We see artists' work displayed in galleries, on greeting cards, on coffee tables, in public spaces and even in mining company board rooms.

In Western Australia, there are approximately 1300 artists, with about 68% working in the Perth Metropolitan region, 11% in the South West, and the remaining few are found in all the other regions of Western Australia.

Females represent about 50% of the workforce, especially in pottery and ceramics work but there are a greater number of male sculptors.

Each year there are approximately 700 positions available in the Bachelor of Art (Art), Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor Creative Industries (Visual Arts) and Bachelor Creative Industries (Communication and Culture) degrees offered through three of the State's universities. Each year there are about 100 places available in the Advanced Diploma of Art and Design (Fine Art).

''I paint using spray paint on walls. Some people liken it to vandalism; others call it art,'' says Stormie Mills, a Perth graffiti artist.

No matter what medium artists choose to work with, their art continues to challenge, entertain and inspire communities around the world. Artists express thoughts, feelings, images and ideas through different creative media. They can use materials such as oils, water colours, acrylics, inks, plaster, clay, multimedia technologies or recycled objects to either paint, sculpt, model or illustrate works of art.


Through The Eyes Of An Artist

''Often a painting doesn't start out as an intellectual exercise. It starts out as a response to something happening in the natural world around me, or to a matter of social concern such as the Tiannamen Square massacre in China,'' says Perth artist, Marjorie Bussey.

Some artists choose to sketch an idea before actualising it; others work using intuition, imagination or develop ideas based on previous works. Many works of art are conceived as a response to social and cultural events and, as such, artists are important chroniclers of real and imagined history. Think about famous events and people. Our images of Christ at the Last Supper or Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo may well be influenced by artist's interpretations.

Other works are purely experimental, and push the boundaries of what we perceive as art. Whether it's a painted Campbell's soup can or half a cow pickled in formaldehyde exhibited by controversial British artist, Damien Hirst, artists are creatively reinventing the rules all the time.

The Artist's Tools

''My work is always evolving. I let my intuition use a wide range of applications. At the moment I float between tactile and design concepts in my paintings. Some of the panels are solid wax which I scratch using an etching tool, or sometimes I use thick paint with wax,'' says Marjorie Bussey.

Techniques can vary greatly too, depending on the artist's goal. Using methods of shading, perception, or colour-mixing, they can produce a realistic image, or a more abstracted version of nature, people, or objects (think Picasso!). Many artists also develop their own techniques of handling materials and 'crafting' it to their own specifications.

For example, sculptural ceramicist, Amanda Shelsher, doesn't use the traditional moulds or potter's wheel when creating conceptual pieces out of earthenware or stoneware clays. She builds with coils, slabs and pinch pots and develops her own glazes and slips (painting with coloured, runny clays). Once the work is completed and dry, she even experiments with the firing process.

''I mix my own clays to bring the temperatures down in the firing process. This stops the wear and tear on my kiln,'' says Amanda.


Think Outside The Frame

''I get called to paint murals on walls, do workshops with school kids, public art commissions, or paint on canvas. I just got back from Los Angeles where I painted the set for a new movie called, Lock Her Room,'' says Stormie Mills.

There are many opportunities for artists besides the traditional arena of exhibition work. Be prepared to look at wider avenues of work such as community and public art, crafts for tourists, teaching, art reviewing, gallery employment or art administration. For example, some commercial companies like BHP/Billiton have commissioned artists to paint scenes reflecting the changes in the mining industry.

According to Research Manager Alison Wright, from FutureNow (formerly the WA Arts Sport and Recreation Industry Training Council), employment prospects for visual artists are growing in the areas of community and public art. Artists also need to be multi-skilled, especially using the latest technologies. For example, rather than designing a series of sculptures, it helps if you're able to animate them as well. Aboriginal art is another great growth area and expenditure by international visitors in the purchase of craft and artworks is substantial.

''According to the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, on an annualised basis, total overseas expenditure on art and craft items was $296 million of which $155 million was on Aboriginal art and craft,'' says Alison Wright.

Artists need strong skills in selling and promoting their work. Those working in their own studios like Amanda Shelsher may work seven days a week, doing a mixture of administration duties and creating pieces for exhibition and also mass produced items for commercial retail. This takes efficiency and organisation.

Starving Artists?

''Don't expect to earn a living from art. You must do it for reasons other than monetary gain or your ego. I believe there are three reasons for creating art: for healing, consciousness-raising and empowering people,'' says Marjorie Bussey.

