MARCH 2022 I AUSTRALIA COAST TO COAST
ARTISTS AT HOME CELEBRATING CREATIVITY AROUND THE COUNTRY
Meet five artists from our annual exhibition
CHARMED The allure of Rutherglen
Inspiration for your kitchen & bathroom THE COOK AND THE ARTIST RECIPES FROM SOPHIE HANSEN AND HER MOTHER
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EDITOR’S LETTER
my favourite things...
Nostalgia
Brooke Dalton’s Country Garden reminds me of when I lived in Queensland.
PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT DRESS COUNTRY ROAD
Living on the land – and making a living – can be as tough as it is rewarding. There’s the isolation, floods, droughts, fires and mouse plagues, and the daily work is both physical and demanding. But amid these hardships, creativity seems to flourish, in problem-solving, in business diversification and in art. I am in awe of all artists, but especially those from regional areas. With all the challenges they have to contend with, these creative types produce magnificent pieces. I often ask myself, how do they find the time? Take Narrabri-based artist Brooke Dalton, whose colourful, joy-filled works I have long admired. To be able to paint and run a grain brokering business, she has seemingly split her life in two – including her home, which has an office downstairs and her art studio upstairs. During harvest, there’s simply no time to paint, and when Brooke’s boys are home from boarding school, she spends time with them. However, she still manages to produce an impressive body of work each year. Turn to page 50 for more. Once again, we’re holding our annual exhibition with Michael Reid Murrurundi and the theme is Art of the Garden. For me, this exhibition combines two things I’m in awe of when it comes to country people: the ability to create a beautiful garden in remote, harsh areas; and the ability to paint. Brooke is one of the featured artists in our exhibition, along with four others in this issue (starting on page 44), including ceramicists who have created vases to display the beauty of the garden. Burradoo-based Alison Fraser’s beautiful gold-flecked vessels appear on our cover and how I would love for one of them to grace my hallway table! I invite you all along to the Art of the Garden exhibition, to show your support for regional artists. It runs from March 3 to April 3 – I hope to see you there.
Kylie Imeson
Deep blue
In my favourite hue, this Walter G St Tropez Riviera cushion has caught my eye.
Black is out
I’ve replaced my black handbag with Bahru’s Mini Rome Leather Tote in French Navy.
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MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 7
“I like the spontaneity of painting an image all in one go.” Robert Malherbe, page 56
M a r c h 2 02 2 | c o n t e n t s
84
74
COVER STORIES
63 SHINING A LIGHT
Hansen and her mother Charmed: The allure of Rutherglen
68
44 Meet five artists from our annual exhibition 105 Inspiration for your kitchen and bathroom 112 The cook and the artist: Recipes from Sophie 118
SHOPPING LIST
29 HOUSE TO HOME
Browse our curated range of homewares, stylish appliances, luxurious fashions and gift ideas.
PEOPLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT STYLING JODIE GIBBONS
36 QUIET CONTEMPLATION
Gardening became a surprise passion for Port Lincoln artist Emma Fuss, who creates stunning still-life paintings inspired by her flower garden.
COUNTRY STYLE EXHIBITION
44 OF THE EARTH
50 56
Wild clay is the ideal medium for ceramicist and “maker of things” Alison Fraser, who enjoys the process of hand-building functional pieces. BOTANICAL BEAUTY Colour dominates the gardens, still-lifes and interiors captured by painter Brooke Dalton in Narrabri, NSW. THE ART OF SURPRISE Beautiful Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains, offers a wealth of scenic inspiration for renowned painter Robert Malherbe.
In the hinterland town of Cooran, in Qld, painter Lauren Jones champions the underappreciated details of nature in her light-filled oil paintings. NATURAL REFLECTIONS Ceramicist Chrystie Longworth loves the fluid process of shaping one-of-a-kind earthen vessels from clay.
HOMES
74 ROOM TO ROAM
84
Moving back to the family property in Mangoplah, NSW, was the right move for painter Julia Roche, who enjoyed updating the 1940s homestead to suit her young family. COLOUR PLAY Vibrant artwork was a central focus for interior designer Penny Sheehan while modernising a 1950s farmhouse.
GARDEN
94 USE OF SPACE
102 103
Plantsman and garden designer Simon Rickard has cultivated a breathtaking British-style garden at home in Trentham, Victoria. DOWN THE GARDEN PATH Fiona Weir Walmsley tackles a perennial foe: weeds. IN THE GARDEN New tips, tools and advice for seasonal gardening.
DECORATING
105 IN THE DETAILS
Style solutions for updating kitchens and bathrooms.
63
118 56 136 BOOK CLUB
Country Style’s Annabel Lawson praises noteworthy women this month, with thrilling tales – some true; some tall – full of grit and daring.
36
REGULAR READING
112 CREATIVITY IN THE KITCHEN
Cook Sophie Hansen and her mother, artist Annie Herron, on their new book Around the Kitchen Table.
14 Contributors 20 Your Page: Readers’ emails and letters 24 A Month in the Country: Elvis fans will flock to
TRAVEL
33
Everyone loves Rutherglen in Victoria: foodies, families seeking a slower pace, and artistic types.
