WILDLIFE artist and art coach Kerri Dixon is currently travelling throughout Australia while also holding drawing classes with the aim of fostering community and mental health benefits for those who live remote areas.
Recently, her on a journey brought her to Broken Hill, with the creative stopping by on Tuesday 7 January.
Dixon, who lives west in Queensland west of Hervey Bay in the hinterland, said she enjoys spreading her skills via her online club called the Creative Barn, which has more than 200 students world-wide, alongside her in-person classes.
As someone who lives in remote Australia, she said knows the mental health struggles of isolation and importance of community gatherings.
“I live remotely, so my idea with the whole online art and this travelling idea is to get out to these smaller towns and bring my art out to them,” Dixon said.
“This is our first trip, which will be two months.”
Only 10 days into her tour, Dixon said after Broken Hill she’s travelling to South Australia and Victoria to continue teaching eager artists.
“I was going to try and get a government grant to help with travel and teaching to make the workshops more affordable or free, it was too much this time but something to investigate, just to try and get my art out there and teach,” she said.
Ms Dixon said in her Broken Hill class mental health was a hot topic.
“In the class on Tuesday a lot of the ladies were talking about the mental health side of it and how great it is to just have time for yourself and get together with other like-minded people,” she said.
“Just give your brain a bit of a rest.
“Some people feel very isolated, especially out at some of these remote properties, and to be able to come together as a group and talk about that is great.
“Because when you’re drawing, your sort of mind goes off on its own little tangent and you seem to open up and talk.”
