November 8 - 14, 2023
Exploring nature through design
By CHLOE JAENICKE
FORMER Wangaratta GOTAFE student and Beechworth resident, Rachel Gyan, recently had the opportunity to design commemorative bird stamps for Auspost to celebrate Birdlife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count. Ms Gyan said she was approached by a creative director working on the project after they found her bird art on Instagram. “I’ve been participating in the Aussie Bird Count for years, so when this call came in it was one of those pinch yourself moments,” she said. “I feel incredibly lucky to have illustrated one of my biggest loves, Aussie birds, on such a big scale.” The designs she created for the Aussie Bird Count include magpies, rainbow lorikeets and noisy miners. Ms Gyan said she was especially grateful to participate in the project because of her love for birdwatching. “Birdwatching is a weekend hobby of mine, so to be able to put all these years of cheeky bird observations and learnings into an art piece was so special,” she said. Ms Gyan said she has always been interested in art since she was young. She initially fell in love with drawing plants and animals which led to her pursuing digital art as a career.
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◆ ILLUSTRATOR: Rachel Gyan discovered her love for art at a young age.
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