International speed painter Jennifer Cooper took just 360 seconds to create a colourful depiction of Port Macquarie’s lighthouse at Hamilton Green markets on Sunday.
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Mrs Cooper has donated her effort to Christian radio station Rhema 99.9 to sell via a silent auction in August.
There was a healthy crowd on hand to witness her effort.
A traditionally trained artist with a fine art degree, Mrs Cooper now lives in Dubai with her husband and daughter. She was visiting family in Port Macquarie.
“I started selling paintings at a little art market in Dubai and eventually starting making friends in the art world there,” she said.
“That led to securing a number of commissions; I’ve also held three solo exhibitions in Dubai over the last few years too.
“All that changed following a chance meeting from some people working in events. They were looking for a speed painter and couldn’t find one in the Middle East.
“I paint pretty quickly and she asked if I could give it a try. It was, at first, terrifying and I eventually flew to Doha in Qatar for the job which required me to paint the Doha skyline in 12 minutes.”
Despite the pressure, Mrs Cooper said her experience turned out to be pretty good fun.
“Speed painting actually suits my personality. So it seems like it is up my street. I enjoyed drama and amateur theatre and there’s a bit of travel involved.
”Plus I don’t paint in any great detail.”
With an agent now in tow, bookings for her speed painting took off.
The quickest commission was for four minutes while she has also painted a dinner party over a few hours.
Her work has taken her to England, the US, Australia and throughout the Middle East.
Alongside her speed painting commission, Mrs Cooper has illustrated two books and is also exploring painting in the world of virtual reality.
Bids for the lighthouse painting are now open with the winning bid being announced on August 26 at a fundraising car rally for Rhema 99.9.
For information on how to make a bid go to https://rhema.fm/ or contact the station.