Teena Caiafa has always loved creating art, saying it was her gift.

As a young child, she would make her own comic books, drawing her own characters and creating stories.

“I wanted to go off in that direction all my life, but I never did pursue it,” she said.

Now into her 70s, she’s finally showcasing her creations on her own for the first time.

Her first solo exhibition, aptly titled ‘My First Solo’, Teena is showcasing her wide range of artworks at Mooroopna Education and Activity Centre until Monday, December 9.

With an impressive 56 artworks on display throughout MEAC, Teena has explored a variety of mediums on paper, canvas and canvas tote bags, in what feels like many mini collections rolled into one.

“I’ve been in six combined exhibitions with others but not my own, this is my first solo,” she said.

Many of her works on display are from the past two years, but others are pieces she’s held on to for a very long time, as she’s continued to develop her own style.

“I learned that if you follow a lot of different artist’s styles, eventually you find your own style, but you learn from those artists when you do tutorials,” Teena said.

“So some of these are tutorials, and there are some that are completely me, like, there’s my two grandchildren on the boat,” she said.

“I had that photo for a while, and I forgot it was them, and when they came here, and they recognised themselves.”

Experimenting with these tutorials also led her to one of her favourite tools to use; cotton buds, which she decided to share with the MEAC community at her own class after being encouraged by doing Carol’s Creative Art Class.

“She (Carol) encouraged me to (hold a class) and there was a huge amount that came and participated and followed one of the cotton bud demos,” Teena said.

The class was very successful, with Teena saying some of them even sold their cotton bud paintings.

Seeing her artworks on display has been unbelievable for Teena, as well as the success the exhibition has had in the first few weeks.

“It confirms that I can do it because I kept thinking I couldn’t,” she said.

“Deb Lynch, the art curator, she asked me four times to do my own (exhibition) but I didn’t think I could.”

It was Deb’s persistence and encouragement that finally got Teena over the line to say yes.

“I love to share (my art). I love that other people appreciate it,” she said.

Teena’s exhibition will be on display at MEAC until December 9. Pieces on display are also available for purchase.

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Monday, 19th May 2025

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