September 2023
My father was a wonderful man. He drew profiles of
people and they were good. He passed this inheritance
on to me. At primary school I received adulations for any art work we students did and I was amazed. I in turn have passed this talent on to my son Paul and daughter Fiona.
My parents sent me to Methodist Ladies College, Stott’s Business College and then onto RMIT which I truly loved. There I studied dressmaking and sewing, design, how to draft and cut patterns, needlework, the use of colour, breaking it down and matching it, and object drawing. During the third year a teacher asked if she could show my work folder to perhaps be awarded a scholarship. Yes I did get the scholarship, but at eighteen I had had enough of school and besides at that time there was very limited opportunity for paid work in anything to do with art. So I did not take up the scholarship and I began work at a bank.
Over the years, I worked at various jobs but when I felt I had accomplished the overall nature of the work I began to seek out other employment. Over time I married and had children, eventually becoming a liquor manager for Safeway as it was known then at East Burwood. Now called Woolworths. (Amazing considering I did not knowing a thing about alcohol)
I began to merchandise the department and had fun
making displays with the various bottles. My displays
must have had considerable artistic flair and impact,
because I won a trip for two to Perth for the America’s
Cup which in itself was amazing, and I won other various prizes for merchandising too, one which was a thousand dollars worth of alcohol. (I probably still have some in the cupboard today)
My children worked their way through school. Paul
became a sign writer and even now makes his living
doing art, I think he is amazing.
at Knox Art Show
Fiona of course you know, and she is this wonderful young daughter of mine, an artist in her own right. It was Fiona who encouraged me to go back to drawing
and painting and then to enter competitions. And hey I
have won awards and now and then even sold a picture. And I must say how proud I am to have my work sitting in someone’s home, something that the people liked enough to buy.
Although I attended RMIT I consider myself mostly self
taught. I use water colour, pencil and some acrylic to get the best I possibly can in the work I am painting. Today I am, of course a member of WAA and during Covid I began to enter the ‘in house’ competitions held monthly; winning a third prize, then second prize and finally a first prize.
One of the highlights of my life was winning a prize, a ‘Highly Commended’ at this year’s Camberwell Art Show. My ‘Highly Commended’ was one of only seventeen prizes awarded in over one thousand paintings entered!
Today I have been chosen by the WAA people to be your ‘Artist of the Month’. I am so honoured, because for me, again this is such an achievement.
Thank you WAA for the recognition and the honour.
– Bev McVilly
