TRACQS participant Darren standing in front of the colourful butterfly mural he painted
TRACQS Participant Darren, standing in front of his mural.

While taking a tranquil stroll along the beach in Port Douglas two years ago, Darren casually picked up a few burnie bean seeds which he then chose to take home with him. Looking at the seeds, Darren decided to paint them in various colours. After stepping back and assessing his work, he wondered if he could sell the art for an income, and so, Darren went down to the Port Douglas markets, where he set himself up a stall.  

At his very first market, Darren sold out of all his products; he hasn’t looked back since.  

Taking ownership of his skills and finding his style, Darren creates and then decorates baby turtles, all hand made from materials he finds at the beach.

Coming to TRACQS as a part of our services for the Community Development Program, Darren first joined our Julatten activity group, before later taking part in our TRACQS Outreach Activity Group – one of our more self-managed activities, allowing Darren to continue working on his artwork remotely.  

As both an artist and a sculptor, Darren’s work has been recognised on multiple occasions throughout the community, with him being selected to paint mural’s in Mareeba, for the Mareeba Shire Council and at his local Tablelands Caravan Park. 

With the help of our TRACQS team, Darren is currently working on achieving his short-term goals of producing and selling his artwork at local markets. As a participant, Darren is exceptionally motivated and ambitious, as he hopes to create 200 baby turtle pieces within the next two months, with each turtle taking an average of four hours to finish. 

Looking ahead and into the future, Darren hopes to one day open an art gallery.  

Having been with us for some time, Darren is extremely grateful for our ongoing advice and support, as we continue to help him obtain his provisional license so that he can attend more markets and promote his art.  

We’re incredibly proud of Darren, as he strives to achieve his professional aspirations. Make sure to keep an eye out for his artwork, as he’s certainly one of many, up and coming talents to look out for.