Artists throughout Campaspe will open up their workspaces next weekend to the public during the first Campaspe Artists Studio Trail event.
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The event will feature artists from Gunbower, Echuca, Tongala, Kyabram, Lancaster, Rushworth, Colbinabbin, Corop, Rochester and Diggora West.
Art lovers will be able to delve into the intimate world of local artists and their artistic process.
The chosen artists specialise in a range of different mediums including textile art, sewing, painting, rug weaving, sculptural collage, leather work, fibre art, glass art and ceramics.
To view a map of the event and for more information, visit https://castrail.art/our-artists
Meet the artists
Rebecca Wells
Rebecca Wells enjoys painting, weaving and drawing and the process of bringing something together.
Many of her pieces are created by painting and drawing surrealistic imagery and landscapes before layering mixed mediums, colours and textures on top of them.
Watching her art evolve during the creation process gives her great satisfaction.
She is inspired by strong women and the abundant bird life of Gunbower Island, where she lives, as well as experimenting with rich colours.
Her studio is at 25 Main St, Gunbower.
Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams is a Waradjuri man and painter originally from Narrandera but now based in Gunbower.
His work is inspired by his connection to the land where his parents lived along the Murrumbidgee River and is also home to the largest bora ground (a traditional meeting place).
The bora ground is connected by a pathway that is lined with ground carvings and 100 trees ornately carved with symbols, markings and Waradjuri totems.
These carvings and markings are a strong part of his artwork as they are a connection to his Nguurrangbang (‘My Land My Country My Place of Birth’) and inspires him to paint.
His studio is at 25b Main St, Gunbower.
Glenda Cornell
Glenda Cornell is a self-taught artist and got her start back in the 1970s drawing caricatures at the Kyabram Hospital.
Since then, she has entered art shows and won many awards in a range of different mediums and styles.
In her art, she experiments with different mediums and surfaces, plays with colours, lighting and textures and aims to capture the beauty of life and nature.
For the past nine years, she has been painting at her gallery, the Whistle Stop Studio, at the Port of Echuca.
Her studio is at Whistle Stop Studio, 34 Murrray Esplanade, Echuca.
Elizabeth Jaworski
Elizabeth Jaworski is a contemporary mixed media artist based in Echuca.
She is a self-taught artist who gravitated towards painting as a way to cope with grief.
It has now become a passion that continues to evolve and can be seen in her experimentation with different techniques, mediums and vibrant colours.
She has had work featured in multiple exhibitions across various galleries and most recently in Heart the Art magazine for the Goulburn Valley.
She will be working out of the Foundry Art Space, 13 Murray Esplanade, Echuca.
Penny Silver
Penny Silver, an artist living and working in Echuca, has always been passionate about art.
Her art has evolved from drawing to painting in both oils and acrylics and consists of layering, painting, scratching back and repeating the process.
More recently, she has been drawn to the after effects of the floods in her immediate area.
She finds inspiration during bike rides and walks through the bush where she reflects on her surroundings and salvaging materials left over from the devastation to later transform them into art.
She is currently working out of The Foundry Art Space, 13 Murray Esplanade, Echuca.
Kathleen Watson
Kathleen Watson, originally from Wyoming in the United States, is an artist currently based in Echuca.
As an award-winning choreographer, as well as owning a dance school and hairdressing businesses, creativity has always been a part of her life.
Her art often depicts vitality and movement through the use of heavy texture and tone to convey my emotions.
As a lover of nature and all things in motion, her work often features the human form, birds and seascapes.
She has exhibited at the South Yarra Art House, Collingwood Gallery, Malmsbury Tin Shed Gallery, Rochester Fine Art Show, Foundry Artspace and Customs House Gallery.
She is currently working out of The Foundry Art Space, 13 Murray Esplanade, Echuca.
Ellen Lee
Echuca artist Ellen Lee explores the changes in landscapes, derived from observing the environment and the mappings and collection of marks from blind contour drawings.
Her artworks not only depict nature but use natural elements alongside watercolours to mimic seasonal changes in the environment over time.
She describes her art as a meditative reflection of her time in the environment, creating an immersive and sensory experience to bring the viewer into a gestural landscape of time, change and movement.
Her studio is at 48 Hovell St, Echuca.
Kerry Williams
Kerry Williams is an abstract painter inspired by lived experiences and creates art to explore relationships — why some things work and others don’t.
She is drawn to the beauty of everyday details —cracks in a footpath, weathered surfaces, or a vibrant garden corner — which show up in her work in different ways.
Her work starts with the selection of paints before undergoing a process of painting, scratching, gouging and glazing.
She enjoys experimenting with different mediums including printing with a gelli plate, collage, sculpture, textiles and always returns to mosaic where her creative journey began.
Her studio is at 424 High St, Echuca, at the rear of the iDance car park.
