The Northern Rivers Creative Pop Up is heading up the coast to the Tweed!
As part of Tweed Fusion, a weekend of all things arts and culture, the Northern Rivers Creative Pop Up shop will be taking over an empty space on main street Murwillumbah, selling wares made by creatives from the Tweed region.
With all dollars going straight into the artist’s pocket, this is a great opportunity to support local creatives and fill that empty space on your wall.
Northern Rivers Creative is an online portfolio site for local creative practitioners that enhances the exposure of their work and connects them to opportunities and collaborations.
Arts Northern Rivers has partnered with Destination Tweed for this stop on the Northern Rivers Creative Roadshow.
image | Helle Jorgensen, Echino from the Plastic Sea Creatures series
Creatives
Annie Long | Sculpture / Installation Artist I work predominantly in multimedia sculptures and installations, but I also enjoy painting. My love of travel and work in international language education has informed recurrent themes in my work of the journey (both inner and outer), the nomad and the migrant. My most recents works have continued to explore the themes of movement, journey and migration expressed through mixed media installation and public art. This has been an exciting experience to move from small-scaled works to a larger format and to contend with the environmental realities of outdoor exhibits. I have exhibited in group and solo shows in Australia, Japan and Italy since 2002.
Belinda Suzette | Cross Disciplinary Folk Artist I am a cross-disciplinary folk artist, community based and inspired by culture and celebration. Bred in the wake of our extinct volcano, I moved to the city for a spell before setting off to traverse the universe for several years. Back in Australia, I divide my life between the Big and Little Smokes of Oz. I am a producer and teacher with a strong focus on community engagement, cultural development and art making practices. In 2010 I launched my Illustration and Design business Belinda Suzette Illustration, Art & Design. Since then I have been the In-House Designer for Suitcase Rummage: the Sales-From-Your-Suitcase art, craft, recycle and up-cycle market. In 2011 I became a Producer for Suitcase Rummage, assisting in the planning and delivery of events nation wide. My studio is nestled into the hills of Piggabeen Valley, where I live. I am a graduate from Southern Cross University with a Bachelor in Visual Arts, a Certificate III in Arts Administration, Traineeship with Artworkers Alliance and a Graduate Diploma in Illustration and Design.
Dylan Cooper | Visual Artist Spending many years passively observing rock formations from the water while surfing, I have developed a need to express the fragmented line, texture and form of our landscape. I have always been drawn to the images in the rock formation and through the use multiple layers of acrylic paint, aerosol paint and charcoal I create abstract representations of natures amazing compositions.
Elaine Green | Visual Artist My interest is in the fleeting nature of the elements, observing a moment then attempting to capture the memory and emotion of that moment. By painting from memory I create atmospheric, abstract images that can be interpreted by the viewer as perhaps a puff of smoke, the edge of a cloud, steam, vapour or a spray of water, all moments of energy that disappear as quickly as they form. The act of painting is more than random brushstrokes on a surface, it is the channeling of an energy, the life force of the universe, an alchemy that creates a new reality.
Ellie Beck | Creative Maker Hi! I’m a creative maker working primarily with textiles and natural materials. Being self-taught means I don’t stick to just one medium or technique, rather I work with whatever materials and styles are currently inspiring me. I use natural botanical & indigo dyeing for my yarns and fabrics, which I then weave, crochet or sew into a range of different pieces – from wall hanging art works through to usable and wearable accessories and home wares. I don’t limit myself to one way of working; changing from stitching, sewing or weaving to screen printing, painting, drawing or crochet. The pieces and collections I make come from an internal dialogue with my materials and my direct environment. I work on many different aspects of design, art and craft and intermingle them to share my own visual voice, as well as the journey and evolution of a certain piece or range. I work from my home studio built within the rainforest, alongside my designer husband, and our three young children. My quiet studio time is interspersed by teaching workshops, small business talks and organising creative events and gatherings, to connect my community and share my skills.
