Lynne's devoted to love of art

Lynne Holden has been an artist her whole life, a journey which has seen her become a much-loved stalwart of the Busselton Art Society.

A scholarship from school back in the 1950s took her to the National Art School in Sydney, Kings Cross, and "the most wonderful life I've ever had".

After three years in college, Lynne went to work as an airbrush artist in Sydney, touching up photos and covering blemishes and mistakes.

"Airbrushing those days was all hand-done," she said.

"We used to call it bloodless surgery."

Lynne stayed in the job until she was married with children and didn't move west until about 1978, when her second husband was transferred to Perth.

While there, she decided to go back and study before setting her sights on Melbourne.

Initially, she left for a two-week holiday, but ended up living in the city for 10 years, teaching art at a community school.

Lynne decided to move to the South West when her daughter, who was living in the region at the time, had children.

About 12 to 13 years ago Lynne walked into the Busselton Art Society and never left.

She lived in Cowaramup, but she spent most of her time with the society. It was almost eight years ago that Lynne started night classes and an article in the _Times _ - complete with blaring headline "Drawing for dummies" - gathered plenty of interest.

Coming up to the 50th anniversary of the society, Lynne decided to do something to mark the occasion and went about developing the idea of artists painting recognisable buildings and landmarks onto individual four-inch canvases to be collated into a mural.

The mural sat in the society's building, rarely seen unless brought out on the odd occasion.

New BAS president Joan Kent had one promise to Lynne as her first action in the role: do something with the mural.

And she certainly did; the work was framed by Blue Wren Gallery and Framers and now sits outside the BAS building as a testament to the artists who made up the group.

"I'm really proud of it," Lynne said.

"I'm really proud of the people who worked on that, some them didn't have any art experience."

Lynne has held several roles with the society over the years, but it's the artists and the work they produce that captures her most.

"It's this inside thing that makes me want to be part of it and I look around and I see the paintings and the people who have improved and gone ahead and it really excites me," she said.