Many artists are self employed and earn money through art commissions or by selling work on consignment through galleries or private dealers. Some artists though need to earn money through other means of employment. Grants, community project funding, art prizes, free studio space or residencies may be available through organisations such as ArtsWA, Community Arts Network and Artsource (the artists' foundation).

The average national annual income for an artist is $31,000, with more established artists able to command greater returns.

There are no educational requirements to become an artist, although there are many formal qualifications available in fine and visual arts, for example, to enhance your skills and your employment prospects.

Curtin University of Technology, the University of Western Australia and Edith Cowan University offer a three-year Bachelor of Art (Art), Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor Creative Industries (Visual Arts) and Bachelor Creative Industries (Communication and Culture), respectively. Prerequisites are the relevant TER scores and may include interview or presentation of an art folio. For further details please contact the relevant institution or refer to the Universities website below.

Another pathway is to undertake a Certificate, Diploma or Advanced Diploma course in Art and Craft, Public Art, Art Fundamentals, Aboriginal Visual Arts, Visual Art, Arts and Technology, Art and Design, Design for Industry, Visual Art and Craft or Furniture Design offered through various campuses of TAFE and through private providers.

For further details on these courses, please contact the relevant institution or refer to the TAFE site or the NTIS site for private providers, both listed below.

Community Arts Network WA runs a number of short courses on cultural planning, community development, networking etc to aid artists who want to work holistically within the community. See contact details below.

	Other Training Providers
	National Training Information Service website.
	TAFE Colleges
	Homepage links and contact details for all TAFE Colleges in WA.
	TAFE Handbook
	An online guide to full time TAFE courses available throughout WA.
	Universities
	Homepage links and contact details for all Universities in WA.

Future Now - Learning for Life
Sports Lotteries House, Stephenson Ave Mt Claremont WA 6010 Ph: (08) 9285 8555 Fax: (08) 9285 8755 Email: info@futurenow.org.au URL: http://www.futurenow.org.au

Artsource Perth
King St Arts Centre Level 1/357 Murray St Perth WA 6000 Ph: (08) 9226 2122) Fax: (08) 9226 2180 Email: perth@artsource.net.au URL: http://www.afwa.com.au

ArtsWA
PO Box 8349 Perth Business Centre WA 6849 Ph: (08) 9224 7310 Fax: (08) 9224 7311 Email: info@artswa.dca.wa.gov.au URL: http://www.artswa.wa.gov.au

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Mixed media artist Fleur Schell didn't toss a coin when deciding whether to pursue a career in music or art after finishing high school years ago. She asked both the Music and the Fine Arts Department of a Perth University a question.

''Can I incorporate both my art and music background and make sculptural music?'' Fine Arts answered yes and so commenced her successful career working with the two media she loves.

Working with ceramics, metals, wood, strings or electronic circuitry, Fleur creates objects of art which can be enjoyed not only visually, but also through touch and sound.

''I wanted to push the boundaries of media. I start off with a sound I want to recreate and I translate that through other mediums like porcelain or metals. I want the works to be tactile and people to play the works as instruments.''

Recycling, a principle she learnt while studying her Post Graduate Diploma in Visual Arts in Tasmania, features strongly in Fleur's work.

''In Tasmania a lot of artists recycle and are resourceful. I take apart old photocopier machines, anything pre-dating the 1960's where you can find cogs and beautiful brass parts. Plastic doesn't recondition as well as brass does.''

Fleur incorporated the use of braille in her pieces as a way to prompt people to touch the work. At the suggestion of a friend in Hobart, she contacted the Braille Institute and got to meet with some sight-impaired people. The meeting inspired her to continue working with the braille alphabet, which she uses in her present pieces.

Although successfully exhibiting all over the country, she still has to supplement her income with teaching work at Curtin University and at TAFE.

''It can be difficult being an artist in Perth. There are pros and cons of being in a small, isolated city. It is easy to get known as a new and emerging artist and have early success, but it's also easy to exhaust your clientele. That can be a good thing, though. It forces you to send work interstate, and eventually leave Perth to exhibit and do residencies in other states.''

Finally, Fleur wants to dispel the myth that being an artist is a cruisy way of life. There is more to being an artist than just having talent.

''Not only do you have to have marketing and business skills, you have to be able to articulate what you do. You must be reliable and have a good work ethic. And it's all about self-motivation.''