Love of wildlife on display at art hub

LOCAL creative Natalie Hrymakowski is the latest artist in residence showcasing her skills and work at the Art Hub Ballarat.

Hrymakowski can be seen at work – and is happy to interact with visitors – from 10am to 3pm each Friday to Sunday at the hub, at 10 Lydiard Street North, until the end of April.

Her work, which includes painting, ceramics and embroidery, stems from her lifelong love of wildlife and a commitment to wildlife conservation.

She is using her three-month residency to create new work and as a pop-up shopfront and gallery, as well as to raise awareness of her guiding passion.

Born and bred in Ballarat, Hrymakowski graduated with a degree in fine arts from Federation University in 2012.

“I’ve always had a love for art; I’ve been drawing since I was a kid,” she said.

She established a micro-business in 2020 as an outlet for her creations after doing freelance work and charity projects.

“I come from a creative family, and I wanted to showcase my family’s work as well,” she said.

“I have a casual job as well. Because it’s so hard to get seen these days, I kind of see it as a hobby, but I’m hoping to grow it.”

She said like all artists, the dream is to be able to create full time.

“I just love creating; it’s my enjoyment,” she said. “I’m actually not good with putting myself out there, and it (the residency) was a chance to move out of my comfort zone.

“I am a real introvert and you kind of get lost on social media, so it’s been great for that.”

Hrymakowski’s work and that of family members is on display on the Instagram account @nyattski or the website nyattski.com .

Visitors to the hub can see Hrymakowski underglazing her artworks, and she is inviting people to contribute their own wildlife or nature paintings to a vase.

She donates a percentage of profits from her work to four charities – Bush Heritage, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Free the Bears, and the Ellis Park sanctuary in Sumatra.