Bathurst artist Zac Belmonte’s hearing has been in rapid decline over the last two years, an affliction which has lead him to dust off an old creative pursuit he had packed away as a child.
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Since picking up his old paintbrushes, the Meningitis survivor has found therapy in creating oil landscapes.
On Saturday, the 17-year-old will show his work publicly for the second time at the Berry Patch Arts Festival at Huntley Berry Farm.
He said the inaugural event will be a chance to get some feedback on his paintings, since his focus now is to develop his own style.
“I use a wet on wet technique where I apply a base coat and it keeps the canvas wet. Instead of blending colours on the palet I blend on the canvas – which is quite unique,” he said.
Zac currently has about 50 per cent hearing in his left ear. He said normal things other teenagers take for granted – like earning money over summer at a part time job – became more difficult while it was deteriorating.
“Working in retail people would speak to me and I’d just go blank,’ he said.
It was this frustration and the stress of Year 10 which lead him to pick up the paint brushes again last July and the talented young painter has sold several pieces since then.
The festival will run from 9am to 3pm on Saturday.