Launceston artist Bronte Owers no longer creating art as hobby, but as income

Bronte Owers, a 22-year-old, discovered her passion and talent for art when she was young, having grown up drawing and then transitioning into the medium of painting when she was at school.

"I did art classes all the way through school, but I actually never oil painted while I was at school. I just kind of fell into that later on," she said.

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"I started drawing, went to watercolour, dabbled in acrylic a little bit, but didn't really like it and that's when I ended up here.

"Oils use a thin layer and I can continually work over it, making sure the work turns into what I want it to be."

Owers' work utilises a mix of colours, but is always inherently her own style with a whimsical feel to the final piece.

The artist has a studio based downstairs and under her home. Although it may be small, it has a bench, easel, paintbrushes, and a space to hang the work when finished.

Though the artist paints landscapes for the most part, the landscapes are not those that you would see in Launceston, surrounding suburbs, or anywhere in the world.

"I can make something up and bring it to life with painting. I like coming up with different landscapes in my head," Owers said.

"I haven't done any of these from photographs [except the one I am working on now].

"I usually just start with the sky and see what happens. I love doing mountains and trees. So I just put them in randomly, and sometimes I'll chuck in a little cabin, and see what happens."

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While the artist was not working, she thought she would give making money from her art a shot, but has found it a hard transition from looking at art as a hobby to now seeing it as work.

"Having pressure to actually come down [to my studio] can be a little bit hard. Before it was just my escape and now I have to [be disciplined]," Owers said.

"I tend to take the dog for walks in the morning and then I'll come down here for a couple of hours. Well, I plan to come down for a couple of hours and end up in my studio for probably six or seven hours."

When Owers was asked what advice she would give to others considering going into painting, she said it was important for aspiring artists to figure out what they liked to paint and just keep painting, no matter what.

That advice was what she had also being trying to demonstrate to her partner's child, who also has a love for art.

For those wanting to see more of Owers' work, or buy a piece and support the local artist, they can visit her Facebook page at Splash of Meraki.

The artist also shares updates of work progression on the Facebook page.

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