When an artist has been working in the studio, often in relative isolation, it can be confronting to see the work in a gallery space. The Gympie Regional Gallery has done a lovely job of hanging my recent works in botanical paper and wool felt in a way that helps the viewer see both my finished work and the emotional […]
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My exhibition at Untether Gallery will open on Sept 3 at 132 Little MAlop Street Geelong. My friend Silvana Benacchio will be opening the show as I can’t get to Victoria this year. The shoe features textile works both wearable and ornamental. HeartFELT is an exhibition which displays the potential and versatility of wool felt as an art form. Zela […]
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As President of FIDO, now known as the Watchdog of K’gari, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of a Whitlam cabinet minister, a stalwart friend to K’gari, FIDO and John Sinlcair who and took a courageous stand to initiate the First Fraser Island Inquiry in 1975. Moses Henry Cass (18 February 1927 – 26 February 2022) was better known […]
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I am excited to share that two of my works concerning the World Heritage listed island of K’gari have been acquired by the Fraser coast Regional Council for their permanent collection. Only Embers is a visceral response to the terrible Duling fires of 2020 on K’gari when a pall of black smoke enveloped Butchulla Country and one third of the […]
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Just last week i was reading a poem by Jane Frank, about Mort Street, Red Hill, that Brisbane suburb with the steep hillsides and wooden houses that has become something of a genre these days. My daughter’s first Brisbane share house was in Warmington street, and I lived in several share households. I recalled that when I was living in […]
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Weeds to Paper exhibition at Hervey Bay Regional Gallery On November Friday November 28 at 5:30 pm, a group of artists who met through their interest in the environment will be showing artwork all made from environmental weeds. Paper maker Zela Bissett initiated this project after working with conservation volunteer organisation FIDO removing weeds from native bushland. “The high-volume grasses […]
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Weeds to Paper Report: Science and Sensitivity In the process of preparing plant fibres for papermaking, there is an intense interaction between the paper maker and the plant. The paper maker becomes intimately in contact with the fibres during the processes of chopping, tearing, cooking, beating or blending. The process is repetitious, physically demanding and best approached as a kind […]
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This is a conceptual work dealing with the circle of life forms of the Patterned Fens, a special ecosystem found in Cooloola and on K’gari. A vast interconnected network of wire rush or spreading rope-rush (Empodisma minor) features clumps of tightly woven rushes interpenetrated by fresh water canals. Small openings of water are known as flarks. Above the flat marchlands, […]
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This coming Thursday March 13 at 10am the first workshop for 2025 in making paper from weeds will begin at the entrance to Fay Smith wetlands in Neptune street Maryborough. There we will gather some weeds to take back to Papernicus paper studio where paper artist Zela Bissett will be conducting a full day workshop teaching participants how to turn […]
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Sessions fortnightly Date and Location activities equipment Thursday March13 Collect weeds Fay Smith Wetlands, Neptune street Maryborough. Meet near the entry sign. Wear gloves and closed in shoes. Take weeds to Papernicus studio 92 Carnaby St Bidwill for processing Collection site will be Fay Smith wetlands in Neptune Street Maryborough. Wear work clothes and closed in shoes. Gather, chop and cook […]
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Hayley (left) and Zela with Vashti (right) raise a toast to the textile show they helped hang at Springsure’s Bauhinia Bicentennial Gallery.
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