34
118 MY TOWN: RUTHERGLEN
REGIONAL SHOPPING
126 BRUSH WITH BEAUTY
154
The Paint Box, in the Adelaide Hills, sources rare pigments and exotic materials for local artists.
FASHION
130 THE STYLE DIARIES
Bendigo this month, while art exhibitions, rural shows and fun festivals abound in regional areas. A Day in the Country: Maggie MacKellar reminisces about a treasured family heirloom. Life on a Station: For jillaroo Emma Moss, thundering waterfalls are the true highlight of the wet season in the Kimberley. Country Squire: Rob Ingram discovers that the best part of working from home is creating your own employee benefits.
SERVICES
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Painter Lauren Jones pairs feminine fashions with practical footwear, while ceramicist Alison Fraser revels in well-crafted, unique textures.
139 140 150
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Country Style acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the place we now call Sydney, where this magazine is published. Country Style also pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging. PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of Country Style magazine is published by Are Media Pty Limited (Are Media). Are Media may use and disclose your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, including to provide you with your requested products or services and to keep you informed of other Are Media publications, products, services and events. Our Privacy Policy is located at aremedia. com.au/privacy. It also sets out on how you can access or correct your personal information and lodge a complaint. Are Media may disclose your personal information offshore to its owners, joint venture partners, service providers and agents located throughout the world, including in New Zealand, USA, the Philippines and the European Union. In addition, this issue may contain Reader Offers, being offers, competitions or surveys. Reader Offers may require you to provide personal information to enter or to take part. Personal information collected for Reader Offers may be disclosed by us to service providers assisting Are Media in the conduct of the Reader Offer and to other organisations providing special prizes or offers that are part of the Reader Offer. An opt-out choice is provided with a Reader Offer. Unless you exercise that opt-out choice, personal information collected for Reader Offers may also be disclosed by us to other organisations for use by them to inform you about other products, services or events or to give to other organisations that may use this information for this purpose. If you require further information, please contact Are Media’s Privacy Officer either by email at privacyofficer@aremedia.com.au or mail at Privacy Officer Are Media Pty Limited, 54 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000.
PHOTOGRAPHY GEORGIE JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY, BRIGID ARNOTT, HANNAH PUECHMARIN, CHRISTOPHER MORRISON
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CONTRIBUTORS
in this i s s u e . . . C L A I R E
T A K A C S
Renowned garden photographer Claire shot Simon Rickard’s garden on page 94, and is a global nomad who loves naturalistic gardens.
Photographer Claire has an enviable lifestyle. “I live half the year based out of the UK and the other half in Australia, between the Mornington Peninsula and visits to Tasmania,” she says. Claire, 44, grew up in the Dandenong Ranges, and her favourite thing to do when home is spend time with her spoodle, Oliver, who lives with her parents. As a child, she loved her one-acre garden: “I grew up with a connection to nature. I feel most comfortable in natural landscapes.” That extends to her work, too. “My job revolves around beauty, nature and working with light,” Claire says.
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G R E T E L
S N E A T H
Journalist Gretel interviewed artist Emma Fuss for our story on page 36, and loves meeting people and capturing their voices in her work.
After growing up in Adelaide, Gretel moved to the country aged 20 to work at a regional TV station – then met her very own Storm Boy (husband Andy, 46, a professional rock lobster fisherman). Living on a cattle and sheep farm in Port MacDonnell with Andy, son Jamison, 18, daughter Phoebe, 16, and dachshund Barnacle, the 46-year-old loves country life. “I enjoy the anticipation of the seasons, the whisper-quiet mornings, and the golden hour as the sun goes down,” says Gretel. She loves Country Style, too: “I honestly don’t think I’ve missed an issue since its launch.”
WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY CLAIRE TAKACS, CHRISTOPHER MORRISON
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M A R K ETING A ND CIRCU LATION
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With paintings by Kaspar Kägi, Kean Onn See and Kate Vella, along with vases by Alison Fraser and striking handcrafted sculptures and bowls, this elegant room is the perfect backdrop for art. Of course, a Country Style cover wouldn’t be complete without a gorgeous dog stealing the spotlight. Meet Wolfie, the cocker spaniel cross King Charles spaniel, who sat patiently while we captured the perfect shot.
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GENER AL MARK ETING INQUIRIES CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Walls painted by Ludi Braga Interior. Wooden and glass door panel, $950, from The Society Inc. Florence Circular dining table, $6650, from MCM House. Linen tablecloth in Natural, $175, from Cultiver. Brass Stub Chamber candlestick, $55, and Everyday taper in Cream, $30, from Love After Love. Layla stoneware bowl, $420, and Marianne stoneware vase, $400, from Katarina Wells Ceramics. Small Indonesian wooden pedestal, $45, from Love After Love. Gold and white vases/bowls by Alison Fraser. Saint Malo armchair in Crisp White, $1199, from La Maison. 1960s Pedestal side table, $720, from East Wing Studio. Artemis small bust, $490, from Mercer and Lewis. Set of four French Rosaline Pink champagne glasses, $240, from Love After Love. Cream Travertine Tumbled Subway floor, from Teranova Tiles. Ruby vase, $380, from Katarina Wells Ceramics.
