Eleven-year-old Nina Flaherty from Selcourt hosted her first art show at the Dunottar AGS Church on November 1.
She told the Springs Advertiser that the show was a dream come true and having her cards displayed was “truly wonderful”.

She shared that she and her mother, Natalie, created the pieces and wanted to share them with the community.

“The art show was great. Many people came and viewed my art. I was nervous at first, but when people came up to me and admired my art pieces, it made me feel good and confident,” said the young artist.

She said the bird-themed cards were her favourite because she had tried something new, and the audience loved it, evidenced by the fact that the cards sold out.

A learner at Birnel College, Nina said Erika Joubert from the Kekkel and Kraai, a lighthouse community centre in Selcourt, nurtured her love for art.

Joubert teaches art privately to people of all ages. Nina described her as “a creative and kind lady who makes the art sessions fun”.

“Teacher Erika is a great teacher. We never get bored of what she has planned for us every week. The cards I have in the salons at the moment include landscapes, flowers, birds, rainbows, jelly teddies and many other themes,” she said.

She added that she loves painting frogs, birds, rainbows and cute pugs.

Nina said she enjoys art because it allows her to express herself, relax and explore colours, and she has loved painting since she was very young.

“I used to paint the walls in the garden with mud and flowers I picked. I remember mixing food colouring and water and painting on my mother’s white kitchen cupboards,” she laughed.

Nina said her mother, also an artist, continues to inspire her. She hopes to one day pursue art full-time.

“I would like to be a teacher who inspires other students to paint and enjoy it as much as I do,” she said.