Child rearing, immigration, illness and a 35-year teaching career all distracted their artistic pursuits but the three Illawarra women have found a new lease on their creative lives.

Lisa Martin, Kate Summerville, and Lilybeth Mayhew will exhibit their works in the exhibition titled Three Adrift being staged at the Big Fat Smile Gallery in Railway Street, Corrimal.

Ms Martin, who is recovering from breast cancer, said her creative practice had really kept her going through what had been an incredibly difficult time.

“I wasn’t going to look back on this time as a year stolen from my life, but as an opportunity to reconnect with my art and produce a consistent body of work.

‘‘Surprisingly there was an upside to having cancer.’’

The Big Fat Smile Gallery, a new exhibition space in Wollongong is an initiative of the not-for-profit company. Big Fat Smile also runs a visual arts studio ARTSPACE next door to the gallery.

The gallery exhibits children and adult artist’s work and supports young (under 25 years) and older artists returning to their arts practice, as well as established career artists. 

“Many artists, especially women often find their art careers stall, due to work and family commitments, so the Big Fat Smile Gallery wanted to support artists like this group through a scholarship program that allows them to exhibit in a professionally run space with fewer overheads,’’ said Big Fat Smile’s chief creative officer Jennine Primmer.

Special guests, Baby et Lulu will perform at the exhibition opening night, kicking off at 6pm, and all works are for sale.