My Creative Side

With the ambition of one day teaching people how to paint and draw, this talented artist is proof that nurturing a life-long hobby can turn a wonderful dream into reality.

- Amanda Shepherd

I have always had a creative side that would make an appearance every now and then. When I was little I used to write stories and when I was in high school I experimented a little with art, but it was nothing more than a little fun.

As I got older, my creative streak once more made an appearance. Graphite pencils were my choice of medium. It was just something to pass time at night, while my husband was at work. Soon I began to add colour and I was pleased with how quickly I was improving. Pencil portraiture was my specialty. I began to love my new hobby and realised that I had a passion for art, drawing an array of different subjects, including animals, fruit and flowers.

I signed up for Certificate III and IV in fine arts at the local TAFE, where I was encouraged to experiment with different mediums. Sculpture was a wonderful experiment, but I knew that painting and drawing was what I really wanted to do. It was around this period in time that my husband and I started our family; so once again, my creative side went into hibernation for a short period.

Portraiture was what I came back to when I had the time and before I knew it, I was in full swing again. I began to enter my work in the local show and was delighted to win awards for my work every year.