Glenn Smith | Industrial Designer I trained as an Industrial designer and have consulted on design projects for global brands, some gaining recognition for their contributions. I also shared these experiences over the past 15 years as a university lecturer. Despite these achievements I never felt that what I offered was truly meaningful. Charged with this thought I closed my consulting practice and began to reconnect with my passions for design and the original purpose for embarking on a design career. I reviewed the pages of my journals and uncovered numerous designs that never made it off the page because I was bound by the norms of production. It was at this point I realised that I was missing the connection between thought and actions, creativity and creating, and above all using both side of my brain and body. Twohands fulfills all that was absent for me by physically making the product I design. I aim to establish a world-class range of Australian objects for sharing and creating food and would like to use this base to explore other objects that allow more individual expression.
GLENN’S PROFILE
Heather Matthew | Mixed Media Artist I am a paper, print & book artist specialising in limited edition artist books, unique collages & works on paper. My daily collages/drawings are the basis of an arts practice that produces mixed media prints, fine art cards, screen-printed papers & stitched art pieces. This work is influenced by events in my daily life & often features street graffiti, text & political issues. I hold a Visual Arts degree from SCU, & have been selected to participate in numerous national & international art exhibitions. Currently I have an exhibition Icons at The Channon Gallery of works influenced by my travels abroad & the icons of several cultures, notably animal figures from pre-Hispanic of Mexico. The quirky fantastical animals are a direct reference to paper mache folk art ‘alebrijes ‘encountered in Oaxaca, Mexico. In 2011 I held a solo exhibition of 365 stitched collages A Stitch in Time at Tweed Regional Art Gallery & in 2013 I co-curated an international mail art exhibition A Book About Death Australia of 500 postcard sized artworks. An exhibition of artworks based on my daily collage practice I Was There will be exhibited at Lismore Regional Gallery in February 2016.
HEATHER’S PROFILE
Helle Jorgensen | Visual Artist I am a visual artist, but also trained in biology & horticulture in my early life, therefore, my practice is underpinned by science. I like to investigate & experiment with discarded materials; I regard waste as a valuable & abundant resource which forces me to think & create in a more lateral sense. Each of my pieces is unique, an experiment in form, material, texture & technique; simple variation & mistakes in the making process can produce unexpected variations & permutations. I have found delight in the constraints & limitations waste materials have brought. I was equally delighted to discover a technique that can turn a plastic shopping bag into approximately 20m of yarn. Crochet, usually associated with the domestic sphere, has scope to produce sculptural forms of great beauty & complexity. Traditionally crochet has been produced from patterns, but my practice is spontaneous, free form & embraces experimentation. Lucky accidents can produce the most interesting forms. From waste, I have been able to create objects of beauty & preciousness. I have found fun and happiness in transforming these materials into collections of objects, worthy of consideration. I hope I have revealed the beauty which can be created from these simple materials.
Ian Buchanan | Craftsman I’m a craftsman of fine jewellery using gold, silver or a combination of both, sometimes with precious or coloured stones. My works cover the full gamete of rings, bracelets, chains, neckpieces, earrings to curiosities and oddities. Also I create a limited numbers of wildlife sculptures in bronze. I create my own designs, some influenced by the world of nature around me or by forms and shapes that please me. Or if designing for a particular client after discussing their desires, I create a work that will express their feelings and personality, often using metal and stones that they a deep connection too. I love the act of carving and shaping in either wax or metal – and of forming a new creation from my own hands and watching it emerge as a finished object.
