When Wiradjuri woman Anne-Mariee Mcintosh had a stroke at 59, she knew she had to change the trajectory of her life.

Ms Mcintosh had been enrolled in a business course at TAFE in Wagga Wagga and working as an Aboriginal Health Clinician before the stroke.

After her recovery period she decided it was time to dedicate her life to her passion and began a Certificate III in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts.

Since beginning her course at TAFE NSW, Ms Mcintosh said her recovery has improved and she's now helping recognise other passionate people in the arts at the upcoming Black Cockatoo Awards on November 28.

"Before I enrolled in the course, I was slowly withdrawing from family, friends and society," Ms Mcintosh said.

"Studying my passion at TAFE NSW allowed me to reunite with my culture, make new friends, improve my self-esteem, and, more importantly, enable me to live again."

Ms Mcintosh said she has found her rhythm in the art space and knows what she enjoys creating and what mediums she finds the most familiar.

"What I do like to paint is things that are unusual, at the moment I've got in front of me an emu in ballet shoes," she said.

"And I found that I really love working with pencil drawing or watercolour."

As part of her course, Ms Mcintosh is learning how to create culturally engaging art.

It has culminated in the 11th annual TAFE NSW Nowra Black Cockatoo Art Award with the end-of-year Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts Student Exhibition.

The exhibition features artworks from Aboriginal artists from Wollongong right down the coast to Mittagong.

After she finishes up her Certificate III at TAFE, Ms Mcintosh is hoping to bring her art to her community.

"What I'm hoping to do, I would like to talk to the local lands council and ask if they've got a little bit of space where perhaps people can come together," she said.

"And just sit and yarn and do a little bit of art and talk about everyday stuff.

"I've always thought it was important that you sit down and yarn in a relaxing environment so I'm hoping that's what can be started."

A range of drawings, paintings, prints, and pyrography will be displayed at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts Student Exhibition from November 28 to December 9 at the Nowra TAFE NSW Library.