What products are in the ‘Dare to be Different’ range?

We started with handmade and individual stainless steel flasks with designer fabrics for all tastes, age groups and genders.

Along with these fabulous flasks, we also have handmade pyramid door stops, perfect for any home. These are designed with unique fabrics and beautiful tassels that are attractive against any style of home flooring.

Our two latest products to be launched are keybandz and belts. Keybandz are an exciting new product, which ensure you don’t lose your keys.

They are versatile and fabulously designed key rings which easily slip onto your wrist so that you can have two free hands – and you can always find keys in your handbag.

Why did you decide to start your own creative outlet designing drinking flasks?

Well, over 12 months ago, I was inspired to find individual, unique insulated drinking flasks that would be a healthy choice for my family.

I wanted to be able to have a bottle that would be insulated to allow hot or cold drinks year round and that would fit in all car holders and not leak.

Have you always had a passion for arts and creativity?

Yes, since I was a child I have had a passion for arts and creativity. I bought a sewing machine a few years ago, as my sister-in-law is a fantastic seamstress, and aware of my flair and appreciation of hand made gifts and products; she persuaded me to indulge in the purchase. Since that day, I am always thinking of new and unique designed products to make.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

My children, friends and family, and the amazing fabric designers I work with.

What are some of the features of ‘Dare to Different’ drinking flasks?

We have 350 ml and 500 ml stainless steel water flasks, which are insulated, double walled, BPA free bottles that have a Perspex outer cover. I hand pick fabric insert designs to make them unique, and there are a limited number of each design available.

These are great gift ideas, conversation starters – and most importantly, the healthy and environmentally friendly option for consuming water or liquids, as aluminium or plastic bottles allow chemicals to enter the liquids that we consume.

I have created design options to include children’s, men’s and women’s preferences.

How do you manage time between your creative outlet, juggling a full- time job and being a mum? 

Well, it sure is fun, challenging and good practice at utilising my time management skills, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

What do you enjoy about being a stall holder at the Foreshore Market in Port Macquarie?

The Foreshore Market is in a beautiful location by the water’s edge at Westport Park. The other stall holders are friendly, helpful and have amazing products on sale as well.

The best thing about the Foreshore Market is that you are guaranteed to be able to purchase a unique gift for someone for their birthday or Christmas, that you won’t find in normal retail outlets.

Thanks Lauren.

Kim Madden I’m one of two Vice Presidents of HVFAA. I’m also editor of our monthly newsletter, Fine Print. Art for me is an unexpected passion, as my natural inclination has been to write – but the process of painting is addictive and surprisingly cerebral, as well as being visual and creative. The art world on the Mid North Coast is a very fine place to be, and HVFAA is a wonderful group of artists who like nothing better than to get together and paint and talk about art.

Brian Barker: This is my sixth year as President. It has given me great pleasure to be in this role, as I enjoy working with community minded people and the art association is a worthwhile activity for such a great group of artists.

I believe in the role of President I have helped advance the direction of the association; I was instrumental in organising our Summer Showcase and The Slice of Haven Exhibition. One of my aims is to get us a permanent home, like a number of other art groups on the North Coast. My wife Rita and I joined the association ten years ago.

What exactly is the Hastings Valley Fine Art Association?

Brian The Hastings Valley Fine Art Association was formed over 25 years ago. It’s a group of people who are passionate about encouraging and supporting artists, by providing activities and tuition in all mediums which are available to everyone − regardless of age or level of ability.

We help artists develop their skills and provide opportunities to show and sell their work, by organising several exhibitions each year.

We have approximately 150 members.There’s a mixture of artists: some who are just learning and others who are professional and hold their own exhibitions and offer tuition.

Please explain the Hastings Art Trail – what galleries does it represent?

Brian The Hastings Art Trail was formed by a small group of people to mirror other art trails located in cities and regional areas across Australia. We believe this is the first formed in the Hastings and have been in existence for at least four years. There are presently 14 galleries that make up the art trail, from Beechwood, Gum Scrub, Wauchope, Port Macquarie, Bonny Hills, Laurieton and ending or beginning at Kendall, depending which way you would like to travel.

The work displayed in the galleries covers mosaics, abstract, realism, impressionist, land and seascapes in all mediums, and the art available is for sale at a reasonable price.

Why has the Hastings Art Trail been brought under the banner of the HVFAA?

Brian The art trail was merged under the auspices of the HVFAA to make it more cost effective and broaden the appeal of both groups, as all art trail members are also members of the association.

The art trail has always been available to anybody to join, but not every member wanted to make their home a gallery, for various reasons. Rather than have separate activities, we will now offer members of the public the opportunity not only to visit our art exhibitions, but to travel the art trail at the same time.

How can members of the public buy the artworks produced by members of the association? 

Kim The best places to enjoy or buy our paintings are at one of our three annual exhibitions. The Spirit of the Camden Haven Art Exhibition is held at the Laurieton United Services Club in May to coincide with the Slice of Haven Food and Wine Festival and the Camden Haven Music Festival. There is a prize for the painting which best reflects the spirit of the Camden Haven.

Last month we had an exhibition in Port Macquarie at the Historic Court House, called Drawn Hung and Courted. Despite the rain and the football grand final, the exhibition was a great success, and we have already booked the courthouse for next year.

We will soon have a stand at the monthly Foreshore Market in Port Macquarie. This will primarily be the work of Art Trail artists.

The HVFAA holds its Summer Showcase annually. What is this event all about?

Kim By far our largest exhibition is our annual Summer Showcase Exhibition. This year it is being held from Dec 29 – 5 January at Laurieton United Services Club, 10 – 6pm daily.

There is usually around $4,000 in prize money, generously donated by our local sponsors – Laurieton United Services Club, Essential Energy, Potts, Davis Duncombe Financial Planning, Café Buzz, Mystic Blue Gifts & Framing, Port City Realty, Port Macquarie Art Supplies & Framing, Judy’s Salon Secrets.

This year there will be displays of artwork jewellery by Vanessa Newell and bold mosaics by Vicki Compton and Francesca O’Donnell.

We will have an opening night cocktail party Dec 28 (RSVP Rita 6586 3236 by Dec 9) to announce prize winners and launch the exhibition. Members of the public are most welcome to attend.

The association will also be holding the Mid North Coast Open Art Prize again this year?

Kim This is the second year the Summer Showcase Exhibition incorporates the Mid North Coast Open Art Prize. This segment is designed to encourage and showcase regional artists − so entry is limited to artists living between roughly Coffs Harbour and Foster/Great Lakes/Taree. The winner’s prize is $1,000.

Local artists are encouraged to enter, entries close Dec 9 and the entry form can be downloaded from our website: www.hastingsvalleyart.net (enquiries Rita 6586 3236).

What other activities do association members take part in regularly?

Kim We have Life Drawing at Bonny Hills each month and regular workshops and tutorials conducted by the best artists in the particular medium. We pack our brushes and paint away outdoors for a week − this year it was Seal Rocks … the year before, the Flinders Ranges.

We also run a mixed media class each month led by our own artists and a group led by Wauchope artist Elsa Toms, which paints outdoors at various locations around the region; I’ve just started to do this, and I must say painting outdoors is quite a challenge compared with the studio − and that’s before the stories of snakes and rampaging bulls! We also do the occasional day trip away.

Last year we hired a bus and went off to the Newcastle Regional Gallery to see the Hans Heyson Exhibition.

Where can people go to find out more information about the HVFAA?

Kim If you were thinking about joining or would like more information, visit the website at: www.hastingsvalleyart.net                                                    or pick up a brochure from the Information Centre, Mystic Blue or the Framers.

You can also drop in on the Wednesday Group, which meets at St Peter the Fisherman Hall in Laurieton between 9am – 2pm.

Alternatively, come to a monthly meeting, which rotates between Port, Wauchope and Laurieton, or talk to our Secretary Janet Bourke: 6582 0421.

Thanks Brian and Kim.

Interview by Jo Atkins.

When did you first discover your artistic talent?

I’ve always been a drawer – and that’s how I describe and introduce myself to audiences. My mother and grandmother tell me I used to draw when I was very young. Over the years, I’ve just become more and more interested. I went to art school, thinking I would do something that I like and get a job that would allow me to afford to make whatever art I felt like. I suppose like a lot of artists, I didn’t really believe I’d be able to make a living out of my artwork – I never thought any of my artwork would be collectible.

I used to teach at the College of Art, and I was getting too busy with my family, my job and my art practice (which was increasing and taking off a little bit in Brisbane). So, one of them had to go – the family, my job, or my art practice. I had to leave my job! So when push came to shove, I guess I could now be considered an artist.

I had my first show with a commercial gallery in 2002, and that’s when you have to start to think of yourself as an artist – but I was still working then and wasn’t sure if I could do art full time. I left my job about 6 years ago.

You certainly use a wide range of media to work with …

I do now. It’s a leftover of my undergrad and my honours year, when I was working with a lot of conceptual text and fiddling around on the computer creating design exercises. I started getting a bit of attention locally and getting into some exhibitions as a student.

