Newstead Open Studios

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Tag Archives: Central Victoria


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Ceramics Studios open – 17-18 August, 10am-4pm

Next weekend – 17-18 August – many ceramics studios across Australia will be open for you to visit. In Central Victoria nine potters have created a wonderful clay trail linking Newstead, Maldon, Talbot, Creswick, Musk Vale and Porcupine Ridge. As well as seeing some beautiful ceramics, if you follow the trail an amazing landscape will open up before you. And of course, there are coffee shops, wineries and other interesting places to visit along the way.

Download our brochure here. It includes a map and details of each studio.

Visiting a maker’s studio is a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand the environment in which they work and gain an insight into what they create. The range of styles, techniques and materials used by the nine potters will intrigue you: on the trail you’ll find potters who make functional pieces, sculptures, and mosaics. Two of our regular Newstead Open Studio potters will be open – Sarah Koschak (Newstead) and Chris Johnston (Place Matters Studio, Green Gully).

Part of The Australian Ceramics Association’s annual nation-wide open studio program.


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Follow the flags and open our doors!

Red flags and door-sized signs will help you find your way around the Newstead Open Studios Art Trail this March. Pick up your copy of our pocket-sized Art Trail guide (with map) from any one of our studios, from Sarah Koschak’s ceramics studio (6a Panmure Street, Newstead) or from Dig Cafe.

Take time out from the hectic Castlemaine State Festival and visit some of your local open studios, especially if you haven’t ventured into a studio before! You’ll find friendly faces, open doors and a story or two about what we make and why. It really is a feast for the senses. And you might even find someone printing or potting or painting!

This year our Art Trail extends from Green Gully (3 open studios – 6 artists) to Welshman’s Reef (2 studios) and Strangways (for Trefor & Belinda Prest). In Newstead central, there are 6 studios open plus Eat My Art at the Community Centre.

West of the Loddon is Roger McKindley’s ever-changing Antares Art Garden, and The End of Night exhibition by Australian print makers Diana Orinda Burns, Jackie Gorring, Sandra Starkey Simon and Nepalese Artist Ragini Upadhya at the Arts Hub.

Best to leave pooch at home, or at least attached to a lead – most studios will have a shady spot and water.

Newstead Open Studios Art Trail 2019: Studios open 10am-5pm on 23-24 and 30-31 March; some studios are open daily. Or ring your favourite studio and ask for a private viewing.

Download our full colour guide and map from our website: https://newsteadopenstudios.org. Each artist is featured on the website to help you plan your visits.

Share us and like us: Newstead Open Studios is on Facebook and Instagram (newstead_open_studios).

Many thanks to our sponsors: Dig Café; Art Supplies Castlemaine; Maldon & District Community Bank; Newstead Arts Hub.


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Open ‘The Tangram’ – Join us Saturday 10 March 2pm

You’re invited to the opening of The Tangram – exploring the puzzle: an exhibition by the Studio Paradiso printmakers at the Newstead Railway Arts Hub at 2:00pm on Saturday, 10th March. Everyone welcome.

Paul Northam will open the exhibition. Paul was the Managing Curator at the La Trobe University Visual Arts Centre from 2007 to 2016. Currently Paul is engaged with practice led research on The Principle of Emptiness: In Search of a New Abstractionism as a PhD Candidate in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University.

The exhibition –The Tangram – exploring the puzzle – reflects the intrigue of the printmakers with this ancient Chinese ‘reverse puzzle’ of seven geometric pieces forming a square, that, traditionally, are then dissembled, and reassembled to create any number of thousands of possible shapes. This exhibition is an exploration of this puzzle by eight artists – variously exploring the process of dissembling and reassembling, the concept of the puzzle, and how we each see the world. Enjoy the work of printmakers Erika Beilharz, Diana Orinda Burns, Robyn Gibson, Anna Havir, Jane Marriott, Richard Sullivan, Anne-Marie Taylor, and Annette Ward.

The Tangram – exploring the puzzle is on at the Railway Arts Hub, 8a Tivey St, Newstead throughout Arts Open: 10-12 March (Labour Day long weekend) and 17-18 March, 10am to 4pm, and then through to the end of March.


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Take a peek behind the curtain!