Jen Harkness | Visual Artist I am a practising visual and life artist based in Brays Creek. I nurture a small family through traditional and sustainable practises on an organic farm in the rainforest. In 2009 I completed a study of fine arts in the netherlands where I lived for 6 years and was introduced to eco communities and alternative subcultures through the squatting scene. This experience and travels through the world have fuelled a fascination with people and culture; their relationships with plants, animals, the elements, each other, and their place within the universe. My paintings and drawings are a long running documentary of my observations, focusing on subjects that have a deep connection to mother earth and the spirit world. I am interested in how shamanism manifests in contemporary alternative cultures as well as traditional tribal and animist cultures. I try to visualise the magic of co-existing with nature, evoking the cycles, patterns and vibrations of life and death. I’m also just as interested in documenting my own personal passage as a woman. I see creativity as wilderness in human beings, not to be directed, suppressed, but to be embraced and exercised in all areas of life.
Jenny Buchanan | Graphic Designer / Printmaker I am a graphic designer and printmaker. My work reflects an investigation into contemporary manifestations of personal, cultural and social identity. The stories are told via pattern, design, collage, and illustration and often include alternate personas, voices and characters that emerge from this narrative and delight in the potential of difference and revel in absurdity. My prints and designs inspire the production of limited edition print and design ephemera.
Judy Oakenfull | Visual Artist I am an art maker based in the beautiful town of Murwillumbah. My work is based on meditative observations of nature, which are then expanded upon in the studio. I like to think of the canvas or paper as a meeting place for observed external nature and internal imaginative wilderness. Current work is inspired by the amazing coastal landscape we have locally and also a recent drawing trip to South East Gippsland. Islands are considered as an idealistic framework for imaginings about nature and also as potent spaces in the context of ocean levels rising.
Leia Gosling | gritCeramics gritCERAMICS is a small homewares brand run by me, Leia Gosling, a North American transplant. I design and produce a handmade porcelain range of tableware and lighting in my beachside studio. Each gritty piece is made from a uniquely formulated blend of porcelain casting clay slip & stained with neutral toned pigments. The interior is glazed clear, and the outside left raw – the smooth finish of the porcelain remains. Establishing any business, especially in the creative arts, takes a heavy amount of grit. There are infinite opportunities for disaster in the method of working with clay, and the name grit embodies both process and persona. gritCERAMICS transforms a hunk of mud into beautiful, functional goods for your home – each piece is infused with guts, resilience, initiative & tenacity (g.r.i.t.) and finished with a deep appreciation of everything it takes to be a modern maker. True, down and dirty grit is available for anyone to harness & develop to make an imprint in this world. gritCERAMICS is a celebration of this journey.
Melissa Mackie | Illustrator / Graphic Designer I am an illustrator and graphic designer based in Northern New South Wales, Australia. I work from my home studio in Murwillumbah where I enjoy drawing and painting from everyday life to creating quirky new realities. My style varies from traditional painting techniques to digital collage and I sometimes combine the two. I am often found in second hand shops and the local markets, looking for vintage books that I can use for my next illustration that is combined digitally with hand painted elements and photography. My work can be seen in magazines and various print material. I also paint in the more traditional style with gouache and water colour.
Lisa Gair & Linda Cunningham | Pebuku Pottery A creative collaboration between two artists and sisters Lisa Gair and Linda Cunningham. Working from Uki at the foothills of Mt Warning in the Tweed Shire this creative duo produce ceramics mindful of both form and function, inspired by local colours and textures and the tactile and responsive nature of clay. Lisa has been a practising ceramic artist in the Northern Rivers region for over 20 years. After completing her Diploma Of Ceramics Lisa established her own studio practise in Uki where she has produced sculpture and functional ceramic forms. Her clay sculpture is featured in the Tweed Regional Gallery and many private collections. Current study with the Byron School of Art is allowing Lisa to develop her expression into the medium of painting and encaustic and is informing her ceramic designs. Linda Cunningham is a ceramic artist, designer and photographer. Completing her bachelor of Arts in Photography over 20 years ago Linda has worked in the areas of portraiture, industrial and editorial photography.
