Citadel Clock Tower to Big Ben: 12-year-old N.S. boy is taking his lockdown art project worldwide

When 12-year-old Carter Noseworthy picked up a new hobby during thepandemic lockdown, he never dreamed he'd get paid to do it.

TheHalifax boy, who has alwayshad an interest in drawingand architecture, decided to teach himself watercolour painting while stuck at home during Nova Scotia's third wave of COVID-19. He hassince taken a brief online course to brush up on his technique.

After starting up an Instagram account for his work and sharing his story with CBC News, he hasbeen working non-stop to keep up with the demand for commissions.

"I'm definitely surprised, 'cause at first, I just went to Michaels [arts and crafts store] one day to experiment with watercolour in one of my sketches and then it just gradually became this business," he said.

Since getting his first commission in May, he's now completedclose to 40,having sent his original piecesand countless printsall over North America, and across the ocean to countries such asFrance,Turkey, and Singapore.

Of all the world-famous buildings the aspiring architect has capturedon paper, his favourite was the mainParliament building in Canada's capital city. He said the shapes and colours worked nicely together.

"I'm very lucky, because I'm getting paid for something that I enjoy," he said.

"I think it'll help me in the future because those great buildings that I like to draw, they've been designed by architects. And if I draw them, it'll help to understand how to design buildings when I'm older."

This 12-year-old Halifax boy is taking his lockdown art project worldwide

3 years ago

Duration 2:49

A young boy from Nova Scotia is turning his pandemic lockdown hobby into a business...and he's giving a small piece of the proceeds to a charity that's important to him. Brooklyn Currie has his story.

But it's not just iconic landmarkshe's also had work commissioned by local businesses, like the Waegwoltic Club,and Field Guide restaurant in Halifax.

Then there's the more sentimental pieces, including an original painting of his school as a year-end gift to his teacherand several commissions to paintpeople's childhood homes.

"It made me feel good knowing that they asked me to draw something that they feel connected to," he said.

Creativity runs in the Noseworthy family. Both his parents are artists in their own right.

His Instagram page is managedwith the help of hismother, Colleen Wade Noseworthy, who never ceases to be impressed by her son's multitude of talents.

"I watch him, and he's so fast, it's almost like his hand is moving and he doesn't even have to think about it," she said.

"What looks like a scribble, when it's all put together, they're windows and doors and fine details. I think that's just a gift."

$1 per saleto Autism NS

The price for each original piece varies depending on the amount of time and materials required to make it, but they averagearound $100. Prints sell for $20 and are sold locally at the Village Emporium in Chester, N.S.

For each piece,Noseworthydonates a dollarto Autism Arts, a program run byAutism Nova Scotia that helps young people on the spectrum explore self-expression through art.

"He has several friends who are on the spectrum, and he knows how important it is to work with art, and what it can do for you," his mother said.

For now, Noseworthy is tackling one last commissionbefore temporarily scaling backhis watercolour business to focus on his next chapter starting Grade 8.