I had a couple of post graduate shows – very low budget and getting things printed very cheaply and exhibiting them as artworks. That still carries on into what I do now. Plus, I was still drawing and teaching drawing – so drawing is really who I am.

As a conceptual artist, I basically just have ideas and I think about what kind of platform – whether it’s a video, painting, a 3D sculpture, something digital created on the computer, photographic, whatever it is – I consider what’s at my disposal, what can I afford, whether I can develop these skills in myself, to see whether I can achieve the idea. I enjoy working in collaborative projects with other people.

Where does your inspiration to create come from?

Hopefully the inspiration is clear … most of what inspires me is my family. My parents, grandparents, cousins I grew up with. I have a big family. I think of my family as a fairly ordinary family, and I think of myself as being a fairly ordinary black fella. And I like being that – just ordinary, because I fit in with other Aboriginal families and other Aboriginal communities, and it’s easy for me to gain entry and access to the different kinds of context where Aboriginal people live.

How long has the exhibition Cant Chant been in development?

I was approached by the director of IMA [Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane] in 2007. He basically said they’d been looking at my work and wanted to offer me a show – and did I have any ideas?

I’d had an idea to produce a classically made surf film with an Aboriginal surfer riding a surfboard with an Aboriginal shield on it. It had been in my head for a long time; and it was basically about the power of Aboriginal athleticism … combat … and I was also getting a little bit tired of seeing Aboriginal shields being displayed passively in galleries. Shields are meant to be articles of war, and they’re about combat and action.

These shields [used in the exhibition] are rainforest shields from my own country in North Queensland – my father’s country, actually.

In 2004 there was the Palm Island riot, and almost a year later, in 2005, there was the Cronulla Riot. I was thinking about the beach, and these riots at two beach communities and the different reactions by different parties: the police, local government, state and federal government, reacted very differently to both cases. I was left to wonder what was wrong with this picture.

So when in 2007 I was offered a show, I said I’d do it. At the time I knew there would be painted surfboards … but it grew from there.

The chant at the Cronulla riots, “We grew here; you flew here” … that’s what the We Grew Here text piece is – it’s the title piece for the show, and it’s called Cant Chant.

It sounds like the exhibition is not only a way for you to explore ideas, but a way to encourage viewers to ask themselves some pertinent questions too?

The show was an opportunity to ask several questions. It’s asking, “Surely Australians’ view of the beach can’t be so narrow? Surely the idea of how surfing forms that idea can’t be so narrow, because surfing must have come to black fellas at the same time it came to white fellas – yet surfing is such a white pursuit?”

Cronulla demonstrated that emphatically. And surfing makes up such a part of the Australian psyche and experience. I wanted to expand the idea of surfing itself – and maybe that it means more culturally in terms of identity and natural culture than this really super narrow idea of the white people’s preserve.

On the other side, I wanted to expand the idea of the beach. The beach is one of the most exclusive domains we have in society … maybe the idea of the beach we think of is wrong.

Hopefully people will walk out asking themselves and each other, “What do you think about this? Do you think Aboriginal people’s place in society is the right one?” And the idea that the beach should be more expansive … the fact that women were excluded from the beach 60 years ago is crazy!

Thanks Vernon

Interview by Jo Atkins.

Exactly what is the Operation Art exhibition?

Operation Art is the premier state wide visual arts exhibition for students in Kindergarten to Year 10. It is a unique, contemporary children’s exhibition that attracts public support from the government, health and education sectors and the wider community.

The exhibition began 16 years ago, when the Children’s Hospital at Westmead wanted to display children’s art in the hospital, with the aim of creating a positive environment and aid the healing and recovery process of young patients.

Each year, every school across the state is invited to enter up to 4 artworks in this exhibition. All works entered are framed and hung in the main exhibition. From this exhibition, some works are selected to tour regional galleries across the state, before being given to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Other works are selected to be given to regional hospitals, and some works have even been given to hospitals internationally.

What’s your association with the exhibition, and how did you become involved?

My first experience with Operation Art was as a teacher entering students’ work in the exhibition. I found the exhibition a wonderful opportunity for students to gain wider recognition for their creativity and at the same time give them a real purpose – to create artworks for sick kids.

I have now been involved with Operation Art for 8 years, coordinating workshops for students and teachers across the state in association with the exhibition. This year I have taken on the additional role of coordinating the whole program. I feel very privileged to work with a project that encourages active engagement in the arts and culture and creates strong links within the community.

What’s the aim of Operation Art?

The exhibition aims to encourage students to create artworks for children in hospital and through the connections with hospitals and galleries, the student artists also become aware of their audience. They begin to realise that artworks may mean different things to themselves, their peers and other people.

Through the workshops we aim to enrich and creatively extend students in visual arts, and through our teacher development days we aim to support teachers in teaching visual arts.

Who are the organisers/ sponsors of the program?

Operation Art is an initiative of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead in association with the Department of Education and Communities. The annual touring exhibition is made possible by the generous support of the Nelson Meers Foundation, and the workshops are supported by S&S Wholesalers.

How many schools and students were involved in the program this time around?

In 2010, 707 students participated in the exhibition, from 222 schools throughout NSW. We have entries from students at big city schools and from students at remote one teacher schools. This program definitely breaks down geographical barriers.

What was the process behind these students’ artworks being accepted for the exhibition?

Each school can enter up to four works from students in Kindergarten up to Year 10. Often the schools have their own selection process to decide on their entries. We frame and hang every artwork that is entered, because we want all students to gain recognition for their art.

What types of artwork mediums are represented in Operation Art?

The artworks come in a huge variety. Every year I’m amazed by the imagination and creativity shown by our talented students. We have lots of works that use traditional media of drawing, painting and printmaking, but we also receive many mixed media works which use lots of interesting combinations of these. Digital artworks are also becoming more common.

What are your favourite pieces from the exhibition – and why?

This is a hard one! I do love the clever watercolour done by Rebecca Mackenzie, aged 16 from Lismore High School, of her sister eating an ice cream – or maybe the ice cream is eating her!

Then there is the colourful, lively painting of turtles titled Tropical Element by four 11-year-old students from Old Bar Public School: Isabel Lynch, Chelsea Bardan, Zoe Williams and Jasmine Aldous.

I also love the printed work by Zeek Lukacic, aged 6, from Banks Public School. The bird looks like it might just fly out of the frame!

Where and when was the opening of the exhibition held – and how was it received by the wider public?

The main exhibition was opened at The Armory Gallery, Sydney Olympic Park in October 2010. We had 3,000 people visit on the opening day and 5,000 visitors in total during the whole exhibition. The main opening day has a festival feel. We individually welcome all our young artists and encourage them to bring along their families to enjoy the experience.

The general public also love our exhibition, with many visitors commenting on the delightful feel of the exhibition and some even wishing they could purchase the works.

An exhibition of some of the artwork will be held at the Glasshouse in Port Macquarie during April and May. What can visitors to this exhibition expect to see, feel and experience?

The exhibition being held at the Glasshouse is of 51 artworks, which were selected by a panel of judges – including Joanna Capon OAM, patron and honorary art curator of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

The works on exhibition range from delightfully fresh, colourful works done by students in Kindergarten to very developed and complex works done by high school students.

The wall plaques beside the work describe the artists’ intent, and reading them always brings a smile to the viewers. It’s hard to say which works you will be drawn to most, but I’m sure the colour, charm and positive feel of this exhibition will compel you to linger.

What’s next for Operation Art – will it be travelling more extensively around the country?

After the Glasshouse, this exhibition will tour to Wagga Wagga, Dubbo and Cowra, before it returns to Sydney, where the artworks will be permanently hung as a part of the collection at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

Meanwhile, we are starting to receive new entries for this year’s exhibition, which will open on 10 September at the Armory Gallery, Sydney Olympic Park.

What is the likelihood that this program will run again in the future?

This is the 16^th year of Operation Art. We have grown from 50 works in our first exhibition to the 699 that we received last year. Our reach of schools grows every year, as more and more schools realise what a wonderful experience it is to be a part of Operation Art.

I’m sure we will continue to exhibit and provide wonderful opportunities for students and teachers across the state for a long time.

Thank you Lisa.

The Operation Art exhibition of 51 selected artworks will be on display in the Glasshouse from 5 – 29 May.

Interview by Jo Atkins.

Describe your style of art … what gives you inspiration for many of your pieces, and what does your work primarily focus on?

F: My works are usually fairly narrative. The painting tells the story of some event that has affected me emotionally. I tend to emphasise the dominant feature of the event, what affected me most, so there’s a surreal, dreamlike feel to them. I use strong expressive colours, round sinuous forms, with little regard for perspective.

So the essential element in my paintings are my strong feelings about an event, and the subjects are usually animals and surfing, which can be pretty intense. The events are in my day-to-day life, so they tend to be from somewhere in my local environment.

For example, Steve and I were out surfing at Shelly Beach. The water was crystal clear, and we were sitting together, just us, in fairly shallow water. I turned to my left, and through the water, almost appearing out of the sand, came this two-and-a-half metre shark swimming calmly but purposely towards me.

