Her landscape of the Hume Weir was shared extensively online, but few realised it was only the second oil painting she’d ever done. 

The 22-year-old, who now lives in Thurgoona, said she’d always been artistic but her main medium was drawing, not painting. 

“Ever since I was little, since I was a toddler, I’ve loved art,” Miss Heir said.

“I grew up with my younger sister having a disability so it was hard in winter for mum to get us out playing with the walker, so mum brought lots of art supplies for us.”

Miss Heir said she and sister Melissa, spent hours and hours having fun, drawing and creating as children.

As an adult Miss Heir’s love of drawing has continued, albeit with more refinement than her childhood artworks. 

Only recently did she branch out into oil painting on canvas. 

“Last year I wanted to give oils a go and I really enjoyed it, even though it takes a long time I thought it was worth it in the end,” she said.

“I did the first one just as practice.”

Despite the online attention, the Wodonga TAFE student, who works at Holbrook Caltex, still considers her art a hobby – completing most of her work in the backyard of her share-house, the canvas propped up on chairs.

Her first painting of Morgan’s Lookout took about five months, with her second of the weir taking six. 

Miss Heir said going to rivers to fish with family now serves a dual purpose.

“I was down at the weir fishing one day and thought it looked nice to paint so I snapped a photo,” she said.

“I love going out with my dad and brother, spending hours sitting by the river – it’s really relaxing. I want to keep finding and painting nice places locally.”

Miss Heir said she was blown away by the response when her brother shared a photo of the weir painting on a fishing Facebook page. 

“I’ve had a few people message me after asking to buy it but I’m not sure whether I want to sell it or whether I should build a collection,” she said.

“Right now it’s just a hobby, I think one day I’d like to sell work or put it in a gallery so they’re not just catching dust at home.”