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YOUR PAGE
POWERFUL STORIES IN OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE RESONATED WITH MANY, WHILE SWEET BONDS BETWEEN OUR READERS LEFT US HUMBLED… WE APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK! CONSTANT COMPANION
I want to thank Maggie MacKellar for her article Dog Days in the February issue of Country Style. I had tears welling in my eyes when I read those beautiful words. It’s just how I feel for my ageing Shih tzu, who knows all my secrets and who has my heart. I have earmarked the page to return to those words when needed. Kerrie Grayson, Pomona, Qld
LOCAL HEROES
I have just read the most interesting, touching story (Back in the Saddle) in the February edition of Country Style. What a wonderful family the Maguires are for providing their property, horses and expertise to assist our veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. They need and deserve all the assistance they can get. I would like to nominate Remount and the Maguires for Australians of the Year. I will be donating to this family and encourage all Australians to do so, too. Love your magazine. Terri Mulholland, Newcastle, NSW Editor’s note: Remount was awarded Community Group of the Year by Yass Valley Council on Australia Day 2022. A very well-deserved honour! Congratulations to Marina and Ben, who both still work full-time as well as running Remount, and the extended Remount family.
in the motivational stories, glorious gardens and beautiful, elegant styling. Every time I look through the magazines, I feel excited to get out and into my garden, and put up some sheer curtains that make my home feel very light and airy. I enjoy this magazine as an escape to a dreamy world. Teresa de Bruyn, Lloyd, NSW
A LIFE ON THE LAND
I have been a reader and subscriber for around 30 years and have now reached 80 years, but will still continue to purchase Country Style even thought I live alone on my own rural property. Janelle Mullens, Bective, NSW
ON THE GO AGAIN
I turned 70 last year and have always been very active. However, a pesky hip stopped me from doing all the outdoor things I love while I was waiting for my operation and then during my recovery afterwards. Now, I’m finally getting my strength and energy back. Today I mowed the grass, watered and repotted plants – three months after my procedure.
PRECIOUS DOWNTIME
As I hurry around the house, cleaning up and doing endless washing, the days pass and I feel like I’m on autopilot as a new mum. My little boy is six months old, and I decided to subscribe to Country Style to allow myself some me-time and enjoy an afternoon coffee while getting lost
20 COUNTRY STYLE MARCH 2022
My reward was going to the letterbox and seeing that my Country Style has arrived. Thank you for your magazine – it has kept me entertained during this time. Pamela Page, Cape Schanck, Vic
GIVING THANKS
Thank you so much for the best magazine in Australia and for the best articles. Thank you to the many innovative participants who taught me to “buy from the bush” – they put a smile on my face when I received their products and pulled me through the tough COVID lockdowns. Thanks, Country Style – I will continue to support these fabulous folk and, of course, your magazine. Judi Maitland-Parr, Wentworth Falls, NSW
GREAT ESCAPE
As I sit on the shores of the picturesque Callala Beach in Jervis Bay, I am ironically reading your January edition – “on summer holidays”. My husband and I managed to get away from our hectic Sydney lives. While grabbing some groceries this morning, I spotted your latest magazine, which I quickly swept into my basket… it’s my at-the-beach reading material. As a regular reader of Country Style, I love immersing myself in the stories of inspiring farmers who are sharing their passion for rural Australia. Thanks for another magazine to add to my CS collection. Silvana Saba, Wollstonecraft, NSW
TAKE ME THERE Dani Pope of NSW says: “It was a joy to read Dog Days. It’s so true what Maggie MacKellar says – dogs are a blessing. That and reading Country Style with a cuppa.”