Steve was looking the other way, and I said to him, “Lift your feet”. As he turned toward me and lay on his board, lifting his feet up, the shark curved away from me and they eyeballed each other as he swam under Steve’s board.

We got out real quick! I went home, full of adrenaline and painted what had happened, and now a surfing friend of ours has bought that painting. I love that whole process. All the emotion of the event … create a painting … share it with someone who loves it too.

We both have a great love for nature and have various animals living with us who tend to just turn up. We live near the ocean on a very bushy block of land. We surf regularly and we’re outside a lot. I’m at the beach every day, either surfing or walking or swimming or just looking.

I love the different communities at our beaches, especially early morning regulars. Being able to share in that gentle friendly community of happy appreciative people in beautiful surroundings is very inspiring and sustaining.

S: I have been a ceramist for the last 30 years and have made pottery ranging from wood-fired stoneware through to raku. Now I make terracotta sculpture with a focus on the garden. I’ve seen pieces of sculpture that have been around for centuries in gardens, museums, temples, pyramids, rainforests, deserts etc. and they just get better with me.

I love old things and find inspiration from pieces like these that you see lost in corners gathering moss and looking more beautiful all the time.

What do you enjoy most about painting and sculpting?

F: I find it relaxing, challenging, rewarding and cathartic. Because my paintings are so emotional, I have to focus on what’s important to me, what’s really touching me. I can’t be lazy about this. If I don’t tap into that emotion, I won’t have the desire to do the painting.

That emotion is where the energy for the painting lies. It’s not always lighthearted; I have some pretty dark paintings at home too. Painting makes me dig for what touches me, and then I have to give it a form that works for me.

It’s hard work, but very satisfying to be able to express myself in a way that gives me and other people pleasure. I really enjoy it when people have a good reaction to a painting. That’s a lot of fun. And I have a strong drive to get better and better at painting and to be more honest with what I’m saying.

S: When sculpting, I lose myself totally in the process of working clay. I love the way it shapes to your fingers, its texture and malleability and the fact that it will be turned to stone with some heat. It’s a very old and simple art form and one that I feel privileged to share with so many before me.

Fran, what are you currently working on?

Well, this is a subject I’ve been enjoying for some time. Steve and I go down to Shelly Beach almost daily, spending a bit of time talking to the regulars and enjoying that amazing spot. Time and again I’d hear travellers exclaiming how beautiful it is there and loving the sculptures that celebrate Harry’s life – especially that caravan – photographing the turkeys who roam about stealing from picnic baskets and really getting a lot of pleasure out of being there.

I wanted to express my feelings about the beauty of that area and Harry’s humorous relationship with the bush turkeys that he called his ‘chooks’. So I am painting a series based on Harry and his ‘chooks’, which has Harry and his caravan and a different turkey in each one.

Steve, tell us about the humorous nature of your sculptures. Why is this something you base your pieces on? Also, why dodos?

Sculptures capture a figure in time. Once the piece is fired and turned into stone, it is like that forever, or until it is broken into pieces. When making a piece, the turn of a tool or finger can make an expression into a frown or a smile, so I make my pieces with a big smile that gives them a humorous nature. If I was frozen in time, I’d like to be happy.

I’ve always been intrigued by Dodos – like anything you can’t have. There is very little recorded history of them at all. A few paintings and a couple of bones, no photos, no accurate models, yet they live on in our memories – often, I think, unfairly portrayed as being a bit stupid.

They were a dove, which is a symbol of peace and tranquility. I prefer to think they were a mythical and mysterious creature that was evolving to a higher place until they were unfortunately all eaten by marauding Europeans.

Where is your workshop and gallery?

F: We live at Rocky Beach, which is between Oxley and Flynns in a 100-year-old weatherboard house nestled among the gum trees. Steve has a great little workroom / studio down in the backyard with his chooks and vegies, and I have what was once the original garage but has long since been converted into a great studio space complete with French doors, deck and coloured glass windows.

We are open to the public by appointment (please phone 6584 9497).

S: Down in the back garden with my chooks and Blossom (my Cockatiel) I have a shed that is my studio. This is where my sculptures are, and yes, some of them are for sale. If you would like to have a look, please phone to make an appointment.

What do you enjoy most about showcasing your artworks at the Artist Market?

F: A big part of my enjoyment of the Artist Market is being able to share my work with other people on a personal level and in such a friendly and relaxed environment. I get a real kick out of talking with people about my paintings and seeing their enjoyment of them.

A lot of my work is a bit quirky and humorous, and that seems to appeal. It’s also great to be able to catch up with other artists, look at their work and discuss where they’re going with it.

And now that the Artist Market is combined with the Growers’ Market, it will make our work available to even more people.

S: I’m very pleased to have the Artist Market at Port Macquarie. It has provided a showcase for local artists to show their work. There is a large variety of great work on display and for sale, and I feel privileged to have my work on display with such quality local work.

It provides a great opportunity for people to purchase art that is not accessible at any other outlet. It’s great fun and a hotspot for local artists and other interesting people. I love the food and music too!

Thank you Fran and Steve.

What is your style of artworks?

R: We basically do very abstract paintings with lots of colour.

D: It is modern, contemporary, abstract art based on colour.

How did you get into creating such bright and colourful abstract art?

R: I have been wanting to do art for a long long time, and I had always been very good at art and music in school. So the first thing I ever bought when I moved to Australia in the mid ’70s was an easel. I never used it for anything, although I always admired art in different ways and forms. Then I met Deb about three years ago, and all of a sudden her experiments and experience with art and photography brought us together, and we started creating things.

I had to wait all of those years to be able to actually show my artistic side. Combined with Deb’s artistic strength, we work together, and most of the time Deb does the right hand side of the painting, and I do the left. I’m not sure why; it just tends to work out that way.

D: It’s definitely teamwork. Reg makes the frames and primes them, then we paint them together. The last process, the gloss, is a pretty tricky process that has to be done together. You couldn’t really do them the size we do on your own; you wouldn’t be able to work quickly enough.

The reason we do such bright and colourful pieces is because it is a reflection of where we are in our lives: happy and carefree – just a really good place in our lives. So I guess our pieces show the happiness bursting out of us.

What gives you inspiration for many of your pieces?

R: What we see around us, because we live in such a beautiful place; it’s always very inspirational.

D: The happiness that we share in our lives and the beautiful surroundings that we live in. Often we grab a glass of wine or beer, we set up and turn the music up really loud and just bop along, creating and painting. It is a really fun thing; it doesn’t feel like work at all.

What materials and types of paints do you use?

R: We use canvas for our smaller works, but for our larger works we make our own Tasmanian Oak frames – for the simple reason they will last longer, they are stronger, and there is less chance of damaging the finish on the piece.

D: We use acrylic paints and a gloss that we apply over the top to create a hard, glossy finish.

How did you come to combine your talent for creating artworks?

R: We met, and that was really a good enough reason. Because we both have time to do the things we like and to do the things we don’t really have to retire from.

D: When we first met, I was already painting and had a style and a way of doing things. Since we have been together, we have developed our own new style and way, which is totally separate from what I used to do. So it’s really nice that we have created something different together, rather than Reg just taking on what I used to do.

How long does it usually take to finish a piece?

D: It depends on the size, but it has to happen in stages. Reg builds the frame, then we prime and prepare them to paint; it only takes a couple of hours to paint, but takes days to dry.

Then we have to wait another week or more before we can apply the final gloss coat, which takes another week or so to dry. So it’s quite a long process.

R: If you sometimes get only 3 weeks to finish a big order, everything tends to take over our home: it’s lucky we have tiles on the floor!

What keeps you passionate about art in general?

R: The fact that we enjoy doing it, and the great reaction of people when they see our work. We started this only as a hobby, creating things for ourselves to put on our walls at home, or making a birthday or Christmas present for friends and family. There is no better encouragement than praise and reward by being able to sell our pieces.

I think the reason we sell more than we can keep up with is because I don’t think we are too expensive as far as art goes. We love what we do and are not really doing it to become millionaires; we are doing it because we love it.

D: It always feels good to see people’s positive reactions to our art.

What are some of the favourite pieces you have created, and why?

D: Some of my favourites are the ones hanging in the new Fig Restaurant. We have just completed some works using really bright, in your face pinks and purples, and we have also started using metallic paints. Probably the brightest ones are some of my favourites.

R: There have been some paintings we have done where we thought we would never part with them. We use our home as our gallery and have such positive reactions from people who have seen our works there, that we ended up selling our favourite ones.

D: We do sell off our walls. People often see us at the Artist Markets and tell us they have seen our work and would like to see more. They view them at our home and we sell them straight from our walls.

Are you involved in any other creative ventures?

R: I think music is a creative venture and also a form of art which I have been involved in for many years, and Deb does a few other things like mosaic artworks.

D: I also do Fashion Design and Technology at TAFE and make a lot of my own clothes now, and again, people are asking where I got the piece and can I make them one. So what started as a hobby could turn into a whole new venture.

