Arts group makes successful trail debut

AN ARTS group barely a year old has made a successful debut on this year’s North Bellarine Arts Trail.

The Portarlington Lifestyle Village Arts Group’s nine members – Maureen Cassidy, Sue Cleary, Carol Donohue, Faye Gibson, Criss Hansen, Jeanne Stratford, John Gambardella, Mick Jansen and Keith Staff – are all residents at the facility in Mercer Street, and exhibited at the village during the North Bellarine Arts Trail’s first weekend on November 11-12.

Gibson said the group came together 12 months ago over a shared love of art.

“Some have been painting and drawing for most of their lives, some are very new to it.

“One lady said ‘I can’t draw, I can’t paint’ but we encouraged her to come alone and she did – 12 months later, she’s doing beautifully and she made a sale.

“We decided we’d start an arts group because a few of us pottered along painting and drawing at home, so we thought we’d get a group together.

“We meet every second Monday and we draw whatever we feel like.”

She said the group was considering hiring a tutor at some point.

“We enjoy each other’s company, we encourage each other – we’re hoping to be able to do the arts trail next year, but mid-year we’d like to do an exhibition also.”

Group members had free rein to exhibit what they wanted during the North Bellarine Arts Trail, and recorded a small number of sales. Gibson, who has been an artist for many years, sold three of her works.

“You can go to an art show and not sell a thing, which is what often happens, but it’s always nice to sell something,” she said.

“I’m not sure of the exact number but we had well over 200 people come though over the weekend. So it was very successful for us.”

The North Bellarine Arts Trail continues tomorrow (Saturday, November 18) and this Sunday, November 19 at venues in Wallington, Clifton Springs, Curlewis and Drysdale.

For more information, head to bellarinepeninsulaarts.com