Cory McKenzie threw caution to the wind when he left his job to follow his dream and become a full time Wiradjuri artist.
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It's been a passion of his ever since he was a five year old kid helping his dad make and paint didgeridoos out in the bush.
He's been creating Wiradjuri art ever since as his passion project, but only in December last year did he grit his teeth and took the plunge as a professional artist.
He said it's been a challenge breaking into the art world, but he says he relishes the freedom of being his own boss.
"It's soul killing having somebody telling you what to do all day," he said.
"At age 30 something clicked over and I'd realised I'd had enough. I wanted to step out and give it a crack at being an artist."
So far he's gotten contracts from all around town and is building quite the reputation for his signature style - a flowing artstyle which incorporates the imagery of rippling water.
He tends to avoid the traditional dot-paint style in favour of his own style, which uses concentric circles to represent water.
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So far he's gotten contracts from all around town, but he got his biggest break when he was asked to paint a mural for the Banna Lane Festival.
He's got quite the job ahead of him; he'll be using a cherry picker to paint the back wall of the Ron Dalla building.
It's the biggest job he's ever been contracted to do, but he says he's always keen to take up a challenge.
He doesn't have any plans for the mural set it stone just yet; he plans to go there on the day and let the artistic inspiration take over.
He finds that once he picks up a brush his mind enters a pure state of flow, just like the rivers that inspire his artistic style.
By following the flow and allowing his hands to do whatever it is they want to do, he can produce his best most authentic work.
Following the flow is a philosopher he's always had, both when it comes to his art and when it comes to his life.
"Once the flow starts I don't stop, I just go with the flow," he said.
Only once the last lick of paint is applied and the full picture comes together does he step back and consciously take it all in.
Once he does that, his mind interprets the painting with story and meaning, and only then is the artwork fully complete.
For him, the story is very much part and parcel of the artwork.
"We all have a story to tell," Mr McKenzie said.
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
