“ART is my definition of happy. I constantly enjoy whenever I show my art to someone; they automatically just light up. Their faces change to all smiles and just pure happiness,” said eighteen-year-old Roxanne Austin, an aspiring artist.
“And I love that; I love that people become genuinely happy when they view something that looks beautiful in their eyes,” she said.
The young Victorian told the Guyana Chronicle that her interest in art sparked when she was in primary school. “I always loved drawing. I could remember from when I was younger, in primary school, I was just making funny sketches in the back of my book. And then I saw a cartoon spider on this story book, and I drew it. And I loved it. The image stuck with me ever since. Ever since then, I’ve been drawing. Just random little people in my books,” Austin stated.
The self-taught artist added that it was not until she began secondary school that she took an interest in drawing more complex things like portraits of persons and adding shadowing and other techniques to her drawings.
Austin noted that she hopes to make drawing a career, and to one day have her work recognised internationally. “It’s one of my dreams that one day my art won’t only just be portrayed all over Guyana, but it would be recognised internationally,” the teen stated.
However, she noted that Guyana does not have a lot of opportunities available when it comes to art, but she intends to further her skills and attend the E. R. Burrowes School of Art in the new year to develop her skills.
“I haven’t like fully started doing drawings of people like on a widespread basis. I am hoping to start art school, so that I can develop myself more, and have more knowledge about how the Art industry works, how to manage my time, getting the work done on time and so forth before I initially make doing portraits a widespread something. I just do a few portraits as the time goes by every now and then,” Austin said.
The lover of art is also well-known in her church community for performing, and is a part of the Victoria Assemblies of God Church’s Trinity Dance Group.
Austin was also one of the many dancers who performed at Victoria’s 180th Anniversary celebration.
The teen was also given the opportunity to showcase her artistic skills at the celebration. Austin was tasked with drawing a portrait of President David Granger, which she presented to him at the event in November.
