EMERGING Orange visual artist Jane Tonks is painting a bright future thanks to a $10,000 ArtStart grant.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The TAFE fine arts graduate received the Australia Council for the Arts grant earlier this year and is putting the funds to good use to help her establish a professional arts practice.
“I was really amazed when I got it ... this gives me the opportunity to test the waters and see what happens,” she said.
Mrs Tonks said funding from the grant would be split between capital expenditure for her studio and promoting herself as an artist.
“It would be impossible to go ahead and spend $10,000 [of her own money] just like that,” she said.
The first job on her list of spending was installing much-needed skylights in her dark studio, which lacked natural light.
“It’s really important that I have nice, strong light,” she said.
Mrs Tonks has also purchased a new easel and an SLR camera.
“I haven’t had an SLR since I left school,” she said.
“I can document my painting and I can also use photos as a reference.”
The other half of the funding will be used to help establish her name as an artist, both in Orange and further afield.
“I’ll use it to establish a website, get portfolios printed and distributed to galleries,” she said.
Mrs Tonks said the funding boost was very welcome, as she thought she would have to supplement her art by undertaking part time work upon graduating from TAFE Western.
nadine.morton@ruralpress.com