A love of travel has inspired artist Marian D’Rosario to document her experiences in pastel.
The 61-year-old Little River resident is all smiles after her debut exhibition, Spring and Port Wine, opened at the Hunt Club Community Arts Centre in Deer Park last Friday.
The exhibition includes a collection of pastel drawings based on photos from her holidays, with a big focus on wildlife, particularly birds.
“I had a bucket list – I wanted to go to Morocco, to Samarkand,” she said.
“I’m originally from India and [when] I came out to Australia when I was 14 … the opportunity to travel was enormous.”
D’Rosario said northern Australia had been her favourite travel destination.
“The vibe, the colours, the feel of the place, its actual spirituality comes out when you get past the tourist track,” she said.
The former St Albans resident embarked on pottery classes at the Hunt Club five years ago and has since moved on to pastels.
Since retiring last year, D’Rosario has had more time to focus on her art. She put her hand up to exhibit her work after a fellow artist encouraged her to apply.
“I’m really excited about it but very nervous,” she said.
“Until now, only family have seen what I’ve done.”
Spring and Port Wine is at the Hunt Club Community Arts Centre until April 4.
