Susan Gehrig first enrolled in CUA41320 Certificate IV in Visual Arts as a hobby. However, it has proven to be a complement to her existing career. 

Susan is a vegetation ecologist, specialising in researching the river and floodplain vegetation of the Murray–Darling region. 

She first enrolled at SuniTAFE, however, to progress her personal hobby of creating art. 
“I’ve always been interested in visual arts, but I rarely had time to practice or regularly attend classes because my research projects involved a lot of travel.”

“However, during the pandemic, I started doing more art as a way of differentiating my work hours from my personal hours. I was enjoying it but felt like I could only progress so far and I was keen to learn more,” she said. 

So far in her studies, Susan has had the chance to experiment with a wide range of SuniTAFE’s facilities. 
“I was offered great opportunities to try out all sorts of different art practices such as printmaking, drawing, photography, painting, and sculpture.”

“These are things you may not necessarily be able to explore from home without a significant investment,” she said. 

The flexibility offered within this course meant that Susan could enrol part-time whilst still working. 

“I could only do the course part-time while I continued working, so I appreciated that the teaching staff were able to offer me the flexibility and accommodate for the days I needed to travel for work or do some assessments from home.”

While Creative Design appears to have little in common with Susan’s professional field of ecology, her studies at SuniTAFE have positively impacted her career. 

“As an ecologist and developing artist, I feel drawn to highlighting the preservation and restoration of our natural environment. However, as a scientist, I have to be hyper-focused on the details so that I can understand how species interact with each other and the physical environment.”

“Through art, I am able to step back and engage with the environment in a different way. It provides me with different tool for storytelling and promoting nature awareness,” Susan said. 

Susan hopes to continue pursuing her course while she works.  

Click here to learn more about studying CUA41320 Certificate IV in Visual Arts at SuniTAFE.