This place… Rachel Waller’s lake house (in the January issue of Country Style) is just so inviting. I could see myself there in a flash in
YOUR PAGE
Cute groodle Aggie is in holiday mode on the cover of our January issue. She’s relaxing on the jetty at model Rachel Waller’s stunning lakeside cottage on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. The charming pink weatherboard home of @inhersixties is surrounded by birdsong, abundant wildlife and lush greenery. Photography @hannahpuechmarin Styling @albertandgrace
This fibro house was originally sold as a ‘knockdown’ but when Emma and Gav Hames stepped inside, they realised it was actually a gorgeous workers’ cottage in disguise. “It had the original sash windows, exposed studs and beautiful original floorboards hiding underneath,” says Emma. Photography @hannahpuechmarin Styling @albertandgrace Words @clairemactaggart
my linens. I love everything about this story… it’s just stunning. Thank you for sharing it, Country Style. Pamela Votano, Maroubra, NSW
SWEET GESTURE
Sometimes life is so ‘happening’ that I read a new issue of Country Style a little late. So, as I started to read the January 2022 edition in February, I had a sharp intake of breath. The Your Page letters included one from Andrea Becker, who was loving her move to paradise in Bridgetown. It sounded so happy and beautiful and wonderful. Living in distant Queensland, where we are having a particularly wet season, we read about the hot, dry of south-west WA and the fires. Bridgetown was one of the towns mentioned, where residents were evacuated and homes were lost in the raging fires… I was saddened to think of Andrea and her paradise possibly lost. My thoughts go out to her and the Bridgetown residents who were so ‘lovely and welcoming’ to her. Thank you for this opportunity to share my concern. Christine Siemon, Kenmore, Qld
and, of course, my January edition of Country Style. It was a very lonely time – no visitors, limited social interaction. As the days blurred into one, I eventually gained strength due to the level of care, compassion and support from the medical staff. I am impressed by their ability to supply care and support when another human being is so sick. Their level of resilience is unbelievable. One day while in bed, a nurse (nurse L, I shall call her) came in and spotted my copy of Country Style on my tray table. Nurse L said, “This is my favourite magazine.” I agreed and mentioned I have been buying it for over 20 years. We spoke of our deep appreciation for the magazine, our favourite features such as gardening articles and photography, and so much more. In that short conversation, Nurse L mentioned her daughter is also
“hooked on Country Style”, as she loves the gardening articles. We both agreed that the magazine brings pleasure to our lives. As Nurse L’s shift was ending, I offered her my copy (in case she had not bought hers). She replied, “Thank you, I’ve already received mine as I subscribe and have read it from front to back already.” However, she was incredibly grateful for the offer. Each shift when Nurse L was in my room, we spoke fondly of articles in the edition and how we put ideas into action within our lives/lifestyle/ wellbeing. Although my recovery is slow, my lovely and genuine interaction with Nurse L and our shared connection with Country Style was priceless and so appreciated in tough times. Thank you, Nurse L, and Country Style. Rebecca Langdon, Kingscliff, NSW
Congratulations
to Rebecca Langdon, who has won a stylish Bahru New York Tote Bag in French Navy (pictured), valued at $330, plus a chic Mini Florence Leather Crossbody Wallet in French Navy, valued at $179. To see the entire range, visit bahru.com.au
WINNER
SPECIAL CONNECTION
Recently, I spent two weeks in hospital with a serious health issue. Due to COVID restrictions, no visitors were allowed, so I asked my husband to drop off personal requirements
Share your thoughts and experiences with us by writing to Country Style, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW, 2001, or emailing austcountrystyle@aremedia.com.au. Please include your address and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity.
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A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY Merino sheep graze in the fertile paddocks at Moorabinda in Narrawa, NSW. To read more about Moorabinda, turn to page 84.
Folk music draws a crowd in Victoria this month, while WA locals say cheers to beer. Down in Tasmania, women unite to celebrate nature.
PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT
WORDS M ATILDA R INGROSE
MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 25
A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
exhibition VIC
Elvis: Direct from Graceland, Mar 19-Jul 17 In partnership with Graceland, Bendigo Art Gallery presents Elvis: Direct from Graceland. This exclusive exhibition includes personal items from Elvis Presley’s home, vintage memorabilia, Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding garments, iconic jumpsuits from his Las Vegas residency, and so much more. bendigoregion.com.au
NSW
Walcha Show, Mar 11-12 In 2022, the Walcha Show celebrates 145 years of agricultural excellence. Watch woodchopping, sheepshearing, yard dog trials and showjumping; try the district’s finest produce; browse local artworks; and take the kids to Sideshow Alley. walchashow.org.au Orange Medieval Faire, Mar 19-20 A Viking battle, knights’ tournament and birds of prey display are just a few of the events at the Medieval Faire in Orange. History buffs flock to the Showgrounds each year as they’re transformed into an impressive European-style medieval village. orangemedievalfaire.com.au Young Archie, until Apr 24 Support artists aged five to 18 who have created portraits of people they love, now showing at the Maitland Regional Art Gallery. And don’t miss the 2021 Archibald Prize exhibition – it wraps up on March 6. mrag.org.au
ACT
Finding the Dry Heart, until Apr 2 Most famous for his Ned Kelly series of paintings, artist Sidney Nolan also explored what it is to be Australian by travelling through the centre of the country. The landscapes he made
26 COUNTRY STYLE MARCH 2022
from these trips are now on display at the Canberra Museum and Gallery. cmag.com.au
SA
Beachport Crayfish Festival, Mar 4-6 Championing Limestone Coast produce and the Southern Rock Lobster industry, this event serves up crayfish, live music, market stalls and art workshops. southaustralia.com
QLD
Feast of the Senses, Mar 24-27 North Queensland is known for its spoils of nature: exotic fruits, quality meat, fresh seafood, herbs and spices. Visitors to Innisfail’s Feast of the Senses can take a sensory tour via cooking demonstrations, markets and more. feastofthesenses.com.au
VIC
Rutherglen Tastes of Art exhibition, Mar 11-20 Explore an eclectic selection of pieces by local artists at Rutherglen Memorial Hall, from sculpture to painting and photography. It’s hosted by the not-for-profit Arts Rutherglen. artsrutherglen.com.au Port Fairy Folk Festival, Mar 11-14 Celebrating its 45th birthday in 2022, the Port Fairy Folk Festival features
local and international performers, including Ash Grunwald, Maubere Timor and Jazzparty, plus interactive workshops, film, folk art and theatre. portfairyfolkfestival.com Lin Onus: The Land Within, until Mar 13 Shepparton Art Museum presents The Land Within by Yorta Yorta painter Lin Onus. The exhibition melds Onus’s relationship to Country, people and politics, and his exploration of colonialism’s impact on Indigenous Australians. sheppartonartmuseum.com.au Lost Trades Fair, Mar 19-20 Held at Bendigo Racecourse, the Lost Trades Fair offers an opportunity to engage with artisans who specialise in rare arts and heritage crafts. From armourers and woodworkers to bell-makers and blacksmiths, meet the men and women who are keeping rare craftsmanship skills alive. Handmade wares will be available for purchase. losttrades.info Ponch Hawkes – 500 Strong, Mar 19-Jul 3 On display at Geelong Gallery, 500 Strong is the culmination of a three-year project by Australian photographer Ponch Hawkes. Her collection of images celebrating the naked form of females over the age
Victoria’s Glenbosch Wine Estate offers self-contained cottages; enjoy dinner and wine at Glenbosch Kitchen. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT Elvis on stage in Tampa, Florida in 1955; Elvis with daughter Lisa Marie and wife Priscilla in 1970; Elvis signs autographs in 1957.
