Create visual artworks using a range of materials, techniques and creative processes.

You develop ideas, experiment with styles and media, and produce original pieces such as paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculptures, prints or mixed media works. You may exhibit or sell your art, work on commissions, collaborate with clients or organisations, and contribute to cultural and creative projects. Your role involves imagination, creativity, technical skills and the ability to communicate ideas visually.

For further information:

Jam Factory Contemporary Craft and Design
Phone: (08) 8410 0727
Email: contact@jamfactory.com.au
Website: www.jamfactory.com.au

National Association for the Visual Arts
Phone: (02) 9368 1900
Email: nava@visualarts.net.au
Website: www.visualarts.net.au

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (SA/NT)
Phone: ?1300 656 513
Email: members@meaa.org
Website: www.meaa.org

TAFE SA offers courses relevant to this occupation including the Certificate IV and Diploma in Visual Arts.

Flinders University offers a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Arts/Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts where you study concurrently at both the University and TAFE SA to complete both Awards.

Still Unsure! Then try a short course also offered through TAFE SA such as Life Drawing, Fusing Colour, Watercolour or an Introduction to Painting or Abstract. Check the website for the full list of short courses.

Artists need strong skills in selling and promoting their work. Those working in their own studios 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.

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. The Mona Lisa 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 its 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.

Artists create works that communicate an impression or an idea through painting, drawing, printmaking, carving, sculpting, photography, film-making, music, acting and dancing. Artists may concentrate on a specific area of work or may use a combination of these techniques.

They first and foremost need to have an artistic ability. It is essential that they good hand-eye coordination as well as creativity and self-discipline. It is also sometimes necessary to have good promotional and marketing skills and a knowledge of business/management skills, if artists intend to be self-employed.