VACMA Spotlight - Zdenka Mlynáriková

Having been successful in her application for our last round of VACMA, Zdenka Mlynáriková has shared with us her experience of applying for VACMA funding, and how it has benefitted her creative practice.

"The funding was just the perfect helping hand I needed right at the very start of my creative process."

"I have always been involved in the arts one way or the other, but painting landscapes is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. I find a lot of peace and happiness in outdoor adventures, and painting combines my love for the arts and nature. In the beginning of last year, I decided to finally pick up the courage and give painting a go.

I had some previous experience with drawing, but painting was very new to me - it was exciting and daunting at the same time! I picked up a basic set of acrylic paint and some brushes and started to experiment. Shortly after, I randomly found out about VACMA funding - it seemed to have come at the perfect time! Although I only had a handful of paintings finished and the application deadline was very close, I decided to go for it. The advice about completing the application from Shetland Arts and Creative Scotland website was a great help.

I was absolutely delighted (and surprised!) to find out that my application was successful. The funding was just the perfect helping hand I needed right at the very start of my creative process. I already knew what materials I would need and what mediums I wanted to experiment with and VACMA made it all possible. I was especially excited to be able to work with professional quality acrylic paint and brushes and I quickly found out that the high-quality equipment made a huge difference.

Because I was able to get everything that I needed to get me started, I could experiment freely, and I learned something new with each painting. At first, I tried to stay true to real colours, but I eventually started to drift away from reality and explore other colour schemes. This is still a work in progress, and I continue to learn every day.

I would recommend applying for VACMA to any artist that would benefit from some extra support. I would like to especially encourage those who are just starting out - if you believe in your project, don’t worry if it’s not perfect yet or where you would like it to be in future. Creative process is just as important, and I think it’s great that Creative Scotland supports artists who are at the start of their journey, as well as the ones who are well established."

The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) are a programme of small grant schemes delivered in partnership with a range of local authorities and art organisations across Scotland. The schemes are managed locally by these partners. VACMA offers fixed bursaries of £500 and £1,000. The purpose of these bursaries is to support visual artists and craft makers in their creative and professional development.

Find out more here.