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In recent months I have had several requests to talk about my work to other artists. Firstly I gave a talk via Zoom to the Papermakers of Victoria, and more recently spoke to Paper Artists of Queensland at the Hands-on paper (HOP) Day at Brisbane Visual Arts Community (BVAC) where we ran our hollander beater and made paper from various […]

At times I have had doubts about the value of entering high-profile art awards.  During 2022 I spent a lot of time in Victoria with family away from my studio and was therefore limited in what new works I was able to make. I focussed on entering work I had already made in a number of national prizes where I […]

Someone very close to me has produced this beautiful and insightful review. I am humbled. Queensland artist Zela Bissett redefines the meaning of botanical art with her unique works composed of plant fibre, containing actual plant fragments and decorated with inks brewed from bark, berries and fruit. Zela uses plants seasonally harvested from her permaculture garden, or weed plants she […]

Around 1996 I was forced by circumstances to move my main arts practice from claywork to fibre arts. I had been making reduction-fired stoneware in a wood-burning kiln with fallen timber and mill offcuts, but working full time as a teacher with three children prompted changes. Thanks to a group of active paper-makers around the Sunshine coast, I discovered an […]

Sometimes events take place which we wish could have been shared by those who are no longer embodied here with us. My research on the life and work of John Sinclair OA has touched on the family of Moss Cass, Australia’s first Environment Minister. His daughter Deborah, whose life ended all too soon, shared an interest with John Sinclair in […]

After having an operation to repair two hernias on March 4, I have been taking it easy at home. For the first few days after being released from hospital, I was a bit dopey and sore, but came up with a project I could do without hurting myself – a sewing project. I had received a prompt to enter the […]

Buying a press I took a chance recently and decided that since I have a good supply of my handmade papers it would be interesting to try printing some of my designs onto them. My regular readers know that I like to do things from first principles, such as making my own paper, inks and twine. However in the case […]