Murray Ross
Murray Ross hones in on the Australian way of life, culture and landscapes through his artworks.
He has 50 years of experience to his name through the creation of murals, theatre backdrops, commercial art and workshops for all ages.
He also had a hand in gathering Campaspe Shire artists to create Tongala St Art, resulting in more than 50 murals painted in Tongala and being named Australia’s best Street Art Trail in 2022.
Using acrylic paint, he creates his pieces on canvas, large boards and paper.
His studio is at 46 Mangan St, Tongala, at the rear of the pharmacy.
Jenni Croft
Jenni Croft has been working with leather for more than 45 years and makes everything from sandals, saddles, three-dimensional leather art and other functional pieces.
When it comes to art, her favourite subject is birds and she bases her work on photographs supplied by others.
She has won numerous awards for her work over the years, more recently taking home best in show at the Royal Melbourne Show.
She has exhibited in her shed in Tongala, the Alton Gallery, The Foundry Art Space and the Heritage Centre in Nathalia.
Her work has also been sought after by buyers in France, Germany, the US, the UK and Australia.
Her studio is at 1082 McBain Rd, Tongala.
Dey Alexander
Dey Alexander works primarily in watercolour, playing with its fluidity, transparency and unpredictability to create abstract work.
She is inspired by the natural world, especially the eucalypt-lined river landscapes of Yorta Yorta country, where she grew up.
Her work is also influenced by contemporary nature poets and asemic writing – marks that look like language but have no meaning.
She works intuitively, starting with a series of watercolour washes and, from there, lets the work evolve.
Her studio is at 54 Church St, Kyabram, and can be entered at the rear on Tulloh St.
Gillian Banks
Gillian Banks finds joy in the process of creating her fibre art, from the collection of materials to using the materials to create a basket,
During her gathering process, she is drawn to the feel, texture, colour and smell of the fibres.
She begins to imagine the finished product as she prepares the fibres and feels its texture.
For Mrs Banks, the rhythm of basketry is a therapeutic experience and her creations can be either functional or decorative.
She will be working out of the Kyabram Town Hall at 199 Allan St, Kyabram.
Anne Churches
Anne Churches is a rug weaver with a love of bold colours and geometric shapes.
Her designs are created using software before she takes to her looms to bring it to life.
She dyes her own wool, using commercial dyes to get a consistent result across the several kilos of wool required to produce each rug.
The rugs are usually done using her two larger personal looms, but for the studio trail she will borrow two smaller looms to demonstrate her rug weaving.
She will be working out of the Kyabram Town Hall at 199 Allan St, Kyabram.
Kim Lawrence
Kim Lawrence is an abstract contemporary artist who is driven to create, build, choreograph and explore her environment through artistic expression.
She is an intuitive artist who allows herself to play with her work and being open before curating.
She is currently working on large wood panels, using mark-making tools with various mediums including acrylic paint, ink, collage, dry chalk and oil pastels to create her work.
Her art is stylistically loose and abstract in form and she employs the use of dynamic colours and shapes to suggest landscapes and dream spaces.
She will be working out of the Kyabram Town Hall at 199 Allan St, Kyabram.
Maria Radanov
Maria Radanov is a multidisciplinary artist who enjoys working with different techniques, styles, materials and ideas.
Her personal work is often contemplative and is influenced by her life and needs at the time.
However, she has also created art for others such as stage backdrops, church banners, book covers, diorama figures, group work and more.
She will be working out of the Kyabram Town Hall at 199 Allan St, Kyabram.
Sue Reid
Sue Reid’s work is largely inspired by colour, shape and stitching and has a penchant for patterns which she attributes to her mathematical background.
Her art uses a combination of various art mediums including painting, quilting and embroidering.
Her work has won several major exhibitions including One Step Further, Quilt Showcase, Expressions: The Wool Quilt Prize and Golden Textures and has had work showcased overseas.
She is also involved in the KlimtPrint at the National Wool Museum in Geelong and Australian Print at Central Goldfields Art Gallery in Maryborough.
Chris Hartley
Chris Hartley is a painter with an interest in the combination of acrylic paint with other mediums such as inks, paper and natural materials to produce various textures.
More recently, she has been working with a combination of paint and inks to form a base, followed by over-drawing using ink and paint pens.
She is also working on cutting stencils to use with a silk screen to print on paper and fabric.
Throughout her art, the impact of humans on the landscape and the reverse effect of nature changing human behaviour and activity is a common theme.
Her studio is at 15 Goegan Dve, Kyabram.
Margaret Wilson
Margaret Wilson works with natural fibres such as reeds, vines, grasses, leaves and prunings found in the garden and around waterways.
She specialises in weaving functional baskets and small vessels and incorporates a variety of added resources as embellishment including cotton, fabric, leather and beads.
