WHEN Logan artist Stevie O’Chin was in year 12, the shy student was encouraged by her art teacher to sell one of her paintings.
They put it into an art show and it sold at silent auction for $800 – her first sold artwork.
That was seven years ago.
Almost immediately, Ms O’Chin was commissioned for works that grew a good reputation by word of mouth.
“Art was my favourite subject at school,” the now in-demand indigenous artist said.
“I would always be in the art room in my lunch breaks just painting. I had done art as a hobby but didn’t think I could make a career out of it until our art teacher really encouraged me and pushed me to keep going with things.”
Her former art teacher and mentor Bec Mennen was the driving force.
“Stevie was very withdrawn, but she opened up in Year 12. I discovered her skills with dot painting,” Ms Mennen said.
“Once I saw her works, I encouraged her to paint more and she worked on other styles and techniques while in class.”
Stevie was “pretty shocked” that her painting sold for a sizeable amount.
“I didn’t think anyone would pay that much for my artwork,” she said.
After graduating from Carinity Education Southside in 2016, the now 24-year-old completed a Diploma in Visual Arts at Southbank TAFE, then enrolled in the Bachelor of Visual Arts course with the University of Canberra.
She’s now a professional artist exhibiting with Birrunga Gallery in Brisbane City, which specialises in art by Indigenous Australian creatives.
She is a Brisbane Portrait Prize finalist and has sold artwork to collectors in Australia and abroad, including a buyer from Dubai.
Family and her Indigenous Australian heritage are the main inspirations for Stevie’s art.
“My family history is something that I want to carry on, so it’s not
forgotten. Most of my artworks are based on Indigenous themes and I do a lot of dots and symbols,” she said.
“I think I’m going to do art for life.”
