Meet talented artist Karri McPherson

Working on an endless canvas

Istarted my art journey by painting canvases, however, in the last three years, my practice has expanded to include largescale murals. It sounds cliche, but I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember.

When it comes to my career, I have been painting since 2015 which was when I commenced a Bachelor of Creative Arts.

Over the years, I’ve completed 20 different wall paintings, including three murals that I painted in the United States last year. When it comes to my artistic style, I’ve primarily explored the triangular motif through visual fractions and tessellations. I started exploring geometric art three years ago.

This style was a natural progression for me, and looking back on my work pre-university, I see a lot of correlation between my older works and my newer ones.

This year, I’m interested in pushing my practice into a new direction by exploring a more refined style of geometry by using new shapes and patterns to develop my work further.

My artistic inspiration unfolds itself through a subconscious amalgamation of ideas, curiosity, vision and inspiration.

Before I start painting a mural, I really enjoy spending time with BY KARRI MCPHERSON - ARTIST PHOTO BY: JADE COURTNEY @JADECOURTNEY—MEDIA

the location, absorbing the atmosphere and visualising how I could execute my work.

I find inspiration in everything, from the shapes within the architecture to the colours in the surrounding natural environment.

Developing works on such a huge scale is both incredibly challenging and rewarding.

When I was starting out as an artist, I faced a lot of backlash and unfounded remarks from individuals who assumed it was impossible to pursue it as a career.

To anyone out there who wants to pursue a career in the arts, just do it! There are plenty of career opportunities out there, you just have to look for them. The world is our oyster, and if you are passionate and willing to work hard, then anything is possible. My ongoing philosophy is, “if someone else can do it, then why can’t I?”.

JOHN McVEIGH MP FEDERAL MEMBER FOR GROOM Prou dly su pp or ting student s f ro m a round Too woomba and t he Da rl ing Downs sta rt ing their first ye ar at sch ool. 7139631aa

Effectively use your aircon all year long

You’re going to save fuel by not using the aircon every time you get in the car. But, sometimes you just need that air conditioner to make the drive tolerable. We all know that an Australian essential is airconditioning on a hot day, but we also know it consumes more fuel than you’d care to lose. But, this doesn’t mean you have to switch off come the swelter. You only have to be practical and clever about it. To begin with, if you can park in the shade you should. Every moment the car idles out of the sun, the lower the temperature will be when you eventually get in.

If you have parked in the sun, a quick solution is to turn on the A/C and wind all the windows down until the majority of the heat’s gone. Then, set the aircon to recycle and re-use that glorious cool air. Once on the road, there are two aircon settings, recirculated air and outside air flow.

Never, and I repeat never, use the outside air flow, this will only suck every ounce of heat-ridden particle into your car.

Unless your car is smelling a little stale, or the temperature outside isn’t terrible and you just want that gentle breeze, alternatively windows down would be a good substitute.

By recycling the air from inside the car, it can only get cooler and cooler each time, meaning you can keep the aircon on low with the same effect.

Don’t rush into it either, start you’re A/C on low and gradually work up, or if low is all you need – then voila!

Final note, don’t set your car to arctic, not only will this affect your fuel immensely, but if it’s too hot outside of the car you might pass out with the sudden temperature change when getting out of the car, worst possible outcome.

In winter, frost might be a troubling factor you’ll need to deal with. You could dilute some isopropyl or rubbing alcohol in water and spray that on your windscreen, but if it’s a random frost that hits mid June you might not be prepared for that.

We also suggest not to just pour hot water onto your windscreen as this might cause further fogging and refreezing.

The fastest way to defrost or de-fog your windscreen is to blast the windscreen with hot air, turn on the A/C, crack the windows if you can and turn off inside air circulation.

This way, you’re getting the most result in the shortest time, and will be able to turn the aircon off sooner and save faster.

We recommend in summer a temperature of 24 degrees Celsius for both your health and economical use, and for winter 22 degrees. BY KATHERINE SAMPSON

Wheels...Tyres...Log Book Servicing...

T i r e W o r l d ’ s h e s t for all CARS,4WDs, Light Commercials • Precision Wheel Alignments & Balancing • 4x4 Specialist • Brake Repairs & Service • Steering & Suspension • Batteries • Log Book Servicing

EVERYTHING, JUST RIGHT. ALL-NEW MAZDA CX-30

The All-New Mazda CX-30 has arrived and is now available to test drive at Wippells Mazda.

Pairing sleek looks and versatile dimensions with advanced safety and leading technology, Mazda’s new ge ner at ion styling embr aces a minimalist aesthetic that gives All-New Mazda CX-30 an air of elegance with a sporty edge-all for less than $30,000.

