For one Border creative, teaching at the cancer centre means more to her than just sharing her love for art.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Robyn Hulley, who also works as an assistant director of nursing at Wodonga Hospital, has been providing art classes in recent years to patients at Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre's Wellness Centre.
The Wodonga resident said she has seen the group become almost like a family.
"It's not so much the art, it's the fellowship, it's the sameness, it's they get each other, it's they've had the same experiences," she said.
"You can't relate that with a carer or friends, they just don't get it.
"But as a group of people who have had a similar journey, we all get each other's stuff."
Ms Hulley has taught the art classes how to use different mediums and materials including graphite, water colour, pen and ink, and gouache.
She said the art classes have been assisting patients through dark times and giving them something to look forward to.
"So when you have that impact on a person, it almost brings tears to your eyes," she said.
"It's just so overwhelmingly heartfelt, it's just amazing."
For Ms Hulley, teaching at the cancer centre also hits close to home.
She was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2022, but has since been cleared of the disease.
She has been a community art teacher across the Border for the past 16 years.
Growing up, Ms Hulley said she was not given the opportunity to go to university or college as it was not financially possible, so she chose to study nursing at Wangarrata's hospital which she loved.
She said she has always enjoyed creating artworks and her journey as a teacher started when she entered an inaugural art show in Oxley.
"I put in three entries, and there was two women at the opening night who saw my botanical work and asked if I would teach," she said.
"I started teaching at Wangaratta and it gave so many people so much joy, I have the innate ability to bring out the best in people.
"And for anyone who cannot even draw, I'm able to teach them the skills so that they can draw."
The artist illustrated the book Mistletoes of Southern Australia written by Professor David Watson for Charles Sturt University in 2011.
She painted 93 plates, each representing a species of the plant.
She said the plates may give anyone diagnosed with lung cancer hope for the future that someone who had it, no longer does.
"They probably mean to me, completion," Ms Hulley said.
"And to know that I can do this.
"I think that attitude has carried through with being told I had cancer and no one believed I would survive.
"Even the surgeons and the oncologist, everyone was very, very surprised and very joyous when I showed up with evidence of no cancer at all."
Ms Hulley will be selling the plates along with other artworks as part of an exhibition at Art Parts Fine Art Supplies in Albury from Saturday, May 4.
All plates are signed and professionally framed.