From radio to art....
One of shmu’s Youth Radio Project (YRP) team, Emily Howie has turned her hand to painting, as well as producing and presenting YRP shows. Emily is 14 and has been working with shmu since August last year.
Emily got involved in the project when she was shown an advert calling for young artists to apply for taster sessions, held in December last year at Aberdeen Art Gallery. These free creative sessions for 14 - 19 year-olds were inspired by the BP Portrait Awards.
BP Portrait Award: Next Generation is a three-year project that aims to encourage young artists of the future, from first-time gallery visitors to those who want to make art their career, by connecting them with other young people interested in portraiture.
The workshops offered artists to consider their artistic potential and will provided the materials and opportunity for young people to work with artist Kelly-Anne Cairns, a former winner and exhibitor.
Enthused by the experience, it is hoped that a future BP Portrait Award winner could evolve from this opportunity.
Emily said ‘I really enjoyed going to the workshop because it gave me a good experience to meet new people and art is something I really enjoy doing. I got the confidence from shmu to go as well because if I didn't go to shmu, I wouldn't have known about it. Being at shmu really brought my confidence up and it has helped my social abilities, like speaking to people and having a conversation’
The workshop involved painting from real life and the budding artists worked with a real life model, who volunteered for the two day course. The artists were circled around him so that each painter worked from a different angle, giving the young people invaluable experience in building a portfolio.
Emily told us ‘The painting is at home on the living room wall, so if we have any guests over or my friends over they will see it. I like putting my art work on show on my walls because it is something I’m proud of and would like others to see. I also like feedback from people about my work which helps me with future art work.’
The project was developed in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, London. The BP Portrait Award 2013, featuring artists from all over the world is on show at Aberdeen Art Gallery until Saturday 01 February 2014.
