Combining wine and art in Margaret River

Art and wine will be paired from September 9-24 with seven Margaret River wineries hosting local artists who will be creating and exhibiting their work for the 10th Margaret River Region Open Studios.

A total of 166 artists will be throwing open their studio doors this year in what is Australia’s largest open studios event.

Gralyn Estate, Fraser Gallop Estate, Voyager Estate, Swings & Roundabouts, Domilona, Edwards Winery and Aravina Estate are all hosting Open Studios artists or events.

Dorothy Gallop will be painting and showcasing her work in Open Studios for the first time from the Fraser Gallop Estate Cellar Door. Her main inspiration is her home - the Fraser Gallop Estate property where she lives with husband and owner Nigel Gallop. Her latest collection of works takes her back to her birthplace, with paintings of the African landscape and animals.

Yallingup painter and printmaker Jessica McKiernan will be creating from Swings & Roundabouts for Open Studios. Jessica aims to capture nostalgic scenes shaped by sentimental stories and memories of growing up in the south west.

Margaret River painter and photographer Olivia Lancaster and Margaret River sculptor Mark Hampton will be showcasing their work at Voyager Estate. Olivia specialises in painting, drawing, and photography and gathers most of her inspiration from her love of Margaret River’s seascapes, forests, native plants, and birds. Mark was originally a tool maker in the Isle of Wight and has always been fascinated by metal, engineering, and fabrication.

On moving to the south west, Mark began creating armillary dials to the region’s exact latitude - reflecting his nautical heritage and the precision of tool making.




Photographer Russell Ord will showcase his work in MRROS for the first time from his studio gallery at Edwards Winery. He began pursuing photography in the early 2000s and quickly made a name for himself with his surfing images.

The co-owner of Gralyn Estate is photographer, mixed media and installation artist Scott Baxter, who will have his work displayed in a new way this year as Gralyn Estate transforms its old cellar into a visual and sensory experience.

All profits from the sale of his art will be donated to the Cancer Council of Western Australia.

Taiwan-born Margaret River ceramic artist Yu-Hua Lan will be showcasing her work during the event from Dormilona Winery. She casts organic seeds, shell forms and other natural materials, transforming them into sculpture, jewellery, and pottery.

Aravina Estate is hosting this year’s Art Dinner on September 9. Leon Pericles has donated a bottle of 2019 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay with his signature and personalised artistic embellishment.

 

One small town: one weekend, two festivals

The small southern Tasmanian town of Cygnet is known for its array of cafes, as well as several galleries and arts and crafts practitioners.

This weekend Cygnet is also hosting two very different festivals, one celebrating chamber music, the others the works of local artisans ranging from alpaca wool weavers to potters.

The Easter Chamber Music festival includes free and paid-for events at venues ranging from Cygnet Town Hall to an open-air concert in Loongana Park. It runs from Friday to Sunday.

The concerts will feature leading musicians including festival artistic directors Gwyn Roberts and Jenni Flemming. They will be joined by current and expat Tasmanian musicians.

For details visit https://huonmusic.au/

On Sunday and Monday, the Huon Valley town and surrounds are the venue for the Handmade in Cygnet Open Studio Art Trail.

Those featured range from textile weaver Karen Grady (top image), who creates garments from wool sourced from her own alapacas, to wooden spoon carver David Rauenbusch and potter and ceramicist Ian Clare.

From timber workers to jewellers and a range of visual arts, there will be 15 places to visit along the trail to watch artists at work and chat to them about their work. 

For details see www.handmadeincygnet.com

Calling all arts and crafts lovers to the deep south of Tasmania

Calling all lovers of arts and crafts to the Huon Valley in November. 

The Huon Valley, for those not in the know, is the southernmost municipality in Australia. In the far south of Tasmania. Next stop Antarctica. Literally, 

The Valley will host the artists and makers of the Huon Art and Away Trail from November 5-7 with 20 potters, artists, weavers, carvers, glass artists and spoon designers showing off their unique creations.

Pick up a brochure, or a red Art & Away sign will be on the streets to direct you to each venue.

Whether a single room in the home, a repurposed building or purpose built, all these studios are dedicated workspaces used throughout the year by the artists. 

Visitors can see where and how they work, what materials they use, perhaps works in progress or even the artist working. 

Most of all it is an opportunity to ask questions, chat and perhaps support these artists by purchasing work directly from their studios. Whatever you choose to do you will gain a unique insight into that artist and perhaps the story behind the piece that you take home.

Plan your visit around the Studio Trail by selecting information about the participants and their work by checking out the website. 

You can also check out some outstanding wine producers and cider maker along the trail. 

Or why not stay over night, make a dinner reservation, and add some of the other fabulous Huon attractions to your visit? 

The Huon Valley Writers Festival is on over the same three days so that might also pique your attention. 

For details visit www.tamohuonvalley.wixsite.com/artandaway

Three new reasons to visit Cygnet

The Tasmanian hamlet of Cygnet - in the Huon Valley south of Hobart - is a popular weekend day trip destination for both locals and visitors.

Now there are three more reasons to visit a laidback place known for its many cafés. arts and crafts shops, galleries and waterfront bird reserve. It also happens to be where I live.

Cygnet is well-known Matthew Evans' Fat Pig Farm, for eateries like the Red Velvet Lounge and the Conservatory at the Old Bank, as well as the Port Hole Café, Japanese Diner, Ashcraig Farm Thai, two pubs, and several good takeaways - but now there is a new venue for sweet-toothed Tasmanians and visitors: Little Lush Cakerie (above).

In its first week of opening, Little Lush has a wide range of Carmen Tibuliac's sweet treats, cakes, scones and biscuits and offers a tea-room style experience with barista coffee as well as takeaways. Think pear fans, apple pies and sticky date puddings.

There are also treats from the oven like savoury goat cheese tart and old-school rock cakes. Little Lush will be open 10am-3pm Sunday-Wednesday as it produces commercial wedding and birthday cakes towards the weekend.

Also new are the new-age and eclectic clothing store Sacred Space Cygnet (above) - which shares the former Ilha Restaurant space with Lush at 23c Mary St - and CuckoO Etc.

Sacred Space has a very Cygnet vibe and in addition to stocking crystals, candles and joss sticks, it has a collection of home wears and clothing in addition to a selection of colourful garments imported from Peru.

Just down the road is CuckoO Etc (below), a creative workshop space and artisan store. It will soon also have an artisan market space. 

Open Wednesday to Sunday in the former Commonwealth Bank space, it offers a collection of artisan goods, a small selection of art and craft supplies, plus an ever-evolving calendar of creative workshops.

CuckoO began when Caroline Davies Choi, a textile designer, artist and curator, created unique, curated artisan markets in Hobart.

Joining Caroline, and putting the ‘et’ in ‘etc’, are Emily Hill and Tiffany Hutton, who also share a love of art, making and design.