Since Kerry Sibly left engineering to become an artist, you 'can't wipe the smile off his face' – ABC News

Since Kerry Sibly left engineering to become an artist, you 'can't wipe the smile off his face'
Art had always been a part of Kerry Sibly's life, but it took a backseat when he decided to follow a "serious path" in engineering.
Sibly said the choice left him struggling with depression, anxiety and sleeplessness.
After experiencing a "midlife crisis", Sibly reflected on what was really important to him.
He went on a trauma release camp where he discovered he had been suffering from child abandonment issues and he then spent time recovering in a Perth mental health clinic.
"Once that barrier was broken down … it's almost like the colour of the world just turned on again," he said.
"Part of it was realising that I'd spent my entire life following this career path that I thought was the responsible career path … and I shunned my artistic passions.
"There's no point in having a career or a profession unless you really enjoy it and money is not everything, there's no point being the richest person in the graveyard."
Since Sibly decided to pursue his art full-time, he has not looked back.
"I seriously love every day … you can't wipe the smile off my face.
"Art is a therapy … painting is my way of pouring the day's emotions onto a canvas and squishing it around."
Sibly said he found fulfilment sharing his original pieces with others, and an annual event in Western Australia's South West region offers local artists that opportunity. 
The Margaret River Region Open Studios is the largest event of its kind in Australia, stretching more than 100 kilometres from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, and allowing art lovers to meet artists in their home studios.
Usually when people view art in a gallery, they do not get the chance to ask the artists questions about quirky influences, like pet ferrets, but this event offers just that opportunity.
Jolene Hewison's home, nestled in bushland in south-western WA, is decorated with whimsical ceramic forest creatures inspired by her "naughty" pet ferret Charlie.
"Charlie comes into my [home] studio when I'm out there and tickles my leg with her whiskers and reminds me that she's there," she said.
A building designer by trade, Hewison creates functional ceramic pieces, like mugs and spoons, but Charlie has influenced her to tap more into her creative side.
"She's so cute, but she's also fierce, proud and intelligent, so when I'm creating animals for my sculptures, I like to really give them a sense of her character and personality," she said.
"Most of Charlie's representatives have crowns because she's the queen."
Originally from Marseille, a port city in southern France, painter Pascale Abbott said creating art helped her recover from a "traumatic medical problem".
"I had an operation and it just didn't work out very well and I went to see someone to help me psychologically to overcome the trauma and this person told me that I had a creative side that I should really explore," she said.
Abbott and her husband have created a scenic home studio for people to visit, with native plants and the sweet smell of jasmine flowers offering a peaceful atmosphere for people to reflect on her art.
The painter said the South West's countryside and coastline had inspired her colourful paintings.
"I grew up with a lot of music … and I rarely put music on now because I have so many birds here because of all the native plants we planted," she said.
"It's just hard not to feel happy in the morning when you get up and you hear those birds … I go to the beach in the morning, I socialise over coffee and then I come home and I'm in heaven being able to paint here."
Retired clinical anatomist Kevin Singer said when he wanted to start creating steel sculptures for his garden, eyebrows were raised.
"I was helping the tradies during the steel work on the new house [I designed] and I commented that I would like to buy the equipment to start making some steel sculptures," he said.
"Initially they just scoffed at this, given they knew my background prior to retiring."
But Singer said the tradesmen soon became supportive of his new interest and offered him materials to use.
"For two years I was, let's say, the broom for all of the tradesmen on the worksite during the house construction."
Pinned to a board in his workshop, adorned with delicate gold-leaf bonsai trees and 3-metre wingspan steel eagles, is Singer's mock arts degree.
"I lack any formal trade formation … I'm learning as I go and I break the rulebook because I don't know what the rules are," he said.
"The professionals will scratch their head and be a bit amused about what I've achieved."
Singer never thought he would be spending his retirement creating art, but said the key to starting a new skill was having the confidence to do so.
"Have the motivation to try something new, then to find a mentor, someone who can encourage [you] with just the small steps to get going," he said.
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