Sitting between Mazda CX-3 and Mazda CX-5 in size, All-New Mazda CX-30 is the perfect fit for those needing space but looking for an easy-to-manoeuvre vehicle.

It offers the best ofboth worlds, giving roominess and ample cargo space for around town and out of town adventures, delivered in dimensions that make light work oftight city streets and carparks.

Packed with a huge list of advanced safety features, All-New Mazda CX-30 raises the benchmark for small SUV safety and inspires confident, reassured driving and comfort for all passengers.

Headlining some of the technology goodies on offer is a 360-degree bird’s eye view camera, as well as radar cruise control, and a driver monitoring system that tracks driver eye movement to keep attention on the road ahead.

All-New Mazda CX-30 also features the sharp new Mazda Connect infotainment system, with integrated satellite navigation on all grades for convenience, plus phone-mirroring technologies Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™, so you can stay connected when you’re on the road.

David Russell from Wippells Mazda said the All-New Mazda CX-30 is the complete package for customers looking for an all-rounder that doesn’t compromise on style.

“All-New Mazda CX-30 is the perfect fit for customers needing something practical but wanting something that looks great too,” said David.

Not only is it spacious, comfortable and packed with cutting edge safety, it is also a lot of fun to drive whether it’s on a winding country road or through built up areas.

Offered in Pure, Evolve, Touring and Astina model grades, All-New Mazda CX-30 is equipped with a choice between the highly efficient Skyactiv-G 2.0L or

The all-new Audi A1 Sportback.

Skyactiv-G 2.5L petrol engines, available with a 6-speed Skyactiv-Drive automatic transmission. It’s available as Front-Wheel Drive or with Mazda’s i-Activ All-Wheel-Drive system.

All-New Mazda CX-30 is the fifth SUV to join the Mazda Australia range, and comes standard with Mazda’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty and five-year Mazda Premium Roadside Assistance.

All-New Mazda CX-30 is on sale now, starting at $29,990 for the G20 Pure variant.

Photographyby Matt Edwards.

Audi Vorsprung durch Technik

Totally Talented, Totally Tanya entertainment

Tanya Hennessy is one of Toowoomba’s very own claims to fame.

The media prompt that Tanya was an overnight internet sensation, but she claims it took a little bit longer.

“It took me 15 years to be an overnight sensation,” Tanya says. Known to her Toowoomba ears through her time on Hit100.7fm’s Breakfast show Tanya and Hamish a few years ago, Tanya has since made the move to the big smoke and made the most of every avenue. Her more general claim to Australian-wide (if not international fame) came with her social media accounts on Facebook and

YouTube as she posted funny, yet relatable, videos.

The multi-talented Tanya even wrote the hilarious book Am I Doing This Right? Life Lessons from the Encyclopaedia Bri-Tanya. Late last year Tanya announced on the national weekend radio show she co-hosted with Dylan and Angus she say’s her first love was radio presenting.

“I never thought I would have the life I have and it’s because of radio,” Tanya said concluding that she would be finishing up with the radio program after nine years with the network. “Radio has given me the confidence to do it, I was nothing until I got behind a microphone; I really found who I was and BY: KATHERINE SAMPSON

PHOTOS BY THERESA HALL PHOTOGRAPHY STYLED BY REBECCA KROG OSBORNE OF POPPIES FOR WILLOW MAKEUP BY ELLIE BEE OF LUMINOSA

I found my voice and I’m so thankful,” Tanya said through tears.

Tanya continued to say that prospect for work in the States and the opportunity of stand-up comedy and live comedy gigs were on the horizon.

Before that though, Tanya was on the Australian reality show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! which although might not be in her eyes the right title for someone in her position, but a stepping stone and absolute proof of success.

The radio host, author, reality TV star and internet sensation had a chat to Style about everything from roughing it in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! to future aspirations, ambitions and goals.

DO IT ONCE, DO IT RIGHT.... with Kev Morris Builderder

2019 Master Builders Award Winning Display Home $250k - $350k

7139707aa Building Tomorrows Home Today

make it easier for parents to manoeuvre prams, easier to carry the shopping into the house, easier for people with a disability or temporary injury to move around and create a more spacious environment for the ageing. These features will allow key living spaces to be more easily and cost effectively adapted to meet the changing needs and abilities of home occupants such as ageing baby boomers and people who have or acquire disability.

