.
“Wollongong is such a beautiful place; I feel like I have lived here a long time,” he says.
One of his goals for the year is to exhibit four of his own original paintings at an upcoming art exhibition through Greenacres.
“Last year I had my work displayed and sold three paintings,” he says, beaming.
“But I’m also really excited to see what my fellow artists create and show.”
The popular British philosopher, Alain de Botton, wrote a book called the Art of Travel in which he linked art and place, describing the impact it has.
In his book he says, “If the world seems unfair or beyond our understanding, sublime places suggest that it is not surprising that things should be thus. We are the playthings of the forces that laid out the oceans and chiselled the mountains.”
The coast of North Wollongong, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, is sublime. Verged by beaches and mountains, it has been the plaything of oceans for millions of years.
The result is a landscape so dramatic that looking upon it, any artist could not resist reaching for easel and brushes.
For Glen, who recently moved to the Illawarra region with his family about 14 months ago, this is a peaceful place where he can freely explore his creativity.
“Sydney was too hectic for us and we decided a change would be good,” Glen’s older sister, Brenda, says.
A painter, creative soul and social person, Glen has settled in well.
“Through the local art classes, I’ve made new friends and we love to visit the local coffee shops after working the canvas,” Glen says.
Art classes happen once a week through a group called Outsider Artists, run by a local centre called Greenacres, which employs and supports people living with disability.
Glen lives with an acquired disability from a childhood incident of severe brain inflammation. Now at 51 years of age, it’s clear he has never let it hold him back.
“My art teacher, Victoria, is amazing,” he says. She teaches nearly 100 students every week who come to her classes.
“She has created a community with a love of art, and I really feel part of it.”
Glen has been a Just Better Care Illawarra customer since the start of 2019. A Support Professional assists with domestic duties and joins him on social outings.
The change in lifestyle suits
Glen and his sister Brenda, who has admired the passion coming through in his art.
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