Newstead Open Studios Art Trail is on again – 10-12th March (Labour Day weekend) and 17-18th March, 10 am – 4 pm.

Have you ever wanted to get up close to a potter’s wheel, a painter’s brushes or the sculptor’s lathe? Have you wanted to see how an etching is made or where a ceramicist gets her clay? As many of you know Newstead has an extraordinary community of artists! Here is your chance to meet some of them, this March in Newstead and surrounds, when 12 local artists will throw open their studio doors and invite people to share their intimate and creative work space.

Download our new Pocket Guide with artist and studio listings plus a map, or check out each open studio and artist at www.newsteadopenstudios.wordpress.com.

Part of Arts Open, Meet the Makers.


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Open Easter Sunday – Place Matters Ceramics

Our Open Studios program is over for now, but Chris is opening her studio on Easter Sunday afternoon – noon to 5pm – in case you missed out on visiting during our ‘opens’. She’ll be starting to throw some new pieces as well as having fired ceramics available for you to enjoy. Want to visit at another time? Contact Chris through her details on our Newstead Open Studios website.

 


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Opening soon!

During the Castlemaine State Festival eight studios will open their doors providing access to a divine selection of passionately created artworks on the weekends of 18th & 19th and 25th & 26th March 2017. You can download the guide here.

The artists are looking forward to sharing stories of their artistic journeys. They want to inspire visitors with their endeavours and hope guests appreciate the uniqueness of their artwork and support their efforts with a purchase that has an intriguing story attached.

  • Chris Johnston’s medium is clay; sculptural and functional, which reflects her connection to place and the land.
  • Roger McKindley’s Antares Iron Art Garden is where broken and discarded objects morph together to live once again.
  • Brass and copper are manipulated by Trefor Prest to create intricate, organic and mechanical oddities – with a touch of Steampunk.
  • Delicate wheel thrown porcelain pottery is gently created by Sarah Koschak. Her functional pieces are simply elegant.
  • Sally Roadnight explores the landscape through the artistry of various found objects and media including drawing, sewing, printing, sculpture and basketry.
  • Printmaker Richard Sullivan is influenced by his environment which is reflected in the artist books, collage and altered books he creates.
  • Prue McAdam’s special love of abstraction and gestural marks is explored in her paintings. Prue paints using a variety of media.
  • Striving for the highest quality of woodwork of which his hands and mind are capable, Lachlan Park makes ‘things’ from wood.
  • Krissy Scherlies is currently allowing her imagination to take control as she paints colourful, contemporary canvases using paint and sand.
  • Julie Patey utilizes printmaking and mixed media to explore the process of art making through the use of colour, shape and texture to echo her connection to the landscape of central Victoria.
  • Stunning nature photographs of the bush reserve surrounding the Old Walmer School are captured by photographer Bronwyn Silver.

This is only a glimpse of what will be waiting for you. Check us out in Trouble – the brilliant Newstead-based arts guide – on Facebook, or better still come and see! We will welcome you with open arms.


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Local artists to open their doors

sarah-at-the-wheelHave you ever wanted to get up close to the potter’s wheel, the painter’s brush or the woodworker’s chisel? Have you ever wondered how a basket is made or where a ceramicist gets her clay?
Well now is your chance, with the thriving underbelly of Newstead’s art and craft scene to reveal itself as part of the Castlemaine State Festival. Dubbed Newstead Open Studios, it is just that, with 11 unique and passionate artists across a range of mediums opening their doors to the public during back-to-back weekends in March.

image-5Come and experience the mesmerising throw of ceramicist Sarah Koschak’s pottery wheel where she creates handcrafted porcelain pottery or the wonderland that is Roger McKindley’s art garden, a place that every child must visit (grown up kids included). Full of feeling and imagination are the mosaic and canvas works by Krissy Scherlies.

Lachlan Park grew up in Newstead and makes ‘ things ‘ from wood, while in Strangways you can see Trefor Prest’s brass and copper oddities – the intricacy of an engineer meshed with the heart of a sculptor.

fullsizerender1At The Red Door Gallery in the centre of Newstead, Richard Sullivan’s prints and artist books express connection to place and memories. Alongside Richard’s work is that painter Prue McAdam who enjoys playing with acrylic paint, charcoal and ink. And to round out this special array of works are those of Julie Patey. A practicing artist and art teacher for thirty years, Julie’s work is related directly to nature and landscape.