50 TOOWOOMBA STYLE, Friday, March 6, 2020

0417 641 383 www.kevmorrisbuilder.com.au QBC C lic. 128 3489 Benefits Of Building An Adaptable Living Home Homes will be designed with comfort, safety and ease of access as core design features. These features A few design aspects that best explain this: 9 Easy to enter 9 Easy to navigate in and around 9 Capable of easy and cost-effective adaptation 9 Responsive to the changing needs of home occupants

TCHE01Z01ST - V1 We’d love to hear from you. As a member of the Independent Builders Network, we offer you a range of home designs with stylish facade options – all at a competitive price. Building an Independent Builder home design on your existing block gives you the benefits of contemporary design, quality finishes and the luxury of a floor-plan that perfectly fits your lifestyle. We know that no two families share the same needs, which is why our homes offer a range of incredible options to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, and we can work with you to further customise and personalise your home to suit you and your family’s wishes. Come visit our display home at 97 Cronin Road, Highfields Qld 4350. YOUR HOME YOUR BUILDER

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR LIFE FROM TOOWOOMBA? I loved it! I had the best time there and will always love T-bar! My boyfriend is a Toowoomba boy, we met there, and visit all the time!

IS THERE ANYTHING FROM YOU MISS FROM THE CITY? Everything! I loved the beauty of the town! Have you seen a more beautiful city? I think not!

WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO? I have always loved Rebel Wilson and Tina Fey!

WHAT GRADE CELEBRITY WOULD YOU QUALIFY YOURSELF? I would argue I’m not a celeb at all, the show should have been called “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here And Also TANYA Is Here.”

WHO IN YOUR LIFE HAS HELPED YOU THROUGH EVERY STEP OF YOUR JOURNEY? My family, close friends and my boyfriend! I couldn’t do anything without them; support in this industry is everything!

WHAT WAS I’M A CELEBRITY GET ME OUT OF HERE LIKE? It was full on! Eating rice and beans, doing nothing and then trials! It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done!

DID YOU ENJOY ROUGHING IT PRIOR? DO YOU NOW? Nope and nope.

ANY FUNNY STORIES THAT WEREN’T AIRED, OR YOU STILL LAUGH AT? We told so many stories and were filmed 24/7 and it’s only an hour show. I made a joke that I will know when I have “made it” when I

do a photo shoot for a magazine without shoes on! Have you noticed that big celebs always do photos at home in a ball gown with no shoes on?

LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT THE JUNGLE? The boredom. It’s so, so hard to do nothing and know nothing about what’s going on.

WHAT HAS THE EXPERIENCE OF THE JUNGLE TAUGHT YOU AT LIFE? That I am strong, and I can do anything I put my mind to!

IF YOU COULD GIVE ANY CAREER TIPS WHAT WOULD THEY BE? Learn resilience, outwork everyone, take every opportunity and be kind. Also, this quote helps me “You either have results or excuses.”

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS? Yep! I want to move to LA and work in the film and television industry there!

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY GOALS? I can’t wait to be a mum! I don’t know if I’ll be a good mum, but I’ll give it a crack!

7-15 March 2020

Celebrating parks of the Toowoomba Region

Parks Week is a celebration of our parks and an opportunity to get out of our living rooms and enjoy the outdoors. During the week we have 35 activities scheduled throughout the Region and there is something for everyone.

There’ll be various CHANGE Project activities including exercise classes, Yoga, Zumba and walking groups. You can also go on an adventure with our walks and trails, join the skateboard and scooter workshops or relax and enjoy some music with the Summer Tunes program.

Explore some of the amazing upgrades to playgrounds including the all-abilities equipment at the Lindsay Street playground and the new climbing tower, flying fox and hamster wheel at Queens Park Margaret Street playground.

TOOWOOMBA STYLE, Friday, March 6, 2020 Spending time in our parks and gardens can positively influence wellbeing. Our parks also provide environmental benefits to our Region and build more connected communities by providing places where everyone can come together for leisure. We encourage everyone to lead a healthy and active lifestyle and visiting parks is great for your physical health and mental wellbeing. Bookings are required to participate in most Parks Week activities. For a full list of Parks Week activities, please visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/parksweek It doesn’t have to stop at Parks Week, the CHANGE project runs activities all year round and is suitable for all fitness levels and age groups. Grab a copy of the Autumn/Winter Healthy and Active Directory from your local customer service centre or library to find an activity near you. Parks Week is celebrated throughout Australia and New Zealand as a combined initiative of New Zealand Recreation Association and Parks and Leisure Australia.

Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears

DRAMA, CRIME, MYSTERY / 101 MINUTES / ASHLEIGH CUMMINGS, JACQUELINE MCKENZIE, ESSIE DAVIS

Picking up where the third series of the popular television show left off, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears has been highly anticipated since its announcement in 2015. Tasmanian actress Essie Davis reprises her role as Miss Fisher in this first big-screen adaptation which was filmed in Melbourne and Morocco. Set in the late 1920s, the film follows Miss Phryne Fisher across the globe – from deserts of Negev to back alleys of London and everything in between.

Miss Fisher becomes entangled in a wartime mystery with an ancient curse, priceless gem and suspicious disappearance of a tribe after she rescues a young Bedouin girl named Shirin Abbas.

