Entertainment
2 April, 2023
Artist inspires all to show their creativity
AN artist living with scleroderma will be exhibiting her paintings at the Artists of the North exhibition, aiming to send an inspiring message that anyone can become an artist.
Yorkeys Knob retiree Molly Duncan will be a part of the Artists of the North exhibition at the Tanks Arts Centre from April 1 to May 7.
She will also be holding workshops at the Tanks through April.
The Cairns Arts Society Artists of the North exhibition aim to celebrate the skills and talent of the region’s artists; the 2023 theme is Future Memories.
After being diagnosed with scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease that replaces normal tissues with thick fibrous tissue, Ms Duncan, who was always a creative person, thought she would never be able to become an artist.
Her hands were the most affected by the disease, developing acute arthritis, and losing sensation and the ability to hold and grab things.
In 2019, Ms Duncan discovered oil and cold wax painting which changed her life forever.
“Everyone can do art, I can’t even hold a brush with my hands, but I found a way,” she said.
“My husband and I moved from Perth to Cairns because my hands needed the warmth, and then three years ago, I had to get a triple bypass, and while I was recovering, I came across oil and cold wax medium in abstracts.
“I thought, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before because you don’t use paintbrushes, you use silicon tools, and it’s great for me because the angles fit right in my hands, and it just went on from there.”
By 2020 Ms Duncan was focusing solely on art, holding workshops and preparing her first solo exhibition to launch in 2022.
“This gave me a new lease on life,” she said.
“It had to happen; if I hadn’t been diagnosed I probably would have never become an artist. I see a lot of people that think, ‘I can’t do art’ or ‘my hands are bad’, and I always tell them, ‘well, mine are worse’, don’t worry about it, just play with it.”
For the exhibition, Ms Duncan submitted three pieces, Brunswick Heads – Simple Pleasures, A Lucky Escape at Yorkey’s Knob and Dusk.
“I mostly paint places I’ve been in and how I see them,” she said.
“You mix the oil paints with the cold wax, and you spread it, then you lay layers of colour over it and use kitchen tools like toothpicks to peel them back, create shapes, and unveil the colours underneath it.”
Ms Duncan said through her artwork, she wanted to inspire people from all walks of life, with disability or illnesses, to give art a chance.
“I love it because it gives me life,” she said.
“If I didn’t have this, what would I be doing? And it has helped with my health.
“You’ll also meet so many people and make so many friends.”
To book Ms Duncan’s workshops, visit http://bit.ly/3TRx2CV
