YourPlace Housing is very pleased to introduce you to The Thorsen family; Kylie, daughter Pearl and Colleen, lovingly referred to as ‘Nan of Pearl’.
The Thorsen family have always had artistic flare. Colleen, in her time, was a very clever and creative gardener, seamstress and handy craftsperson.
Kylie says she would watch her mother from a young age and this inspired her in her creative endeavours. This has clearly rubbed off on Pearl who recently won an award in the 2023 CHARTS Awards for her painting, Lemon Days. Kylie and Colleen were also finalists in the Awards for their pieces ‘Yarn’ and ‘Moonshine’.
Kylie says that her first real art projects were in high school and that, it was her favourite subject. She admits that she was a little too concerned with how her school projects looked. She would be very over the top with borders and fancy writing, and sometimes this was at the expense of the content!
As Kylie gets older, her artwork has become more therapeutic to her. She is less concerned about the outcome, and she says for her it is more about the process and total enjoyment that benefits her.
Kylie likes to use a variety of materials found in her environment. She recycles these materials and experiments to see what can be made from junk and how things can be transformed and repurposed.
Pearl expresses her art in various ways from drawing and painting, and has learned how to knit and crochet from her nan. She also enjoys a little dance party, like all 7 year olds.Kylie has entered a lot of competitions over the past 25 years and has been a part of both solo and collaborative exhibitions including at the Fringe and SALA.
Kylie and Pearl joined Art Start which is a free family activity day at the Art Gallery of SA. This gave them access to special activities and exhibitions throughout the Art Gallery with live music and performance opportunities. Kylie says that all three of them love participating in a creative activity whether it be painting, crocheting, dancing, or gardening and this benefits their emotional state, helps reduce stress and gives them a sense of fulfillment.
Kylie says that once they finish a project there’s usually a bit of a break before they start another one. Sometimes they are happy with the end result, and sometimes just enjoyed the creative process together.
What’s Happening at YourPlace:
December 2023 Edition
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