The trip goes from relaxing vacation to solved numerous murders, in true Miss Fisher style.

Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears opened in cinemas on Thursday, February 27, and is currently showing at The Strand.

The Invisible Man

Amodern remake of the H.G. Wells novel and 1933 film of the same name, The Invisible Man tells the tale of Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) who is trapped in an abusive relationship with wealthy scientist Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After she escapes, her ex commits suicide and leaves her his massive fortune – but Cecilia suspects his death was faked.

Eerie things start happening around her, and she becomes convinced she is being hunted by her alive, but invisible, ex.

As her sanity starts to deteriorate, Cecilia’s circumstances become a race against time to stay alive and prove the invisible man exists. The Invisible Man opened in cinemas on Thursday, February 27, and is currently showing at Grand Central. THRILLER, SCIENCE FICTION / ELISABETH MOSS, OLIVER JACKSON-COHEN, HARRIET DYER

BIRCH CARROLL & COYLE CINEMAS

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TOOWOOMBA STYLE, Friday, March 6, 2020 *T&Cs apply. Cinebuzz members only. Valid on Tuesdays for a limited time only. Participating locations only. Discount based off current peak full-priced adult ticket. Available on adult tickets. Cinebuzz is free and easy to join. Buy now at bcccinemas.com.au SAVE 50% WITH CINEBUZZ

The Paris Model by Alexandra Joel

by Jessica Kramer

Australian author and past editor of the country’s edition of Harper’s Bazaar, Alexandra Joel has a knack for turning sparse historical facts into engaging fiction. Her last book, Rosetta, took the family’s limited knowledge of her maternal great-grandmother and spun it into an interesting story, and now Joel has set her sights on a friend’s relative who spent time in Paris as a model for Christian Dior. The Paris Model follows this relative, Grace Woods, from her humble beginnings on a New South Wales sheep farm at age 12 in 1934, to grown-up Paris mannequin (model) in 1951.

Grace grows up under the loving yet strict guidance of her parents, with many expectations that she will marry a certain boy, have a family and be involved in the community just as her mother is.

While obedient to these expectations, Grace becomes increasingly unhappy as her marriage falls apart and her career passions lay elsewhere.

When she makes a shocking discovery about her heritage, it’s the last straw and Grace leaves for Paris to become a Christian Dior mannequin – where she falls in love with Philippe Boyer and gets entangled in his complicated double life.

The plot switches frequently between Grace’s younger years near Sydney in the 1930s and her current life in Paris in the 1940s, which takes some getting used to but adds an element of curiosity for the reader.

The inspection of life as a woman in this era is intriguing and educational, as is life as a model in a high-end fashion house. However, The Paris Model should be read without the expectation of any surprise reveals, regardless of Grace being described as making ‘a shocking discovery’ in the book synopsis, as all elements are absurdly obvious to everyone except the main character.

Whether this is a purposeful narrative tool on the author’s behalf to impress upon the reader that Grace never thinks at all or simply a lack of desire to dedicate to plot twists, remains to be seen.

Aside from this aspect, the novel is an intriguing look into history and both Australian and Parisian culture in the past and Grace is both a complex and enjoyable character.

The Paris Model by Alexandra Joel is published by HarperCollins Australia. RRP $32.99. Available now.

E-boy by Anh Do

by Jessica Kramer

Anh Do is turning his hand at science-fiction for middle grade readers, and the venture is intriguing.

In the first book of his latest series for ages 10-14, readers follow teenager Ethan who is getting a brain tumour removed by surgical robot Gemini when a freak bolt of lightning hits.

Next thing Ethan knows, he’s a master hacker and technology whiz, able to modify or hack computerised items with just his brain.

But with these incredible abilities also comes danger. While the text and images means the reading level would more likely suit 7-10 year-olds instead of middle grade, the content is certainly aimed at the 10-14 age group.

Regardless, kids who enjoy superhero stories or computers will love this story; it’s fast-paced and an interesting set-up for the rest of the series with relatable characters.

E-boy by Anh Do is published by Allen & Unwin. RRP $14.99. Available from March 2020.

TOOWOOMBA STYLE, Friday, March 6, 2020 53 Where: Under the Windmills at Cobb & Co, Cnr Lindsay and Campbell St, Toowoomba • Chemical Free • Organic & Pasture Fed options available • Unusual Handmade Craft • Delicious Baked Goods • Sour Dough Bread • Sauces, Jams, Gluten Free • Everything you need for healthy meals for the family. • Delicious Hot Food Options (Vegan & Vegetarian Options available) • Barista Coffee • Kids Activities every week. High Quality Stalls. Meet the Talented Makers and Bakers. Fresh Produce and Meat Direct from the Farmer