R: The other thing which is really taking off at the moment is our Latin American Salsa Dance Parties. We are bringing that type of music that is exploding all over the world to the small town of Port Macquarie. We hold the Dance Parties at TG’s, and they are proving very popular; we all have a lot of fun.

Where are your artworks displayed in Port Macquarie?

D: The Fig is probably the most public place, also the Executive Penthouse at Rydges. All the work up there is ours, which is really exciting. We see pictures of the parties held up there in the newspapers and you can see a piece of our art in the background; it’s really great.

R: There are obviously a lot of homes around Port and Sydney that have our artworks, also up and down the coast.

D: We also have quite a few people that collect our work now. When they come through from Sydney, they call to ask us what we have that is new. We have one young man that comes to us and collects our art.

Every time we paint something new, he wants to see it, because he thinks we are going to be famous. We just hope it’s before we’re dead! It’s very flattering to have people come back because they love your work.

How long have you been attending the Artist Markets, and why do you enjoy it?

D: We have probably been involved for a year or so with our stall. It is a great way to showcase our work.

R: It’s like a little outlet for us to say to people, “Look, this is what we do”. A lot of people take our card and come back asking if we can make a piece bigger or smaller, or customise it just to suit their tastes.

D: We have quite a few customers that love a certain piece but are unsure if it will fit in the space they want it for or if the colours are just right for their decor, so we offer a special service where we go to their homes with a half a dozen chosen artworks, and we see what fits and what looks good.

I think people really appreciate that personalised service – we have become friends with many and built a certain rapport with those people.

Thank you Reggie and Deb.

See all of Deb and Reggie D’s beautiful artworks at their new website

www.artbydebandreggied.com.au

Tell us a little about yourself as an artist.

I’ve been making art and exhibiting in a professional capacity for almost 20 years now, and my art training was in painting and printmaking. My textile training came from the home, growing up with a mother and nanna who were always making things for the family and the community – knitting, sewing, crochet, embroidery, quilting etc. I actually learned to make a good dress and knit a good jumper before I could construct a good painting.

I have exhibited in a number of local, national and overseas venues, including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London and Paris. It has been fantastic to be included in Momentum – the 18th Tamworth fibre textile biennial, as it means my work has now travelled around the country and been exposed to a huge audience.

My work is also held in collections both within Australia and overseas. I recently sold several works to an international collector, including ReCollection, which will be housed in Sydney and another Red Cloud, will be housed in Mumbai – which was very exciting for me, as some of the embroidery in Red Cloud came from an embroidered wall hanging I purchased in Mumbai in 1988.

You mentioned your work is currently touring as part of the 18th Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial, showcasing some of the finest examples of contemporary recycled textile art. Tell us more …

It’s true a number of the artists in the show are recycling** or reusing old and disparate materials for their art, as there is a growing concern among artists to work towards a more sustainable practice by not continually consuming new materials. This idea also fits with the theme of ‘momentum’ and moving forward, while still regarding the past.

As Valerie Kirk, the curator of the exhibition says in her catalogue essay, “Textile artists work inventively because of the rapidly changing context of their world … they challenge our preconceptions and move forward into unknown territories. The strength of this work comes from the artists’ ability to respect their tradition and history while engaging with the momentum of progress.” (page 5).

Many artists in the show also work with new materials, and a number are interested in exploring new textile technologies

**(I also like the term ‘up-cycling’ where old products are given more value as opposed to much recycling, where the original product is destroyed to make a new product – my work is somewhere between the two, as I destroy the original domestic object, i.e. the doiley or tablecloth, but I save the needlework and reconstruct it. The first recorded use of the term up-cycling was by Reiner Pilz of Pilz GmbH in an interview by Thornton Kay of Salvo in 1994.

Where did you draw the inspiration for  your intricately detailed artwork?

The inspiration for ReCollection, my collection of fantastical insects, originated in Malaysia when I undertook a month long residency in a beautiful garden estate called Rimbun Dahan, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, in 2006.

Melbourne artist Tim Craker (who is a long term friend and colleague) had a 3 month residency in the same year and suggested a joint exhibition when we returned to Melbourne, and we were fortunate to then travel an extended version of that exhibition back to Malaysia and on to Singapore in 2008. We wanted to make work which would relate well to both an Australian and South East Asian audience.

I had previously worked with discarded materials from the home, such as old wallpapers, and had a growing collection of domestic needlework which I wanted to use, and so the insects were ‘born’. They reflect my interest in decorative arts traditions which are found in many cultures, as well as the exotic and tropical garden estate which first inspired them.

I gave each fantasy insect a name by combining the Latin names for the various insect species and the plant species in the embroideries with the traditional needlework terms. That was a lot of fun – pretending to be an entomologist!

How long have you been putting your modern spin on this traditional practice?

I have been salvaging and reconstructing the needlework of anonymous others since 2007, but my interest in reclaiming the detritus of home for art goes back to 2001 and a large installation of 500 individual arabesques made from recycled blue and white business envelope linings, which ‘quilted’ the wall of the gallery.

I also made a large body of work in 2004 / 2005 from vintage wall papers for the exhibition Gardenesque (with Carole Wilson).

What is the approximate time needed for each piece of your textile art?

The work is painstakingly slow, which is in keeping with the needleworking process of the original objects. I don’t always keep track of the time it takes, but I do remember that the large blue and white insect in ReCollection, which is called hemiptera-salix alba (true bug with willow pattern) took me nine hours to make – not including the cutting out of the embroidery, which I often do at night in front of the telly.

What inspired you to use recycled needlework?

I love the transformation which occurs in using old materials, especially those that have been discarded and disinherited, as is often the case with the beautiful needle worked objects from the home. As I carefully extract each embroidered or lace motif from its original support, I often try to imagine and feel somehow connected to the hand of the person who made it.

As a material which crosses many cultures and is found in the homes of South East Asian people as well as the homes of Australians, it seemed an appropriate material to make an exhibition for both those audiences.

I enjoyed making the insects and the other large installations for that exhibition so much, that I’ve just kept on going with reusing needlework. The material has sustained my practice for the past three and half years, and I have a huge collection in my studio which I envisage using for at least another two years.

Where do you source your materials from?

Now that’s a trade secret – but seriously, I am an avid op-shopper, like many artists, out of both necessity and for fun. There is an element of the ‘treasure hunt’ and especially in searching for needlework, as many are hand made and unique – I rarely come across the same hand embroidered object twice, although many of them would have been made using widely available transfer patterns.

I am fortunate to live in an area of Melbourne where I have 5 great op-shops close to my studio and to have a number of friends and family who give me things from time to time.

On my recent trip to France I was given vintage French lace and embroidery by two generous women whom I got to know there, and some of that was from their family collections and some they had collected on their own travels. I found 100 year old silk embroideries in 2nd hand shops there (they don’t have op-shops) and was given a length of Brussels lace which was also more than 100 years old! These connections are very important and become incorporated into the artwork for me.

A lot of your art has symbolic cultural undertones and meanings …

Symbolically insects represent many things, from the fear of the unknown, to the danger of the present and vitally important elements of biodiversity and indicators of a healthy eco-system.

I have come to consider this body of work as a silent collaboration, between my hand, as the one who salvages and reclaims and the hand of the original anonymous needleworkers. I feel this is culturally significant, as it is important to value the past in order to have a vision for the future.

Everyday textiles, made in and for the home, are on the brink of extinction and the natural history species which inspired many of them are today, sadly, also vulnerable. My work tries to address this imminent sense of loss as, like many other people, I have an increasing concern for our diminishing resources and traditions – in both in the domestic realm and in the natural world.

These humble but painstakingly produced and beautiful domestic materials which I am reclaiming for art are fast becoming part of our throw-away culture.

I also see the home culturally, as an important point of reference for and inspiration in art, both historically and in contemporary art and across many different cultures.

What are you working on now?

In February this year I embarked on a large scale project which I envisage will take me two years to complete. I am recreating in needlework various paintings and prints by natural history and botanical artists. In previous installations I have depicted endangered or vulnerable species, through the outline of negative spaces within larger decorative motifs.

However, for this body of work the species, as with my insects in ReCollection, are depicted in the positive. Even so, the reclaimed textiles in this body of work will build the form to a much more painterly effect.

My aim is an exhibition which alerts us to the imminent danger of losing our unique native flora and fauna and which brings to a new audience, in a new light, the creative endeavours of historical artists – many of whom were women and like the original needleworkers, were often not given their full artistic credit.

Louise Saxton

www.visualarts.net.au/gallery/LouiseSaxton

Tell us about the story behind your name, Reg Mombassa?

It was when I started with Mental as Anything. Before we did our first record, we used to think of ridiculous names for each other and make them stick and use them for a while.

Luckily, the one I had, that was the one I had when we did our first record. And fortunately I got that, ‘cause the one I had previous was ‘Dorky Platter’!

You’ve put together a collection of your original works that is being showcased at the Glasshouse Art Gallery? Tell us more …

Basically, it is a selection from the stockroom at Watters, which is the gallery that I have been showing at for 35 years now.

