Painting the coast with a young brush

WHEN local woman Yvonne Boekel went digging for bargain at a garage sale in Coledale, she never expected to come across an accomplished artist, much less one who wasn not even 14 years old.

"The family holding the garage sale had these paintings on a bench and I thought "?Oh My Gosh, they're fantastic," Mrs Boekel said.

The paintings were by 13-year-old Coledale boy Jesse Turner and were being sold alongside the normal garage sale riffraff outside his home on Lawrence Hargrave Drive.

"I bought two of the paintings and that's how I found him," Mrs Boekel said.

The ex-public relations events co-ordinator was so impressed by Jesse's paintings that she asked for his permission to set up a mini-exhibition of his work at AustiBeach Caf� in Austinmer.

Young Jesse, who has been painting since he was six, was happy to have his works on public display, saying that it is great confidence boost to know that people like what he is doing.

"I feel really good. It makes me want to keep painting," he said.

Jesse paints beach and seascapes almost exclusively, and has been getting lessons from local artist Peter Bate for years.

Jesse said that when he started to sell his painting he was charging about $30 each but now charges around $40-$45 for most of his works.

Jesse often completes a painting every week at his lesson, but said that sometimes a tricky project might stretch over a few sessions.

As for "?Why the beach?' Jesse says it's just what he loves.

"I just like what beaches look like; like, all the different types and places," he said.

"I just like painting."

Last year Jesse won the first prize in the Thirroul Seaside and Arts Festival's junior painting competition, the theme for which was the coast.

He also entered this year's competition, with a self-portrait.

As for what the future holds Jesse is keen to travel but does certainly does not want to venture too far away from his beloved beach.

"I'd probably like to go to more topical (coasts) like in Vanuatu, and do stuff there."

Mrs Boekel has a passion for getting children's artwork shown to adults, and has plans to do similar things to Jesse's exhibition in the future possibly on larger scale.

"I walked into Austinmer Caf� the other day and there were group of people there and they thought (the paintings were) mine," she said.

"I said Jesse was 13 and they were so impressed."

Jesse's art will be on display at AustiBeach Cafe for most of April.