Charmaine Xuereb will be exhibiting her works at the YMCA in Valletta, starting tomorrow.

At the age of 12, she had the opportunity to choose arts at school. She always loved colours as “I feel they’re a way to express oneself and can also change one’s mood”, she says.

Xuereb, 38, left school and started working but always had office jobs and never really took arts further, even though she always wanted to do something different, more enjoyable and which could somehow help others.

It was only around a year ago that she felt she should make something out of this passion, “so I started a new adventure”.

“The push to start this was thanks to an artist who I came across when I saw an online painting on tiny, lovely stones. Seeing this, it inspired me to do something myself and create some beautiful stuff with my own hands that would leave an impact. Colours are so expressive!”

It’s a way for me to relax

Xuereb’s idea was to start painting on flat stones, but it was a bit difficult to find ideal ones on the market, so she had to find alternatives. She started with wood, painting on wooden spoons and frames, which could easily be turned into key holders, wooden storage boxes, coasters. She is now also painting on shingles, clay and tiles. Lately, the artist has moved on to painting on canvas too, which is giving the colour a more intense meaning.

“I don’t consider myself to be an artist, as my friends call me as soon as they see a painting of mine, but it’s a way for me to relax, a way of expressing myself and also a way to help others feel better too. The latter is what I’m looking forward to, knowing that my little creations are bringing some light/meaning in the heart of others.”