Pete Goodlet | Artist / Landscape Designer I am an artist and landscape designer who lives and works high on the hill in Murwillumbah surrounded by gorgeous views of the Caldera. My artwork is full of whimsy and joy and I draw my inspiration from the magical world and people around me. I believe art should bring joy, love and whimsy to your life. My paintings will make you smile every day. I have been blessed to live in beautiful places including Daylesford, Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road and now beautiful Murwillumbah. I have illustrated these beautiful places for many festivals, magazines and brochures. My work is held in both national and international collections My Days are filled with art design and beauty and I get great joy form designing beautiful spaces. I have earned myself a good reputation as a landscape designer, and my work has been featured in many magazines including Belle, House and Garden and Inside Out.
Phil Barron | Visual Artist I am a practicing artist working in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. I paint in a figurative style, in my small studio on the Tweed Valley Way in Murwillumbah. My work reflects my domestic milieu and family life, local streetscapes and landscapes, portraits and still-life. I most recently showed a selection of landscapes at Moonrise Studios, Mullumbimby and exhibited Tinkerings and Sunday paintings at Studio 85 in Murwillumbah. I was awarded the City of Melville Atwell Portrait Prize (Perth WA) in 2000 and my work is in the collection of the Town of Port Hedland, Goldsworthy Mining Company, and in private collections in Australia and overseas.
Roslyn Oakes | Visual Artist My interest in art started at a very young age like most artists, drawing and painting on anything available. My creative path took me to various art/craft activities over the years including decoupage, paper toll, candle wicking, ribbon embroidery, dressmaking, lead lighting and folk art. When my children had grown I decided to take a few art classes and have not looked back. I enjoy working in the mediums of acrylic, oil and pastel and find subject matter that will always lend itself to one or a combination of these. I am inspired by the natural beauty of our region and am never lacking for subject matter. I also enjoy portraiture and life drawing in graphite, charcoal and ink. I love the challenge of commissioned work and I am always thrilled when people appreciate my work enough to purchase two or more of my paintings or sketches. I hope to be painting for many years to come.
Sandra Guy | Visual Artist I started my Visual Art career in Sydney where I completed a Bachelor of Visual Art in 1986 from City Art Institute, and a Master of Art in 1998 from COFA. Since then I have lived and worked in the Blue Mountains and the North Coast of NSW, exhibiting in many group and solo exhibitions at commercial and Regional Galleries, including this year at the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre. I have been a finalist in the Country Energy Art Prize, the Outback Art Prize, was Artist in Residence at Lewers’ Bequest and Regional Art Gallery and exhibited at the Australian Perspecta in Sydney. Since graduating, my work has focused on examining the notion of the ‘sublime’ as it relates to my experiences of the landscapes of Regional NSW. In my recent work, prominent road signs coupled with ‘two –thirds’ dramatic ‘sublime’ skies hint at the sometimes, uncomfortable marriage of the natural environment with a rural environment typical of the Northern Rivers – reiterating existing tensions related to land use versus land preservation. I have been teaching Painting and Drawing in NSW TAFE’s for 20 years and have been Head Teacher of Creative Industries at North Coast TAFE for 13 years.
Tahni Walton Holmes | Singer / Songwriter Tahni is 17, studying her HSC at Banora Point High and performing at various events including auditioning for X Factor and recently an impromptu duet with Jessica Mauboy. A passionate vocalist, she is excited to see where her singing career takes her.
Tamsin Ainslie | Illustrator I was born and educated in the UK, travelled extensively through my teenage years and early twenties before settling in Murwillumbah, Northern NSW, with my partner John and daughters Olympia and Matilda. I work from my home based studio where I spend most of my time illustrating children’s books, designing book covers, drawing, painting and printmaking. I like to draw the things around me, making illustrated journals of my travels and everyday life, the people, objects and moments that surround me, these often find their way into my books. Spending time with my family, surfing, cooking, playing and all these little most important moments in life add to my work. A word, a colour, a toy, a moment. This is what my illustration is, always a work in progress, always evolving and telling a story. My illustration can be seen in books and magazines for adults and children, on book covers, stationery, greeting cards, posters, promotional material and in advertising.
