Good News Story: Kathy-Ann’s Abstract Art

NDSP Plan Managers first met Kathy-Ann after she became one of the finalists of our 2021 Queensland Bursary Program. Kathy-Ann is an abstract painter based in Brisbane, Queensland. Over the last couple of years, she has produced over a dozen vibrant-coloured artworks which she is now selling online on her website, kathyzartz.com. 

Since 2017, Kathy-Ann has been honing her painting skills by attending art classes in Goondiwindi, Queensland. She has been diagnosed with mental illness and has experienced depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and schizotypal personal disorder ever since she was young. For her, art has helped her survive through the tough times.

Kathy-Ann’s art mirrors her personal emotions and her journey living with mental illness.

“Art is a perfect distraction from my wandering thoughts. From time to time, my depression still kicks in and my mental state still goes up and down, and this leaves me feeling hollow and lifeless. When I paint, I feel that my mood changes and my spirit gets an uplift,” she says.

Kathy-Ann takes inspirations from the colours she sees in her surroundings. Her favourite artists include international contemporary artists, Michael Lang and John Beckley.

In the near future, she envisions herself as a mentor for other people with mental illness to also find their voice through the arts.

To learn more about Kathy-Ann’s paintings, visit her website: kathyzartz.com.