By Eleanor Wilson
Art lovers are encouraged to keep their calendars clear next weekend, as the Hampton Park Uniting Church presents its annual Creative Arts Festival.
The festival will be held at Hampton Park Uniting Church on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 March, with a range of fun activities expected to bring out the community’s creative flair.
Between 50 and 100 artworks, submitted by locals with a range of creative abilities, will be displayed over the weekend, with some available for purchase.
Event organiser Lyn McBain’s painting ‘The Brain’ is one such canvas which will feature at the festival.
The acrylic piece represents the factors that impact and emotions related to brain injury trauma in a stirring, along with the ‘healing hands’ that support patients throughout recovery.
Ms McBain, who has worked as a nurse for over 50 years, said the art piece’s inspiration came from her two decades of experience working with patients with traumatic brain injuries.
“I wanted to educate society on brain injuries, to help them understand what people with brain injuries are actually going through,” she said.
“The painting points out the emotional side of it, and the dark side, as well as the hope side,” she said.
This year’s festival will be the third of its kind and expects to attract hundreds of visitors throughout the weekend.
Festival goers can freshen up their brush skills with a free painting workshop, get lost in the all-ages treasure hunt along with a plethora of other activities, including mindfulness art, card making, drawing for relaxation, cake decorating, cartoon drawing, knitting, acrylic painting, gardening, book folding and diamond painting.
“There’s digital art, as well as painting and canvas art, crocheting and kitting, quilting, there’s a whole mixture.”
Festival goers can also vote for their favourite piece of art, with the winning submission awarded a $250 hamper, donated by The Lime Box cafe and food hub in Pakenham.
This festival will showcase artists in a wide variety of art forms, including paintings, drawings, craft, photography, poetry, music, digital art, sculpture quilting, floral art and more.
Music and entertainment, a multi-faith celebration and a sausage sizzle will also be on offer.
To book a free workshop at the Creative Arts Festival, head to trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=1016939&