It’s a selection of originals from the stockroom and also a selection of digital prints which are taken from paintings and drawings and made into a limited addition digital print.

They are taken from rather recent landscape and graphic pictures from the last 2 or 3 years.

Do the pieces you have selected have a Mambo theme, given that your exhibition coincides with the Country Energy Australian Surf Festival also being held here?

I have done a lot of stuff for Mambo. I did my first piece in 1986, and I did a lot of stuff up until about 3 or 4 years ago. I still do the odd thing, but pretty rarely.

The Mambo brand is very surf oriented, which is quite ironic, ‘cause I’m not actually a surfer. I don’t even swim or go to the beach.

There were about 10 regular artists, who were surfers like Jennings, who actually founded Mambo. But I have always hung out with surfers, so I know a bit about the surf culture. It wasn’t a big problem for me to do the surf oriented stuff at the time.

How do you combine all your interests in music and art?

Well, I’m still in a band called ‘Dog Trumpet’ with my brother Peter, who was the bass player in the Mentals. We both left the Mentals at the same time, about 10 years ago. We have just released an album called ‘River of Flowers’ a few weeks ago, which has been very well received so far.

So we are sort of doing gigs to promote that, and as well as that I’m just doing my day job, which is paintings and drawings towards another show at Watters Gallery. Also, the odd graphic job on the side; that’s basically what keeps me busy.

Over the course of your career, what have been some of the highlights ?

I guess the artistic highlight would have been doing some of the inflatable pieces in the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Did you design them?

Yeah, I designed about 12. I didn’t make them; obviously they had a big team of people making them, as they were quite large – about 12-16 foot high and inflated with air.

I also designed some stages and a large fibreglass blowfly, which was supposed to fly on a wire across the stadium. Jimmy Barnes was going to come out with a swatter and swat it, but because it was too windy that night, they couldn’t use it.

Seeing all those things coming out onto the stage and knowing millions of people were watching it was pretty amazing.

How often do the selected works go on tour, or is this just a one off?

This is just a one off for Port Macquarie.

But I did have a survey show, which is more like a history of all of my previous works, and that was shown at the S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney – and that toured around a bit.

I have also been in Mambo touring shows and Mental as Anything touring art shows, so I have done a few tours.

Have you visited Port Macquarie before?

I have, yeah! I hitchhiked there when I was about 21 or so and stayed with a friend, but I have also played there with the Mentals at the Club a few times.

What do you think people will like about seeing your exhibition?

Well, it just gives a small picture of what I do and what I have been doing recently. It has quite a few landscape pictures, but also a few crazy pictures in there as well. It’s not a large exhibition – about 20 pictures.

Do you have to be a little bit crazy to come up with some of your designs and ideas?

I actually think most artists are slightly mentally ill. But I have been drawing since I was little kid; I had that obsession and a little bit of talent and people kept encouraging me. So I kept doing it, basically.

Thank you Reg.

View Reg’s exhibition at The Glasshouse Regional Art Gallery.

Our Opening Hours are 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday.

Frustrated with the mass manufacturing of generic goods in big chain stores, we craved high quality, individual pieces at a fair price. We decided it would be nice to bring back the cottage industry – designing and hand-creating gifts sold locally, never compromising on quality. We began by throwing some names around, and ‘You, Me and Whats-her-name?’ seemed to work.
It started with a poster and an embroidery, and has evolved into original homewares and clothing designed by us and still made by us. At present we have five ranges, suggesting various areas within the house.

The first was designed with the living room in mind. Inspired by the simplistic drawings of Picasso circa 1912, they include quirky images of an ostrich, an owl, a camel, a flamingo and a penguin, all with its own unique colour palette. Each animal has its own range of cushions, a throw blanket, a framed embroidery, a stuffed toy and set of plaques all complimenting each other.

Next came ‘Hollywood Kisses’. Silver screen sirens Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot are the centre of the bedroom range, with vibrant lips of red, orange and pink teamed with black and white. Large cushions, throw blankets, PJ’s, and colourful bags for both lingerie and laundry are adorned with quotes by these infamous women.

Using hessian, linen and gingham we designed the ‘dining room range’ featuring table runners, napkins, tea towels, aprons and our ‘everything and anything sacs’ featuring pineapples and palm trees.

Our ‘recycled’ range followed. Beautiful, pre-loved, 100% cotton and linen men’s shirts are cut and sewn into something modern and useful, such as the ‘stuffed cushion’ – the ‘re-covered’ throw and the ‘re-stored’ sac. Then we made these with an Hawaiian variation. All are embroidered with ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ and are totally unique, one-off pieces.

The fifth, our vintage range, is all about the fabric. Muted tones working together with classic retro icons, such as Vespa and Cruiser bicycles mixed with feminine looks from days gone by. Many designs … as long as the fabric is vintage.

With the environment very important to us, we are using only natural fabrics which also feel so much nicer (100% cotton/linen/voile) and we promote all our cushions with duck inserts. We’re continually looking for other ways we can become more natural – using bamboo, and dying and printing our own fabric. All cards, paper and packaging are made from recycled materials.

Of course we have favourites but that constantly changes as we finish something new or are inspired by something else. Our process is simple, we start by making a sample or creating an embroidery on the computer. We then discuss it. If we love it we add it to the range, if we’re not sure we leave it out.

For Christmas I gave two of my friends a rag doll that resembled them. I called it, ‘My Beautiful Friend’. I further personalised it by writing a few words about the things that made them special. They loved them, so they are now part of our range. ‘A beautiful gift, for a beautiful friend.’ You can drop by and see a couple of examples, but of course they are made to order depending on your friend!

You can find us at the Artist Market on the first Sunday of each month and we are in the process of getting our own web page up and running – but until then please email us at youmeandwhatshername@me.com for any information.

We also are now in need of someone to help with the sewing, so if you can, email your particulars and we’ll be in touch.

> You were born in Staffordshire in England. How did you come to live in Port Macquarie?

My family emigrated here when I was 11 years old – against my will, I’d like to add. Landing here from cold, grey England in what was termed an Indian summer … to a child it was paradise! So, a quick reversal of my initial decision to hate the place was made!

I must have combed every inch of the bush at the back of Austinmer (where we lived) and explored all the beaches within a day’s walking distance. So, it was idyllic surroundings. I absorbed all of this on a very personal level, and I think that now some of those feelings and emotions are coming out in my work.

From there I got married and moved to Berrima – again, a very beautiful region. The next 26 years were spent raising six children and being involved in various farming ventures.

I moved to Sydney, then Melbourne, finally ending up in Port Macquarie. I learned to surf with my husband, and it was a passion for a few years, until I picked up a paintbrush.

From then on the surfboard collected dust, and I’m described by everyone as having obsessive compulsive behaviour. My studio is rarely out of use, and if I’m not painting I’ll usually have my head in an art book.

> What do you try and convey in your paintings, and how would you describe your style?

I paint principally for my own enjoyment, and it’s an added bonus if I can evoke a response and a connection with the viewer. I think the fascinating thing with art is how connections can happen between the artist and the audience through the work.

I always try to get across my own emotional response to the subject, and that will come out in how the work is executed. My moods will often dictate what and how I paint. Music is also an important part of the process.

As any artist will agree, once you’re in the ‘zone’, I guess it’s a state that all outside influences are obliterated and you enter into a state where it’s just you and the canvas. This is when the work becomes honest and possesses integrity.

Work by Lynne Bickoff

Because of the diversity of my work, I sometimes find it difficult to actually pin a label on my work and working process. I think that as any artist develops and grows, the way that they paint, the work they produce will obviously change also. It’s something that will be inevitable, this change in your work.

I never want to get to a stage where I stop exploring and growing; I think that would be the worst possible scenario for me as an artist. I’m constantly learning and assimilating knowledge and techniques. I don’t want that to change.

If I’m really pressed I guess you could label me with the Fauvist style, because of my bold use of colour and strong mark making.

> Where does the inspiration for your work come from?

Memories from places I’ve lived, feelings and emotions (which everyone has, of course) which are a culmination of all of your life experiences. My life has been very diverse, and I think that my work reflects that.

The environment that I’m in has always had a strong influence. Having worked on the land has meant that my connections to it are very solid and valid. I remember standing once in one of our paddocks and surveying the land that we owned at the time and feeling such a sense of belonging that it was overwhelming.

At the same time, I’m also aware that the earth belongs to us all without boundaries, and we all have a responsibility to care for it regardless of ownership.

I’m drawn also to strong colours – particularly enjoying seeing complementary colours and the relationship that they have with each other. A landscape that has not only the subtleties of colour but also strong contrasts will draw me in and seduce me.

Another strong influence is the beauty of the figure. The sensuous lines and forms make me immediately want to get out a stick of charcoal and start making marks to describe in a graceful way what I’m seeing.

> What medium do you use for your artworks?

I continually experiment with mediums to see how they react to each other. Many optical effects are possible by the overlaying of a variety of media. Sometimes, just the different applications will create diverse effects.

