Kadee urges local artists to push their brushes to the limits to help local charities

Inspirational young artist Kadee Webber is just a brush stroke away from facing one of her biggest challenges – to transform a blank canvas into a work of art in just 24 hours when she joins fellow artists in front of a live audience at the inaugural Gold Coast Marine Expo in November.

The up and coming practicing artist will graduate from her Bachelor of fine Arts degree in November but despite her youth, Kadee already has several exhibitions under her paint palette and a string of work on display in art galleries on the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Kadee discovered her creative talent in 1997 when she was seven-years-old and started attending art classes, by the time she reached grades 11 and 12 she had begun to experiment with new mediums and was short listed for the 2006 Ministers Award for Education in Art.  Kadee also earned one of the highest academic grades for art in Queensland.

As a practicing artist working for the Anthea Polson Art Gallery in Main Beach, Kadee was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to participate in the fundraising Artists Quarter event to be held at the Gold Coast Marine Expo.

The Artists Quarter aims to have a wide variety of artists from all different backgrounds and mediums come together to create a marine themed artwork.

Artists will set up their easel or sculpture workspace in a designated area within the Gold Coast Marine Expo where they will have views of the water, boats and the Expo itself.  All artists will have from 9am until 5pm on Friday and Saturday to complete their marine themed masterpiece before they are exhibited and offered for sale at the Carnivale of Colour, which will be held on the Saturday night.  A selection of works will be auctioned with 50 per cent of the proceeds going to artists while the remaining 50 per cent will be divided equally between two local charities, Paradise Kids and Sailabiltiy.

“I think the Gold Coast Marine Expo Artists Quarter is a really interesting initiative because it gives local artists some exposure, confidence and experience as well as providing boat owners with a memento of what they have worked so hard to achieve,” Kadee said.

“It’s a great opportunity for new artists to experience painting in front of an audience and to a real deadline.  I think the time frame will be challenging and it will be interesting to see the different works.  I am excited about participating in this event as it also raises money for two very worthy local Gold Coast charities.”

Gold Coast Marine Expo spokesman Stephen Milne said the Artists Quarter was a unique experience for amateur and professional artists to showcase their talents to the wider community.

“On completion of the artworks, we will be displaying them all at our Carnivale of Colour VIP night which will be held on Saturday night where they will go under the hammer to raise funds for Paradise Kids and Sailability,” Stephen said.

“Boating enthusiasts will have the chance to purchase an original canvas or sculpture work from some of the Gold Coast’s up and coming artists and help raise money for very worthy causes.”

Kadee specialises in underwater scenes and she likes to use a mixed medium to create her masterpieces.

“It’s a new process in the arts world, I use underwater photographs and then I paint images over the top of them,” she said.

“I use mixed media because of the varying textures they create, for instance I use mostly oils for my backgrounds as they blend well and being a smooth liquid I can create a wide variety of backgrounds.  Acrylics dry quickly and the bright colours work really well with my underwater portraits and I like to use oil pastel because it gives a sketched or drawn effect.

“I have recently completed a painting of a Riviera 5000 Sport Yacht which I did using oil pastels.  Most paintings take me about one week to complete if I work consistently on them so I may have to look at a smaller project for the Artists Quarter challenge.”

Organisers of the inaugural Gold Coast Marine Expo are calling on all artists to participate in the Artists Quarter.

Email your background and examples of your work to Emma Milne at marketing@gcmarineexpo.com.au