The Nowra artist, along with Braidwood's Janita Byrne, received the funds through the Veolia Creative Arts Scholarship program.

The scholarship has supported local artists to further their arts practice or study since 2008 and is open to art disciplines including performance, writing, design and visual arts.

Both winners plan use the money to study further in their artistic endeavors.

Patron of the Veolia Creative Arts Scholarship Jennifer Lamb presented the scholarships recently.

Ms Lamb said Lissa and Janita, who specialises in marbling paper, both practiced in areas of art which were less well-recognised than some other forms.

In presenting the scholarships, Ms Lamb said each of the 2019 scholarship recipients also gave back to the community through making their works and also by running workshops and educating people in various ways.

More than 40 local artists have received support through the Veolia Creative Arts Scholarship program.

Ms Lamb encouraged artists in any discipline to consider applying next year.

"I think this is the only such program focusing on regional artists, at least in NSW, and I congratulate the Trust on continuing the scholarship," Ms Lamb said.

The Veolia Creative Arts Scholarship program will be accepting applications for the 2020 early next year. See here for more details or call 4822 2786.

About Lissa de Sailles

Lissa said she "loves creating with my hands and the endless possibilities that come with applying age old traditional basket weaving techniques to creating contemporary art works."

Her favourite materials are harvested from her garden and surrounds as she enjoys the process of harvesting, drying and preparing them. Her recent body of work is based on recycling, reusing and re-imagining ways to use materials that have come from landfill, into beautiful functional and non-functional objects.

Lissa has also worked with recycled materials over the past five years as a workshop presenter for the Shoalhaven City Council Home Sustainability Program by teaching free basket weaving workshops to the local community.

Lissa will use her 2019 Veolia Creative Arts Scholarship to continue her program of study by attending the National Basketry Organisation's 10^th biennial conference at Western Kentucky University in July.

She hopes having an opportunity to work with Polly Jacobs Giacchina will give her an opportunity to learn more contemporary to apply to her work to share with the community.