of 50 offers a playful yet powerful rebuttal to the erasure of older women’s bodies within mainstream media. geelonggallery.org.au
PHOTOGRAPHY © EPE. GRACELAND AND ITS MARKS ARE TRADEMARKS OF EPE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ELVIS PRESLEY™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC, GRANT HARDWICK PHOTOGRAPHY.
WA
Sculpture by the Sea: Cottesloe Beach, Mar 4-21 The white sands of Cottesloe Beach will play host to the 2022 edition of Sculpture by the Sea. More than 70 artists from Australia and abroad will display their eyecatching works along the coastline, creating a striking sculpture park with a spectacular natural backdrop. sculpturebythesea.com Anita Shortland – Rhythms of Place, until Apr 3 Bunbury Regional Art Gallery presents a collection by local artist Anita Shortland, whose vivid acrylic, collage and ink hues applied to wooden panels capture the landscape of Bunbury and represent the symbiotic way her family has interacted with the region for four generations. brag.org.au South West Craft Beer Festival, Mar 5 Beer at the beach? It doesn’t get much better than that! Pouring more than 150 pint varieties against the beautiful backdrop of Signal Park at Busselton Foreshore, the South West Craft Beer Festival includes talks
W E E K E N D AWA Y VIC Glenbosch Wine Estate In the foothills of the Victorian Alps,
the Beechworth wine region is famous for its richly flavoured, intense drops, with chardonnay, shiraz and pinot noir taking top billing. To experience the best of the region’s food and wine, stay at Glenbosch Wine Estate. Sample the winery’s wares at the pretty cellar door, wander over to the à la carte restaurant, then stroll home to your stylish cottage, complete with wood-fired hot tub (omit fire for a cooling splash in the warmer months). 1036 Beechworth-Wangaratta Road, Everton Upper, 1800 959 044; glenbosch.com.au
from brewers, plus live music from a line-up of local musicians and DJs. Meanwhile, the Food Truck Zone offers a range of tasty cuisines. swbeerfest.com.au
TAS
Women-only Photography Escape to Bruny Island, Mar 17-20 Inala is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘a peaceful place’, and Inala Private Conservation Reserve on Tasmania’s Bruny Island is exactly that. The island is home to 95 species of birds – many of which are endangered – as well as breathtaking plant varieties, including 40 species of native orchids. Led by a female guide, this getaway allows guests to develop practical photography skills while getting to know some of Bruny Island’s smallest inhabitants. shutterbugwalkabouts.com.au
NT
fabAlice Festival, Mar 10-13 Prepare to party in Alice Springs, as the Red Centre celebrates community diversity and inclusivity. The FabAlice gala combines drag and cabaret, with something for everyone – including family friendly events, Drag Queen Story Time, night markets, lip-sync battles and more. fabalice.com
Tiwi Islands Football Grand Final and Art Sale, Mar 20 Explore the remote community of Wurrumiyanga, on Bathurst Island, with a day dedicated to football and art. Head to the Tiwi Islands Art Sale for a rare opportunity to purchase world-famous Tiwi arts and crafts, then cheer on the footy Grand Final in the afternoon. munupiart.com
Country Garden art exhibition
Country Style is once again collaborating with Michael Reid Murrurundi for our annual art exhibition, and this year’s theme is the Country Garden. From native plants to manicured lawns, we sing the praises of the Australian country garden. For more, visit michaelreid murrurundi.com.au
© EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC.