I was recently down in Sydney viewing the 17th Biennale and came across some extraordinarily large works of Dale Franks, and I felt an immediate connection to them. I realised that what I’d previously done with various mediums and yuppo paper (a type of photographic paper) was exactly what he was achieving, only on a larger scale.

I find using mixed media (the principal combination of media I use) means that you can obtain a textural surface that is wonderful to work with.

I might start with impasto, gauze, paper, cardboard, whatever comes into my head, and these are then applied to create texture. From there I employ acrylic, inks, dyes, oil sticks, charcoal, varnishes etc. Again, each media seems to depend on the individual work.

My figurative work is mainly completed in oils. It all depends on the subject, as each work will require a different effect to convey the feeling that I’m hoping to achieve.

> What are your current projects?

I’m currently completing a Diploma of Fine Arts, which is stretching my abilities and exposing me to many different influences.

I’m also involved in the Hastings Art Trail, which is an initiative of 12 artists in our region who have opened up their studios to promote the arts in our area.

Another initiative is an involvement with two other artists in our area – Yvonne Keily and Sam Clark. We’ve combined to create a group entitled Art to the Power3.

Apart from that is my own personal work, of which I will usually have between three to six pieces on the go at any one time. The drying times of the media will determine when I can continue to develop them. When I commence a pour, for instance, it will be some days before the first layer has dried enough to build up another layer.

I usually like to work on a large scale, and currently I’m working on a canvas which is reflecting the energy and visual impact that I absorbed from visiting the Biennale. Often I won’t have a specific subject in mind when I commence the work, but I react to the marks on the canvas and respond appropriately.

Works often seem to take on a persona of their own and guide me in a certain direction.

> Where can readers view and purchase your work?

Currently I have work on display at the Sunset Gallery, cnr of Murray and Clarence Sts, Port Macquarie, Long Point Winery Gallery, Lake Cathie and Mystic Blue in Horton St, Port Macquarie.

As part of the Hastings Art Trail, my own Bickhoff Impressions Gallery & Studio at 2 Daintree Lane is open to the public, and of course, any exhibitions which we organise.

I’m involved in the Boudoirs Exhibition organised by Veronique Bosshard, at the present time being held at Quality Resort Sails.

The first Sunday of each month you’ll find me at the Artist Market, which is held in the Maritime Museum grounds here in Port.

Also online at www.lbimpressions.com.au

> Thank you Lynne.

>Tell us how you came to be an artist and what you create?

I never really considered myself an artist, my idea of what an artist is has always been a little old fashioned. But then I recently read this quote, “a person who works with his hands is a labourer, a person who works with his hands and his mind is a craftsman. But a person who works with his hands, mind and his heart is an artist.” So although never consciously setting out to become an artist I guess my love of creating beautiful things has led me there.

As for my creations, they are a varying lot and are growing rapidly! I have so many ideas, it’s just a matter of having the time to create them all.

Cuckoo For Coco was only officially launched towards the end of last year and already I have felt hair clips and hair clip holders, brooches, paper and felt mobiles, paper butterfly frames, paper collages set on wood, some cute little softie dolls and kids cushions on the product list.

But like I said, it is a list that will continue to grow as quickly as my little hands can work.

> Each item you make is handmade, what type of materials do you use and where do you source them?

I use a wide variety of materials and majority of these are sourced locally. I love to work with felt, tweed, vintage inspired cotton fabrics and vintage fabrics.

I also use a lot of specialty papers, cardstocks and children’s story books both new and vintage, the majority of these again being sourced locally. One range of cardstock I use for my mobiles though, the Amy Butler range, is particularly hard to find here in Australia so I get it from overseas.

To supply my customers with a product that is unique and to show people how beautiful handmade products can be is my ultimate goal.

> How long does it take to create a piece and how do you go about producing it?

The time it takes to create each piece varies a lot. Hair clips on one hand can be created quite easily in a short amount of time, but then something like my butterfly frames require a lot more work.

Each butterfly is delicately hand drawn and then hand cut before being pieced together in their frames. It’s very time consuming but the end result is stunning.

As for the process I use for production, I can’t say I really have one. I work pretty intuitively, usually making it up as I go along, and re-making it if it doesn’t work the first time. The one constant in my work is that most of it usually happens late at night when my son is asleep. It seems to be when most of my ideas arise as I can solely focus on my craft; during the day there are always other things that seem more urgent.

It’s funny, my grandmother was a fabric hoarder. She would buy fabric after fabric and stash them away in drawers … where most of them still remain to this day. I am the complete opposite and personally can’t understand why someone would do this.

Although I too find it hard to resist buying beautiful fabrics and papers, once I do, I can’t wait to dive in and create something from them … and usually without a great deal of planning! I am a self-taught creator and get bored very easily following patterns or having to make large quantities of the same thing.

Cuckoo For Coco

> Where does your inspiration come from?

Inspiration can come from so many sources but I have to admit the majority of the time I will see a fabric or paper and automatically know what I want to create out of it, so I guess for me it’s the actual materials themselves that inspire me. Maybe this explains my creative process, or lack thereof!

> Do you have a favourite product?

To specify one of my items as being a favourite over another is hard, everything I create I really have to love or it doesn’t get added to the Cuckoo For Coco collection. I (along with most artists I’m sure) am my own toughest critic and only the best will do!

In saying this, some items are definitely proving to be more popular than others. My mobiles and butterfly frames are getting a lot of attention, I think the uniqueness of both of these products make them stand out.

Handmade is so popular right now and consumers are spoilt for choice when shopping for handmade, so I really try to focus on creating products that are individual to others that are on the market.

> Do your customers ask you to make special items?

I’ve had a lot of special requests from customers and happily take up each challenge. Sometimes a customer will have a specific colour scheme in mind or will want a certain material or paper to be used, and this is definitely something I can accommodate.

> What are you working on at the moment?

I have been really lucky in that, after only a short period, I am getting a lot of wholesale interest so wholesale orders have been taking up most of my time lately.

Currently I have an Australian stationery website stocking my butterfly frames, and have also just finished an order for a beautiful New Zealand based online boutique that will be up and running in about two weeks time.

They will be offering a really good selection of my products as well as a lot of other unique and handmade products from across the globe.

Within the next week or two I will also be starting an order from another major Australian children’s wear website. So it’s kind of – finish one order and start on the next for now, but I am not going to complain about that.

In between all of this I’m also working on customer orders that have been placed at the Artist Market, and making sure that my stock levels are up for the next market day.

> Do you have any advice for aspiring creators?

My advice would be to create with your heart but don’t ever lose heart. Patience, persistence and uniqueness will pay off.

Designing handmade products should be about quality not quantity, and at the end of the day, represent who you are as a person in some way.

> Where can we find Cuckoo For Coco products?

At the moment the following websites are stocking my products (but this is a growing list, so stay tuned):

www.paperscissorsrockstationery.com.au

www.uniqueboutique.co.nz

I have also set up a fan page on Facebook which can easily be found by typing Cuckoo For Coco into the search area. Here people can take a look at my product range and keep up to date with all the latest news and stockist information.

To contact me personally, my email is  cuckoo.for.coco@hotmail.com

And last, but not at all least, everyone is more than welcome to come and visit my stall at the Artist Market on the first Sunday of every month.

> Thank you Shannon.

Julie Goldspink is a local artist and tutor with a wealth of experience. After her recent win at the Hastings Valley Fine Art Association’s biggest competition, she speaks to Kim Gould about her involvement with the association and her endless passion for art and the beautiful natural landscapes that surround her.

> How did you first get into art?

Art has always been a passion of mine from an early age. I started when I was about 9, and I followed my passion right through school. I wanted to go to university to get my qualifications and join Reader’s Digest.

It was such a big thing at the time to be an illustrator for Reader’s Digest, and I had that plan in mind. Unfortunately money stopped that happening in those early days, so that was put on the back burner.

But I always kept painting and going to TAFE and doing a variety of art courses.

> Where does the inspiration for your work come from?

It mainly comes from nature and just getting out in the local environment. I have been lucky enough to live along the coastal areas most of my life, and I think maybe that’s what has inspired me. It was just a beautiful place to grow up, and with the ocean and the hinterland so close there was so much diversity to tap into.

I also had a stint down in the Riverina area. That was a totally different landscape, with the Snowy Mountains so close. I loved that diversity and made the most of that while I was there.

So you could definitely say that it is nature and the landscape that inspires me.

> Do you have any artistic idols and inspirations?

I love Hans Heysen. We went to the Flinders recently and made sure we visited his home and gallery. It was just terrific. I also love Streeton’s work, Elliott Gruena, J.J. Hilder, Tom Roberts and many more.

> What mediums do you use for your artworks?

I use all mediums, really. When you are learning you mainly study oil painting, then eventually you go off into textiles and things like that. Obviously once you’ve finished that you can experiment with all the other mediums. So I started off doing that and now I dabble and work in most mediums, but I really specialise in watercolour.

> What is so special about watercolour?

