How I Challenged Myself
(and Survived to Tell the Tale)
I was beyond excited when the team at Vast Yonder reached out to me with an incredible opportunity to be part of their painting program at Felons Barrel Hall in Fortitude Valley. They saw something in my work that they wanted to showcase, and I couldn’t resist the chance to collaborate with such a creative, forward-thinking team. It felt like the perfect chance to not only push my own boundaries as an artist but also contribute to a space that’s full of energy, culture, and amazing craft. Being invited to this program was truly a full-circle moment for me, and I couldn’t wait to dive in!
https://vastyonder.com/portfolio-items/felons-barrel-painting-program/
I painted a snake to celebrate the Year of the Snake—because what better way to mark this wild ride than with a slithery symbol of transformation and resilience? It’s also my little way of bookmarking this whole experience, so I can always look back and remember exactly when it all started.
As a digital artist, I’ve never ventured into traditional work, let alone painted in public. So, when I was asked to do a live painting event, I was incredibly nervous. I had practiced the piece a few times, but I knew that the pressure of being in front of an audience would bring its own challenges.
On the day of the event, things didn’t go as planned. One of the biggest hurdles came when I realized I had forgotten to bring the original blue paint I had been practicing with. In a panic, I rushed to buy a new tube of blue paint. When I opened it, I saw that the color and consistency were different from what I was used to. At first, I felt frustrated, as it was a change I hadn’t anticipated. But as I started working with it, something unexpected happened—I began to love how it transformed the piece.
This challenge taught me an important lesson in adaptability and how to embrace the unexpected. The new blue created a dynamic, vibrant quality to the painting that I hadn’t anticipated, and it ended up being a beautiful mistake. It helped me realise that sometimes, even when things don’t go as planned, the result can be something even better than you imagined.
Big thank you to Joelle from Vast Yonder who contacted me to partake, thank you to Felon and their wonderful staff who helped me on the day!
Special mentions to Bob, Alisha, Pete, Rob, Becky, Ash, Monica, Hannah & Jacob for the on-day support.