SHOPPING LIST
A SPLASH OF COLOUR Want to bathe in colour? Try painting your bath. You can colour fibreglass, porcelain or cast iron with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint – no priming or sanding required. Ombré wall in Wall Paint in Aubusson Blue (top) and Provence (bottom). Bath painted in Chalk Paint in Provence and finished with Chalk Paint Wax. Feet painted in Chalk Paint in Original, plus Lacquer. Floorboards in a wash of Chalk Paint in Old White. anniesloan.com
PATTERN PERFECT
Vivid colour and pattern are interior designer Anna Spiro’s trademarks, and her new book, Anna Spiro: A Life in Pattern, is brimming with inspiration and instruction on how to achieve a maximalist interior without the headache. Anna Spiro: A Life in Pattern ($90, Thames & Hudson), out now.
house to home
FROM BIG-TICKET ITEMS TO PRETTY FURNISHINGS, THESE ARE OUR TOP BUYS THIS MONTH. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES
LIGHT IT UP
PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK STEVENSON
The Brushed Brass Carrie Table Lamp from Oski and Lottie will grace bedside drawers or a side table, with three settings for customisable light. Plus it’s portable, being cordless with a USB charger. Perfect for practically anywhere. Visit oskiandlottie.com.au
HOME AND DRY
Damp isn’t kind to homes – or to people. Mould, allergies, asthma… the list goes on. Made in Japan, Mitsubishi’s new MJ-EV38HR Dehumidifier can remove up to 38 litres of moisture per day; has a laundry setting to dry clothes and shoes; removes particles and dust from the air; and can be attached to a drain, meaning you don’t have to empty the tank. Visit mitsubishielectric.com.au
Sitting pretty
As we limp into the third decade – sorry, year – of the pandemic, home offices aren’t going anywhere. If you’re still on the hunt for that functional yet chic desk chair, Early Settler’s range will turn that bedroom, corner nook or dining table into a stylish haven. Go to earlysettler.com.au > MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 29
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SHOPPING LIST
AT YOURLEISURE
SEALED WITH A KISS
‘Effortless chic’ is an overused term, but it’s one you can truly apply to linen, with its luscious, liquid drapeyness and uncanny ability to keep you warm or cool, just as you need. Carlotta + Gee’s new line of shorts, trousers and shirts in classic white or dusty pink will see you through both days and nights in style. Visit carlottaandgee.com
Iconic cookware brand Le Creuset lets you show your love with heart-shaped stoneware casseroles in Shell Pink and Cerise. At just 10cm, they’re the perfect size to cook a romantic dish for two. For more, visit lecreuset.com.au
SLEEP TIGHT
For 120 years, A. H. Beard has been crafting sleep solutions for Australians. Its new Origins collection, with mattresses made from local wool, cotton and Tencel fabrics, is the country’s first truly sustainable and fully recyclable sleep range. Each mattress is handmade in Australia, supporting local communities. Visit ahbeard.com
CHECK EFFECT
AFTER LAUNCHING INTO SWIMWEAR, FIOLA ROSE SWIM HAS BRANCHED OUT WITH A LIFESTYLE RANGE OF PARASOLS AND DECK CHAIRS IN THE PRETTY GINGHAMS THE BRAND IS FAMOUS FOR. VISIT FIOLAROSESWIM.COM
DRESS IT UP Keep your cool in Binny’s lemon-fresh late-summer range, bringing to mind the sunshine and citrus of Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Visit binnywear.com MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 31
A DAY IN THE COUNTRY Maggie’s inherited tapa cloth serves as a happy reminder of years gone by.
IN THE FRAME A SURPRISE FIND TAKES MAGGIE MACKELLAR BACK IN TIME AND REMINDS HER THAT CHERISHED ART DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PRICEY.
PHOTOGRAPHY SAMUEL SHELLEY, MAGGIE MACKELLAR, BRIGID ARNOTT, MONIQUE LOVICK
AFTER MY FATHER DIED, I WAS SENT several boxes of his
possessions. I put the boxes in a room in the old cottage and shut the door; the thought of sorting through them was too hard. My brother, with less space and therefore less ability to procrastinate, went through his share on the trip back from our father’s home in Melbourne. By the time he got to Sydney, he’d thrown out the bulk. Not so for me. I put off the task for months. My inertia wasn’t helped by the tightening drought, but in the end it was the drought that forced me into action. As the feed bills piled up, it became clear that we needed to convert the cottage into accommodation, for the only thing the drought hadn’t dried up was the flood of tourists streaming past our front gate. The biggest obstacle to getting started on the cottage was the room full of Dad’s boxes. A friend came to help. It took three days, and by the end I had a cleared room, two shoeboxes full of old letters, a few momentos and some photographs. Among the junk there had been some surprises. At the bottom of one box was an old plastic shopping bag. The plastic was rotting with age, but inside, in the same condition it had been in when I last saw it about 40 years ago, was a folded piece of tapa cloth. Tapa is made from the beaten inner bark of the paper mulberry or breadfruit tree. It is used throughout the Pacific Islands for ceremonial clothing, mats and room dividers, and for gifting. The piece I unfolded was very beautiful. The sight of it was like a portal straight back into my childhood – even down to the cheap, brown sticky tape where it had been attached, imperfectly, to the wall.
