Nest's Weekend Art School

We are so excited to be able to announce the launch of our first series of Winter Art Workshops, starting in June 2011.

Following the success of our pilot workshop late last year, our first workshop is an Introduction to Weaving on Saturday, 11 June.

Leading the workshop is Jenny Jackett, a multi-award winning spinner, weaver and dyer. Ms Jackett will tutor students in various rug and tapestry weave techniques as well as using different finishing techniques.

The workshops on offer will enable participants to explore their creativity while enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of the Granite Belt.

The first series of workshops includes:

Introduction to Weaving

Introduction to Lino Printing

Silk Painting and Dyeing

Reduction Cut Lino Printing

Paper Making and Stab Binding

For more information regarding the workshops, please visit the workshop page of our website.

Feature Artist - Jim Grasby

Introducing one of the exhibition artists in our current show, 'Faces and Places' - Jim Grasby.

His artist statement really appealed me, and I thought it would be great to share.

"I could say I am an artisan, a craftsman, a tradesman, an engineer, a painter, a sculptor, a designer, a maker, a teacher, or an educator. All these are true and yet none describe my work!

As an artist, I am interested in making possible my ideas and thoughts through whatever medium I wish. The finished work may be a two-dimensional picture or a three-dimensional sculpture.

I may work with metal, wood, clay, stone or any other material, but the final outcome will be a personal statement.

I enjoy the creative process from initial thought to completed work and the majority of my work comes from a blank piece of paper and an idea to play with. I use recycled material as a means of expressing the idea and all my skills, to complete the work. The finished piece is what I term 'my artwork' and I leave it up to everyone to judge it in their own way."

Summer Exhibition - 'Faces and Places'

I have finally managed to get my camera back and running, and managed to take some snaps of our current Summer exhibition, 'Faces and Places'. The exhibition is just stunning - but unfortunately the recenting flooding in Queensland has effected the flow of traffic over the recent weeks. Therefore, we have decided to extend this exhibition through to the end of March.

If you are in the area, you should drop by for a look at all these wonderful works of art from some of our talented Granite Belt artists.

Featured above are works from Maerten Heeremans, Jane Donaldson and Ole Agerby.

Artist Profile - Jane Donaldson

Our current show, 'Faces and Places' is featuring some amazing work from local artists. The works of Jane Donaldson are certainly turning heads and getting people talking.

Here Jane talks about what influences her:

"As a self taught artist, the foremost influence in my work is my love of colour. I use a simplistic style to paint whimsical observations of human behaviour, relationships with the self and others and the place we call home. Most of my paintings draw inspiration from events or musings about my own life and become autobiographical and introspective tales enriched by my imagination and dreams".

To see more about Jane and her art, please visit her website.

Workshop Ideas

We are in the process of compiling a programme of workshops for the Winter months here at 'Nest' ... and we would love to hear from you!

What would you like to learn, improve on, make, sew, paint etc?? I know, I know, the possibilities are endless!

At present, we have tentatively booked in a paper making tutor, print-maker, felter, weaver, silk painter and soap maker .... any other suggestions?

I am going to try and make each workshop a one-day course, as this seems to please most students, and keeps costs down.

And of course, you will be treated to a scrumptious lunch!