Paint and Panel first met apprentice Jessica James when the 2011 judging team was assessing Hanson Road Crash in Adelaide, which won the state award for best small shop. Owners Tony Bava and Alistair Ross couldn't speak highly enough of their young apprentice.
Third year James, who has just won the MTA's most outstanding achievement award 2011 for a vehicle painter, reports a growing trend in female painters in South Australia, spotting at least 15 at the recent MTA event. She was 'stoked' with her prize a mini jet Sata gun.
James has always wanted to work with cars and undertook a mechanics course when she was 15.
“I grew out of that,” she said. “A friend of my dad's had a panel shop and I tried my hand at spray painting and loved it.
“It's so rewarding. People might think you are doing the same job every day but every car you paint is different. I find it so satisfying how the car looks when I'm finished.
“I've done some custom design as part of my course and PPG is setting me up on a good course.”
James has realistic ambitions: “I can't wait to be a qualified tradesperson as that's when the money starts to come in.”
Does this means that she will run off to work in the mines as soon as she's qualified. “No, I just want to be a successful painter working in a good shop,” she says. “I'm very happy where I am.”
In James' ideal future world, she'd be a spray painter who also owns a restaurant, as her family background is in hospitality. And with her painting talent, she could whip up some wicked cake decorations.