I rang my brother and the two of us fell down a rabbit hole of memories. “What are you going to do with it?” he asked. I told him I didn’t know… I took the tapa back up to the house and laid it over the bed in my study. The browns, blacks, creams and white glowed in the cool, green room. Running my hand over the cloth, I realised I wanted to hang it again. I made an appointment with Jemima at Wagner Framemakers in Hobart. I arrived feeling a little embarrassed, as Wagner are renowned for the artistry in their framing, and my request seemed sentimental. Along with the leftover sticky tape, the edge of the cloth was worn and marked where it had been folded. But when Jemima spread the cloth out, I knew it wasn’t a mistake to take it there. I told her I imagined it in a floating frame so you could see the texture of the bark and the history of its various lives, so its utilitarian quality is not lost. We settled on a Tasmanian blackwood frame, a colour that draws out the warmth of the dye. The tapa reminds me that art doesn’t have to be expensive to be beautiful or to move you. To have this piece of cloth, crafted somewhere in the Pacific Islands and either bought by or gifted to my father – a cloth that hung on the walls of our very ordinary red-brick house as we grew up, and was then folded away and forgotten, only to be found four decades later – feels like a touchstone of sorts. My study, lined with books and with my labrador snoring under the desk, has an added layer to it now. The tapa glows on the wall and reminds me that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places
MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 33
LIFE ON A STATION
chasing waterfalls WATCHING THE COUNTRY change from the end of the
dry season to the end of the wet season is an amazing experience. It’s also a very hot one. Seeing the mighty storms roll in is my favourite part of summer afternoons. Often, mushroom clouds form, followed by big, black clouds. A sunset with amazing colours leads them in, with lightning blazing in the background. I still find thunderstorms a bit scary and I’m glad that I have two sausage dogs who feel obligated to cuddle me. When there is slow, steady rain – sometimes for days on end – you’re reminded that you are definitely up north and definitely in the wet season. The build-up to the rain involves high temperatures and ridiculous humidity. Sometimes it’s so humid, with hardly any clouds in the sky, and sunshowers form. Hair is fluffy and refuses to conform. Tight-fitting clothes reveal any sweat. And clouds of flies will humbug you wherever you go. Not just one type of fly, either – there are midges that nip, march flies that bite (HARD), and pesky black flies. When there is slow, monsoonal rain for days and days, people find themselves waiting for a break to beat the cabin fever. Personally, I like to go exploring. I recently stayed on a station near Halls Creek, and it rained for three days straight. This meant lots of Uno and tea drinking. Finally, during the rain breaks, we all jumped on motorbikes and went for a ride around. There are amazing waterfalls everywhere. Some have water just flowing off rocks; others have pools deep enough to swim in or jump in. Photos don’t do them justice. Even the drone, which gives a new perspective, can’t capture waterfalls in their true, raw beauty. The smell of rain, the sound of water running, fresh green growth and soft spinifex all contribute to the wholesome feeling you get
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at a waterfall. Spinifex, which is normally spiky and leaves prickles in your hands, is soft in the wet season. I find that so symbolic of the whole season – a plant that cannot be touched in the dry weather is now soft, lush and green. Of course, this type of rain should also come with a warning. It’s very easy to get bogged, especially with the black soil flats and heavy clay soil near rivers and creeks. When driving, you should always carry a sufficient amount of water and snacks, just in case you get bogged or trapped. Remember: there’s not much traffic up here and mobile phone reception is patchy at best. It’s worth the risk, though, for the fat barra and bream on offer in the high, fast-flowing water. (The permanent red pindan stains on your car also don’t seem to matter so much). Driving along the highway, it’s common to see people fishing off the bridge, right on the edge of the highway, as in the dry season there’s just a murky pool of water there. Even crazier is kids jumping off the bridge into the water – a common occurrence. Down the main street, kids float or skid along the roads, which have become rivers. Their ability to fashion old car doors into flotation devices is impressive. On quieter roads, boards and ropes get pulled out of the shed so that kids can ‘ski’ behind a motorbike. With the majority of shops shut during summer and the weather too hot to leave the house, the rain – and all that follows – brings welcome relief. Everything seems big in the north – the skies, the extremes in weather and the massive transformation that occurs. It fills my soul with hope, happiness and optimism. I love it Follow Emma on Instagram @life_on_a_station
PHOTOGRAPHY EMMA MOSS
FOR KIMBERLEY-BASED JILLAROO EMMA MOSS, THE WET SEASON MEANS RAIN, GREEN GRASS, REPLENISHED RIVERS AND SPECTACULAR WATERFALLS.
PEOPLE PORT LINCOLN SA
Q U IE T CO NTEM PL ATIO N PAINTING TAUGHT PORT LINCOLN-BASED ARTIST EMMA FUSS HOW TO PAUSE AND GROW. WORDS GR ETEL SNEATH PHOTOGRAPHY CHR ISTOPHER MOR R ISON
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Giant Dahlias; Pop and Gin; The Greenhouse in Spring; Spring Abundance; Bowlful of Poppies. Emma describes her paintings as “traditional with a modern tilt”. FACING PAGE ‘Cafe au Lait’ dahlias arranged and ready to paint. MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 37
PEOPLE PORT LINCOLN SA
EMMA FUSS HAS ALWAYS MADE ART in some shape or form.
