Lynne Wastell’s colourful still-life painting Things in My House has been chosen as the cover for Vision Australia’s 2020 Extra Large Print Calendar, and will also feature on a range of cards and tea-towels.
The painting’s focal point is a blue and white china vase filled with branching pink flowers next to a big bowl of bright yellow lemons and red tomatoes. The backdrop is a mixture of blue, green, pink and peach.
The Northern Territory artist says the colours she chose for her painting were the result of a “happy accident” because she can’t always see the colours she uses.
Lynne has Stargardt's, a progressive eye disease that causes a slow loss of central vision. While this makes it difficult for her to see colours and fine detail up close, it hasn’t deterred her from painting thanks to the use of visual aids.
Lynne uses a magnifier and modern technology to create her pieces of art, and takes photos of her subject matter on her iPad. This allows her to enlarge the photos and see textures and colours more clearly.
“My magnifier and iPad are covered in paint. But using the iPad allows me to see colours and shapes which is fantastic,” Lynne said.
Lynne often gets hands-on with her work, discarding the brush and using her fingers to work the paint.
“I get the paint everywhere including my hair and my eyes!”
Lynne uses water-based paints which are nice and thick and are also better for her skin, but she says it’s all part of the process of continuing to make art.
Although this was the first time she’s entered an art competition, Lynne has always had a love for painting and art.
“My first memory was at my grandmother’s house with my paint set and my dog,” she said.
“Life throws a lot of challenges at you, so it’s important to stick with what you love.”
Visit a Vision Australia centre or shop online at shop.visionaustralia.org or call 1300 84 74 66 to purchase your 2020 Vision Australia diary or calendar today. Proceeds support people who are blind or have low vision.