It is so unpredictable and it has a real translucent effect. It’s just beautiful. Watercolour is so unexpected; you don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s a very hard thing to control, and I love that challenge.

I’ve gone into a lot of florals and still life since I’ve been doing watercolour, because it just has a delicacy about it that lends itself to painting flowers.

> You were recently a part of the Hastings Valley Fine Art Association’s Summer Showcase. Tell us about this competition.

It has been running for the last 4 years and is the main competition for the association every year. We hold 4 events each year, but the Summer Showcase is the big one where we award prizes and trophies to encourage our members. The competition covers a variety of sections and mediums and has been very successful over the years.

It is for members only, but we’ve recently tried to introduce the schools, with an outside competition to encourage them to pursue their creative talents.

> How do people become members of the HVFAA?

They can contact the HVFAA directly. We now have a new website that was launched at the last competition. It is www.hastingsart.net and we’ve got everything up on there. Anyone can log on and download a membership form.

It’s only around $37 a year and you get a badge and a monthly letter telling you about everything we have happening. The website also outlines the tutorials that we have coming up. It’s the most active art society in the Hastings area.

> Your painting was declared the overall winner on the night. What makes it special?

Work by Julie Goldspink

It was titled Heysen Country, because we were just so inspired when we went out and did the trip at the Flinders. The gum trees out there are truly magnificent.

I think that’s half the appeal, and I think that’s why a lot of people will venture out there. The contrast is amazing too, with the blue sky and the red dirt. I think after being out there and seeing the landscape, you really feel it.

That’s why we go out painting a lot. We painted while we were out there, but we also took a myriad of photos and brought them back to paint. You can just remember being there, so I chose a really lovely composition of the beautiful gumtrees in a dry river bed.

It was late afternoon where you get the lovely, long, deep shadows, and it was just so lovely. We had lots of photos, so it was hard to pick something that stood out. The certain one that I chose, I could remember being there, and so I painted that when I got back home.

I actually painted it in a day, just a couple of days before the exhibition, because I was racing for time. You can do that more if you’ve been there to see the subject you’re looking at; you really feel it and know it well. That helps you to get stuck into it, because you’re excited about it.

> How does it feel to be recognised at such a big competition locally?

Oh, it’s just wonderful, and it inspires you to keep going. It gives you that extra enthusiasm to keep pursuing the love that you have of painting. It’s a great thrill to win anything, because it’s a big competition and there are lots of wonderful works there.

Each year we have the visitors come, lots from Sydney and all over the place, and they say it’s bigger and better than they’d ever imagined. A lot of the regulars who come for holidays said it was even better than last year, so that really makes you feel good.

> Are you working on any pieces at the moment?

I will be. I’ve got four more works to whip up for an exhibition with the Hastings Art Trail. I will be concentrating on some more local scenes for that.

> You teach classes locally. Tell us about the programs you have available.

I’m taking a year off from my own private classes, but I’m still taking workshops at Spotlight. The next ones will run on the 25th and 26th of February, and that’s going to be watercolour technique with acrylic paint. It will be just a little bit of a different technique. You still get that lovely, loose effect.

In fact, I did try it out on my students before we broke up for the year, and they loved having a bash at it. So people should get something from that class.

Then I was hoping to do a week long workshop in the first half of the year and a 5 day one in the second half of the year from my own gallery and classroom, because I like doing it here. Other than that I teach in Sydney and do workshops in Newcastle and wherever I’m invited to.

> Where can people view and purchase your work?

They can view the works at my private gallery, North Harbour Gallery and Picture Framing. It’s located at 54 The Anchorage, Port Macquarie, and is open Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. There are a lot of works in there – framed, unframed, cards and some lovely glasswear as well. I also exhibit out at the Hunter Valley and at Timbertown. Other than that, people can follow the Hastings Art Trail.

We’re trying to get the Art Trail off the ground at the moment, and we’ve increased the artists in the group. People can pick up a brochure on the Hastings Art Trail from the Tourist Information Centre in The Glasshouse. It’s got the websites and all the info there that they can tap into.

The Trail is a nice thing for people to do. Grab a brochure and have a little trip around viewing local artworks.

> Thank you Julie.

> Hi Helen. Tell us how you came to be in Port Macquarie.

David and I made the sea change north from Sydney four years ago. We had lived in Kiama on the South Coast, and then in Sydney for many years. We loved the buzz of Sydney – the theatres etc, but really wanted to escape the congestion and traffic when work wasn’t the determining factor. We initially thought of returning to Kiama, but a trip to Port in early winter when the weather was still mild and the wind wasn’t blowing, was enough to makes us rethink. We had friends here as well, and we knew that Port had a pretty vibrant arts community, so all those factors helped.

> Where did your passion for music and the arts come from? And how did it develop into your career?

When I was growing up, music and art were a part of normal family life. My father and grandfather were watercolourists, my mother was a ceramics decorator, so art was encouraged. Everybody sang, most played piano (with varying degrees of skill but a lot of enthusiasm) and all my family were involved in church choirs and concerts. It was just what we did!

At primary school, I was lucky to have several far sighted teachers who really valued learning through the arts. I remember sitting near the school fence and drawing and painting the beautiful jacaranda trees opposite the school. At 9 I entered and won my first art competition with a rather impressionistic outback scene about drought (I still love painting the outback.) But singing was my first passion. I was always in choirs – the kid in the back row who opened her mouth really wide!  I never stopped singing, really – I always had a song in my head.

At 15 I started singing lessons, and with two school friends ventured into show biz in a trio called “The Debs” – matching dresses, gloves, beehive hairdo’s, the lot! We knew two songs when we auditioned for “Six O’Clock Rock” with Johnny O’Keefe. We got the gig, and then came a very fast learning curve finding more songs, with my Mum and sister frantically sewing more matching outfits! However, the end of school saw the demise of the “Debs” as we all followed different career paths. But my appetite for performing was whetted!

Artwork by Helen Pain

> How did singing become a career?

By accident really! I graduated as a primary teacher from Sydney Teachers’ College, so I “had a real job to fall back on”. This was particularly important to my parents, and as things turned out, was very good advice. However, I loved singing, and when an opportunity arose to join the Channel 7 Singers, I jumped at the chance. This was in the days when TV stations supported live variety shows – Channel 7 had 20 full time singers, 8 dancers, and an orchestra, and produced about 4 different variety shows each week. I mainly worked on “Sing Sing Sing” which was hosted by Johnny O’Keefe, and “Music Time” which was a more middle of the road show – more cabaret and music theatre.  This was a totally exciting experience for a 17 year old, but eventually the TV work finished, so I looked elsewhere and moved into music theatre (with JC Williamson) and then into the chorus of the Elizabethan Opera Company – which eventually evolved into the Australian Opera.

I spent about 6 years studying and singing Opera, and I have many wonderful memories of this time – including making it to the final of the prestigious “Sun Aria” competition, sharing the stage with a young Kiri Te Kanawa. That same year I was lucky to be selected for the chorus of The Sutherland Williamson Grand Opera tour – an amazing 4 state tour with opera greats Joan Sutherland and a young Pavarotti. When I think back, I find it incredible that such opportunities came my way. It was another member of that tour – Dianne Helgesen, who later introduced me to the fabulous lifestyle of Port Macquarie.

When I married, I happily swapped opera for a more settled life with David in Kiama. Our two kids arrived. I returned to primary teaching, and found I loved it – particularly training and conducting choirs. How lucky to be able to blend the two careers that I loved!

So that started the second part of my career. After a few years of classroom teaching, I was seconded as Music Consultant for the South Coast Region. This was when I first met Robyn Ryan, who was then Music Consultant for the North Coast Region. We’ve been friends ever since. Robyn of course, is well known in music circles in Port Macquarie, specially as Musical Director of Hastings Choristers, which I joined when I arrived. I am now President, so we work closely together.

> Tell us about some of the highlights of your career and involvement with the schools spectacular.

When Dave and I moved from Kiama to Sydney, I worked in a number of Performing Arts consultancy positions with the NSW Department of Education.  This gave me the opportunity to be involved in some amazing programs. Highlights would have to be standing on the Sydney Opera House stage conducting massed choirs of up to 800 voices at Primary Choral Concerts. What a thrill that was. Other wonderful memories – organising kids from across the state to be part of the choirs at the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Opening Ceremonies, and singing with them at the ceremonies. That was a major highlight. Another would be helping young singers find their performing feet. I remember Human Nature’s first ever public performance singing “Earth Angel” in a concert I was directing. I remember 15 year old Paulini turning up with a friend who was auditioning for a show in Bankstown, and asking – can I have a go too? She blew us away!

I’m very proud of my 20 year association with the Schools Spectacular. I started in stage management, then moved to conducting the massed choirs and working with the soloists – I did this for 10 years, and then I became Associate Director. Many of Australia’s top entertainers have come through “Spec” and are still friends – John Foreman, Human Nature (now performing a major show in Las Vegas), Paulini (of Australian Idol fame), The McClymonts, Felicity and Darren Coggan in country music, and Julie Goodwin who has a huge career ahead of her in Opera. Focus interviewed Julie in the October issue when she came to Port to sing in Choristers “Bach to Broadway” concert.  It’s great to look back now and track the careers of the kids I’ve worked with through the Schools Spectacular. Many are doing really well now, in music varying from Opera to Cabaret and the record industry – both here and overseas.

