Eight-year-old Ryan from Spring Hill is yet another emerging artist from the Macedon Ranges.
Really – he’s one of four winners of Goldfields Libraries ‘design a children’s library card’ competition held in 2022 for his bright and beautiful abstract design.
Nearly two thousand voters cast their ballots to pick a favourite of the 200 entries – Ryan said it was “weird” knowing that old and new members could choose to have his design on their tickets to borrow.
“I thought there were way [more] people who could draw way better, like 12 year olds and older,” he said.
“I felt happy when I heard I won.”
In explaining the process behind his Joan Miró-esue piece of dark lines and colourful shading, the budding designer said “I didn’t even know what I was doing”.
“I drew large random lines and added random colours… I don’t like light colours, I like dark colours,” he said.
“I like putting colours next to each other and seeing how they turn out, so I can make more bits of it.
“My most favourite combined colours would be the red and black.”
Ryan is a big fan of his local Library in Kyneton, where he borrows Andy Griffiths’ Tree House Books, or the Bad Guys books by Aaron Blabey – he says he feels comfortable there.
His mum, Jessica, describes libraries as centres for community activities and connectivity – for Ryan’s art to wind up on a card at the library they’ve been going to since he was a baby is pretty special.
“It’s beautiful, it’s really special to be a part of it,” she said.
Elsie Lange