Her materials are collected over the spring and summer months before they are dried, graded to size and stored ready for rehydration during the year.
The feeling of different textures, seeing the natural colours and being able to repurpose nature’s gifts are what she enjoys most about her work.
Her studio is at 72 Sinclair Rd, Lancaster.
Kerrie Raglus
After attending an art journal workshop in 2015, Kerrie Raglus fell in love with expressing feelings and moods through art, especially after losing her dad in 2014.
She used art journaling as a means of escape to clear her mind and reflect on her feelings.
Her works are largely done with watercolour and acrylic paint and depict her feelings and emotions that are just under the surface.
A lot of her inspiration comes from her environment and she is always open to experimenting with different mediums and styles.
She prides herself on creating a safe, inclusive and supportive space for people to create.
She will be working out of the Rushworth Art Depot at 34 Esmonde St, Rushworth.
Gillian Schoenborn
Gillian Schoenborn is a textile artist who is inspired by nature and the environment.
Her work now includes felting and/or eco-printed wall hangings, fashion garments and accessories, slow stitching and textile cards.
She also has a background in making art quilts, hand and free-motion embroidery and designing fashion accessories.
Her work is annually exhibited at the Shepparton Festival and in 2016 she hosted a solo exhibition at the Kyabram Town Hall Gallery.
Mrs Schoenborn is a member of Shepparton Textile Artists, The Foundry Art Space, Echuca and Victorian Feltmakers Inc.
She will be working out of the Rushworth Art Depot at 34 Esmonde St, Rushworth.
Heather Wellington
Heather Wellington’s art is characterised by her use of texture and colour.
She is interested in colours found in paint, fabric, ribbons, lace or buttons and the many ways she can combine it to make something visually pleasing.
She has always loved embroidery and 27 years ago she began to develop her drawing and painting skills.
Drawing inspiration from other artists online, she is fast developing a unique style of textile art.
She will be working out of the Rushworth Art Depot at 34 Esmonde St, Rushworth.
Angie Russi
Angie Russi is a ceramics artist who hails from Rushworth.
She is best known for her quirky spotted guinea fowl series and anthropomorphic bird women sculptures, many of which can be found in private homes, gardens, and businesses throughout Australia.
Growing up in the country near wetlands, she has a love of nature, especially birds, which has continued to inspire her art.
Her studio is at 41-49 High St, Rushworth.
Cathy Branson
As a child, Cathy used to draw and paint, but as an adult, she chose to pursue studies in science before later making a career out of farming and winemaking.
She has now returned to her love of art, working predominantly with watercolours.
Much of her art centres around the botanical world, but her attention to detail and nature has opened her up to other forms of art such as portraits.
More recently, she has been experimenting with oils and enjoying transferring her skills from botanical art to realistic portraits.
Her studio is at 3332 Heathcote-Rochester Rd, Colbinabbin.
Edie May
Edie May is a multidisciplinary artist who now works predominantly in glass art.
Her interest in rocks has been lifelong and she is particularly drawn to the local Jasper and opal.
Her work in the lapidary field has equipped her with the tools and equipment which can also be used for cold working glass.
Her creations range from flat pictures to contoured pictures to slumped three-dimensional vases, bowls and trinkets and Christmas decorations.
Her studio is at the Tram Studio, Stevens St, Corop.
Sonya Else
Sonya Else is inspired by the world around her, drawing inspiration from life experiences and the environment.
She experiments with different techniques and materials to create colourful and textured pieces that resonate with others.
By sharing her creations with the community, she hopes to inspire others to see the beauty in everyday life and contribute to the ever-evolving landscape of textile art.
Her studio is at 17 Diggora Rd, Rochester.
Tina West
Tina West creates sculptural collages using a range of natural materials such as flowers, leaves, gum nuts and crystals which she adheres to different surfaces.
Her plant material is collected and dried as well as purchased from local florists and flower farms.
She has always been drawn to nature and finds working with natural materials helps her grow as an artist.
Working with natural materials also helps her feel the energy of nature and she believes the energy of each artwork is profoundly different, drawing their buyer to them.
Her studio is at Momentum Jiu Jitsu at 74 Moore St, Rochester.
Maree Slatter
Maree Slatter learnt many of her textile skills from her mother and paternal grandmother.
In 1988, she worked as a primary school teacher for the Arrernte people of Ltyentye Apurte and tries to return every year to teach sewing techniques during a two-week sewing workshop.
During the workshop, they make whatever the community decides they need most at the time, such as curtains, bags or mending garments.
She specialises in creating bespoke bags, working with individuals to make their imagined product come to life.
She also makes quilts, bags, cushions, curtains, clothing and upholsters pre-loved furniture using upcycled textiles.
Her workshop is at 2110 Diggora Rd, Diggora West.