> Tell us about your involvement with Hastings Choristers.

When I first met Robyn Ryan 20 hears ago, she had just started a community choir in Port Macquarie. That of course was Hastings Choristers, which has gone from strength to strength, presenting 3 or 4 quality concerts each year. Joining Choristers was one of the first things I did when we came to Port. For years I had trained choirs and soloists, but not done much singing myself, so it was great to have a reason to be a performer again. I also made many new friends through the choir. There’s nothing like being part of shared music making – with everyone doing their utmost to get it right. We are starting working on “Christmas In The Glasshouse” now, which will be lighter Christmassy music. People can still join – I recommend it to anyone who loves to sing!

Artwork by Helen Pain

> What is life like in Port now and what do you get involved with?

I love our life now in Port. We live near the beach, which is spectacular! Every week is different. Dave utilizes his huge music collection by presenting two shows each week on Radio 2Way FM. Apart from joining Choristers, I have also rekindled my interest in art which gives me great enjoyment and I’ve had a modicum of success. I have joined Hastings Valley Fine Art Society – a fantastic group supporting local artists. I learn from Julie Goldspink and thank her for getting me started and for and inspiration. I was thrilled to have an exhibition of my work at Sunset Gallery in 2008.

Life is very busy now. I still continue to assist young singers when I can. I direct the North Coast’s Talent Identification Program (TIP), which is held here in Port Macquarie for students from public schools in the North Coast. I’ve also continued as a Director of Bankstown Council’s Talent Advancement Program, which means many trips to Sydney, and some touring – we’ve just returned from a Sister City Exchange to Japan.

> Final Say?

I think I’m so lucky. Even though I’ve officially retired, I’m still involved in the aspects of my career that I love most –singing, choirs, and working with young singers, and now I’ve added painting as another special interest. Port has so much natural beauty – and a great community feel- it’s a fabulous and vibrant place to live – I’m so happy to be here!sincerely thank Robyn and everyone else for the joy this brings me and for the camaraderie and challenge of Choristers. Port is a fabulous and vibrant place to live – I’m so happy to be here!

> Thank you Helen.

> How would you describe your painting style?

Using mostly mixed media on canvas, I use layers of colour, texture and design to convey layers of meaning. Inspired by the varied tones of the human emotional landscape, my hope is to challenge the viewer to experience my inner world and feel uplifted by it.

> Where do you gain your inspiration from?

My heart. I paint what’s in my heart. It is the passionate and creative desire to paint which drives me to the canvas. That fluid life-energy is my inspiration, more than whatever subject I choose to paint.

The experience and process of creating, for me, is more important than the finished artwork. Creating an artwork involves immersing myself in the journey, rather than focusing on the destination.

When I see a child playing, I don’t think of her skin, her clothes. I think of her playfulness, her innocence, her soul, her wide-eyed curiosity. I try to express just that.

If I go into too much detail with her eyes, hair and clothing, I find it can arrest the movement, giving a formal pattern or shape of reality, instead of the wild, free, flash of spirit.

Artwork by Yvonne Kiely

> You are an art therapist; explain some of the links between art and good health.

Art therapy is a dynamic therapy promoting emotional healing and wellbeing. It requires each of us to participate in our own treatment.

I work as an art therapist with the aged residents in Lourdes Hostel and find it profoundly rewarding to see the life-affirming difference it makes to people’s lives.

Over half the hospitals in the USA incorporate arts and health programs in their basic treatment, and in the UK, arts and health agencies are commonly connected in healthcare projects. It is the only health area in which Australia is lagging behind, but things are changing and it’s great to be part of that change.

Australian Health agencies are increasingly using the arts as an effective approach to improving health and wellbeing, in primary care, community health, health promotion and education.

> Some of your work is on display at Rydges Vue Café with Lucy Pascale. How did this come about?

I feel privileged to be sharing this space with Lucy. I love her work. The Rydges idea was instigated by Artist Market events manager, Necia Sarks. The exhibition changes every month and will show more works from other exceptionally talented locals from The Artist Market.

One of my paintings sold in the first week to a European tourist, who was delighted to purchase local art so readily.

> You do a lot of art tuition, as well as classes for adults and children at school holiday activities at Spotlight and The Glasshouse. What do you love most about this aspect?

I like the way adults relax and become like children playing, just having some special time out for themselves. I love the way they can’t believe what great masterpieces they are capable of creating!

The kids work just blows me away; the stuff they create is spectacularly honest, and I love to help encourage and inspire them. And they inspire me, so it’s a very creative situation!

> Where can people view and purchase your artworks?

At The Artist Market In the grounds of the Maritime Museum on Pacific Drive on the first Sunday of each month and at The Creative Studio, Port Macquarie Spotlight, Monday to Wednesday or by appointment, phone 6583 9887.

> Thank you Yvonne.

> We’re extremely impressed with your latest artwork, and more astonishingly you’ve created it using the equivalent of a mobile phone. What was involved in the process?

The artwork is created on an iPhone or iTouch using a program called ‘Brushes’. This program allows you to paint directly on to the screen using your finger, just like finger painting on any other surface. But it also gives you the option of choosing brush sizes and all possible colours, as well as allowing you to zoom in and out during the process.

What I find especially attractive about the device is its portability. It is akin to having a portable studio and paint box. It allows me to paint digitally anywhere, then email or upload to a website immediately.

It is, in essence, a digital sketchpadn – a companion for the digital paintings which I create on my computer.

It has the additional advantage, because of the lit screen, of allowing me to work in the dark. This facility presents a whole new opportunity and challenge to paint scenery at night.

The process allows me to capture my subject instantly, giving me a fresh sketchy feel to my work which is really enjoyable.

> What are some of the favourite pieces you have done using the new technology?

I like some of my road pieces, such as ‘Cathie Straight’ and ‘Road Home’ (from Port Golf Course).

Also among my favourites are some of the tree paintings and beach paintings. How can you not enjoy sitting outdoors painting?

Some of my night work, even the one of my wheelie bins, are among my favourites.

Dude by Mic Rees

> A lot of your past work depicts landscapes, but are you also doing portraits now?

Not really. Occasionally I have been doodling with some cartoon portraits. I mostly enjoy doing landscapes and whatever comes to mind at the time, such as night work and abstracts.

> As an artist, what inspires you?

The different lights and shades which I see in landscapes, water and beach studies. The colours and shapes of native flowers, a series I have been working on recently.

I like to pull over in the car and paint roads and some of the unusual scenes in the Hastings …the ones often missed or ignored. Some of the industrial scenes might be worth trying.

> How has your status as a digital artist grown? Do you think the medium has now earned the respect of traditional artists?

Once traditional artists understand the process, they become interested. It is really just another medium, another way of painting, only the paint doesn’t run out.

While it still confuses some people, the basic painting techniques and the way the painting is structured does not change.

I use my finger or a pen on the iPhone or, at home, I use a digital pen and tablet, just like a brush and palette.

I still occasionally receive a comment such as, “Is it a photo?” I think the word digital might throw people.

I am thinking of making some short movies showing, right from the start, how the digital painting process works.

Has my status grown? I tend just to keep my head down and paint, but as the medium gets more popular and digital galleries are popping up, more interest is being shown in my work – quite a bit in my new iPhone work over the last few months.

North Haven Sunrise by Mic Rees

> Who are some of the artists you look up to in this emerging medium?

I have always liked the work of David Hockney, a traditional contemporary artist. He has dabbled in digital art and now does daily paintings on his iPhone, which are wonderful to see. He loves the medium.

Then there is Jorge Colombo, who painted the cover for the May issue of the New Yorker Magazine on his iPhone. That inspired me to start using the iPhone.

Although I use digital tools and a computer, I feel my paintings have a traditional character. I’m not much into manipulated photos and the effects sometimes used in digital artwork. I like straight painting.

I admire the more traditional contemporaries people such as Hockney, Olsen, Boyd, Whiteley, Lloyd Rees, Turner and others.

> Is it hard to part with your work when you sell it?

Yes, some more than others. With some I have a personal connection, an emotion or feeling of attachment. But generally I am chuffed when someone buys my work. It is wonderful to feel that someone appreciates the work that I have enjoyed painting. It’s a bonus.

> What’s next for Mic Rees?

Paint, paint, paint. I am preparing for a solo exhibition of my digital paintings next year at Sea Acres in Port Macquarie.

The exhibition, called ‘Wild Things’, will feature digital paintings of native flowers of the Hastings area and will contain some of the largest works I have done to date.

I am also hoping to organise an exhibition of my iPhone art, which in the meantime I will keep adding to my website at www.reesdigital.com

I am also developing some interactive work, graphic designing daily to keep the wolf from the door and getting some food and sleep in my spare time.

> Thank you Mic.

Mic Rees Gallery