Beach-based artist Martine Oderio loves creating beautiful pieces inspired by Victoria’s famous surf coast. From seaweed lampshades to pink protea and ocean-themed ceramics, her visions come to life in a makers’ space called The Lightbox in Torquay.
Martine set up The Lightbox in 2020 as a hub for local artists to create, exhibit and teach classes, and it’s become a buzzing epicentre for the local arts community.
Light pours into the airy industrial shed from skylights as ceramicists, painters, weavers, visual artists and potters ply their trades.
“I just love playing with things, and at the moment it’s seaweed. I’m making lampshades out of kelp,” she says.
“I’m pretty rapt to be in such an inspired environment. The Surf Coast has identified itself as a creative hub, and it’s a very talented area.
“I enjoy the fact that so many people come in and engage with art in this space. It creates an outlet, both socially and creatively, and also brings people together to share their journeys of playing with materials and exploring, learning and growing.”
But as a small business owner, she is all too aware of the growing threat of cyber crime. She’s heard horror stories from friends and other artists, and the fear of getting hacked or defrauded often plays on her mind.
“There’s a little scared, voice inside that worries about the reality of being defrauded. lt can become a little overwhelming when you think about it”.
“As a business owner, it would be nice to be better at using online platforms to grow my business, but there is always that concern of what could happen.”
She says social media is a key business tool for artists to promote and sell their works and understands the importance of protecting her Lightbox accounts.
“As artists, we rely heavily on social media, and I know people whose brands have been hacked. You build a following and a client base, and then effectively just have to wipe it. So that’s quite devastating to a business. And on a personal level, I’ve had friends who have had their identities stolen, and it affects your credit rating and your finances.”
But Martine has resolved to take important steps to shore up her online presence, starting with the Cyber Wardens program.
She says the Foundations course was helpful in reinforcing the simple but vital first defences against cyber criminals, such as long, strong unique passwords.
“I found the information in Cyber Wardens a good overview of how to stay alert and protect yourself online,”she says.
“Although a lot of the information was not new to me, it served as a good reminder to be vigilant.
“Cyber Wardens was a good reminder to improve my passwords and make sure that I use two-factor authentication on all my accounts online.”