 

If the local bush has a special place in your heart too, then Bronwyn Silver’s nature photos are a must see, taken over many years exploring the forest surrounding her historical home in the Old Walmer School. And nestled amongst the eucalypts in Green Gully, between Castlemaine and Newstead are the sculptural and functional ceramics of Chris Johnston with a special guest exhibition by sculptor Sally Roadknight who creates exquisite pieces from found pieces of nature.

b-silver-1Studios will be open from 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday the 18 & 19th and 25th & 26th of March. This really is a special opportunity to see these authentic local artists in their natural habitat and see or perhaps even purchase some of their latest creations. Some have longer opening hours. Check out the details about each studio at newsteadopenstudios.wordpress.com and get your  guide/map from the website, from Dig Cafe or Red Door Gallery both in the heart of Newstead. Or find us on Facebook and Instagram.


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Opening soon!

2017-newstead-open-studios-artists-2During the Castlemaine State Festival eleven artists from Newstead and district will be opening their studios to the public. On the weekends of 18th & 19th and 25th & 26th March, eight studios will open their doors for the public to access a diverse selection of lovingly created artwork.

You will have the opportunity to visit their studios, chat to the hosts about their artistic journeys, be inspired by their stories and support their endeavours, perhaps by purchasing an original artwork with story attached.

Come and visit and enjoy some diverse offerings. Photographer Bronwyn Silver offers a range of nature photographs of the bush reserve surrounding her home – the Old Walmer School. Julie Patey explores the process of art making through the use of colour, shape and texture. It echoes an important connection to the landscape of central Victoria, using printmaking and mixed media. Krissy Scherlies’ current style is the exploration of her imagination and the courage to express her feelings on canvas and through the playfulness of mosaics. Lachlan Park makes ‘things’ from wood. He strives for these things to be the highest quality of woodwork of which his hands and mind are capable. Prue McAdam is a painter who works in a variety of media and has a special love for abstraction and gestural marks. Printmaker Richard Sullivan is influenced by his environment and creates the most engaging of designs. His talents also include artist books, collage and altered books. Sally Roadnight’s work involves a continuing exploration of the landscape using various found objects and media including drawing sewing, printing, sculpture, and basketry. Sarah Koschak creates functional wheel thrown porcelain pottery, bringing handcrafted beauty to everyday life. ‘Engineering with heart’ describes the work of Trefor Prest. He creates intricate, organic and mechanical oddities fabricated from brass and copper. Entice your imagination through mystery and a sense of play at Roger McKindley’s Antares Iron Art Garden. Broken and discarded objects come together, finding a new life. Chris Johnston references connection to place and the land through the medium of clay. Her pieces are sculptural and functional.

So there you have it, a feast of artistic talent waiting to satisfy your hunger for an extraordinary creative experience. For more information please visit our website (www.newsteadopenstudios.wordpress.com). A studio guide/map will be available on our website, or from Dig Cafe and Red Door Gallery in the heart of Newstead, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.


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Still open next weekend!

Despite rumours to the contrary, Newstead’s Open Studios are open next weekend 19-20 March. A special treat is the official opening of the Studio Paradiso exhibition at the Newstead Railway Arts Hub Saturday 19 March at 2pm by Melissa Proposch. So drop into a studio or three or your way there or afterwards.

Last weekend saw lots of people out and about. At Trefor’s studio and gallery:

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And Chris received some snaps from Hannah who bought three pieces and instantly installed them – great to see them instantly settled into a beautiful garden.

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Come and visit today

After two days of visitors to our Open Studios in Newstead, we hope lots of people will come to enjoy this beautiful blue sky day – Labour Day Monday. Or if you miss out this weekend, we’re open again next weekend on Saturday and Sunday 19-20 March. And you can book and come on the Newstead bus from the Castlemaine Art Gallery too – departs at 1pm each day of Arts Open.

Here’s a few snaps from two studios:

Jen King and Paul Turbitt down at Strangways:

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Chris at Place Matters Ceramics in Green Gully:

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