“I can’t remember a stage in my life when I wasn’t drawn to painting, drawing or printing in my free time,” says the artist, who lives in Port Lincoln, South Australia. Creativity took a back seat when her three children were born, but the 40-year-old found a new rhythm when her third child Elsie, now six, discovered afternoon sleeps. “The boys were at school, and I found myself having this housework hour,” she explains of her sons Jim, 12, and Lachie, 11. “I thought, ‘That’s no good – I can’t do housework while she’s sleeping!’” Emma had planned to return to freelance graphic design, but the briefs and deadlines were a juggle. So, she began to paint. “The house was silent, and I would just have a quiet, blissful moment with some paints; it was my little indulgent hour of the day,” she says. As a busy mum holding down the fort while her builder husband, Simon, 41, was working, still life was a natural choice. “I wasn’t about to go out with an easel painting big landscapes, but it also felt familiar and approachable,” Emma explains. “Just the idea of finding things close at hand and putting them together in a pleasing arrangement as a still life, when you’re in that chaos of having little kids, is like having one tiny corner of the house that you can make just right, and then you make a painting of it.” >
38 COUNTRY STYLE MARCH 2022
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Emma describes gardening as a “gift”; capturing the complexity of dahlias on canvas takes patience; sea views across Boston Bay; Emma paints with oils; tending to snapdragons; a piece in progress; country life gives Emma the breathing space to create; “colour is my favourite thing,” she enthuses. FACING PAGE Artwork by Kate Vella hangs alongside a piece from Emma’s Fabric Landscapes series painted in 2019. Below that, local wattle and ranunculus are captured in her work Abundance.
Emma’s creative process begins in the garden, where the changing seasons offer artistic inspiration.
PORT LINCOLN SA PEOPLE
“Gardening is the best gift that painting has given me… the process starts with a seed and ends with a painting.”
MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 41
PEOPLE PORT LINCOLN SA
Emma set herself a target to complete one small painting every day, and would often paint the same subject over and over. “The thing with making one painting per day – instead of trying to work on a small section of a big one – is that you immediately see where you’ve gone wrong and what needs to be improved. So, in theory, the little finished paintings get better every day,” she explains. After an encouraging response to some artwork she shared on social media, Emma held a sell-out exhibition at a local cafe. She called the body of work Silent Afternoons as a gentle nod to those precious hours spent painting while Elsie slept peacefully. “Port Lincoln felt like a very safe space to show my work for the first time, and because we live in a little community, I found that everyone wanted to support me,” she says. While Emma enjoys portraiture and figurative work, there is always a waiting list for her stunning flower paintings. “I have a soft spot for Australian natives, but at the moment, I’m also finding poppies a joy. And if you ask me in dahlia season, it would be dahlias… even though they’re so challenging to paint, with light moving across such a complex form,” she says. “I get to the end and say never again, but then I forget the trauma of it and go again!” The bulk of her inspiration comes from her own backyard, and Emma credits Simon for its bounty and broad colour palette. “Without him, I still wouldn’t be able to grow mint; I definitely wasn’t a gardener, and really only started when I was looking for something different to paint as I had run out of options at the local florist,” she explains. “Gardening is the best gift that
42 COUNTRY STYLE MARCH 2022
painting has given me, and I now consider it part of my art practice; the process starts with a seed and ends with a painting.” Describing herself as a “recovering perfectionist”, Emma adores the wonky beauty of homegrown blooms. “Florist flowers almost don’t look real sometimes. They’re meant to have bent stems and fall over a bit in the vase, reminding us that sometimes things can be better when they’re not perfect,” she says. And while it’s preferable to paint something freshly picked, Emma photographs each composition as a lasting reference. “As invariably, you’ll get halfway through a painting and someone will see a snake or have some sort of catastrophe that needs to be resolved, and by the time you get back to it, everything has wilted or died!” she says with a laugh. While no longer as prolific as she was in her early painting days, Emma finds demand for her work is higher than ever – paintings often sell within minutes of being listed on social media. “It’s been my main marketplace, and I haven’t needed to go beyond that too much,” she says. It’s a bonus given that Adelaide is a seven-hour drive away, but the distance was already working in Emma’s favour long before her first sale. “People ask me about the challenges of being a regional artist, but I don’t think I’d even be doing this if we lived in a large city, where I may feel that pressure of trying to appeal to a particular arts community,” she says. “There’s something about having the breathing space here to be able to have a go.” To see more of Emma’s work, follow her on Instagram @emmafuss
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Delicate poppies are a current favourite; arranging homegrown bouquets; Ranunculus and Waxflower hangs above a tiny portrait of Emma’s nephew Jack; native Australian flora features in many of her works, including this piece titled Silver Princess and Wattle; a coffee break for Emma and her husband, Simon; palette selections mirror nature; pretty garden zinnias, phlox and snapdragons bring cheer. FACING PAGE Country panoramas call for daytrips, daydreams and picnics.
EXHIBITION BUR R A DOO NSW For Alison, hand-building ceramic pieces is a rewarding process. Due to La Niña and a draughty studio, she’s converted her dining table into a workspace. FACING PAGE A loop tool, ideal for carving texture, rests on vintage linen from an old chemise, which Alison uses for rolling slabs of clay. The linen also creates a subtle texture on the surface of the clay.
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CERAMICIST ALISON FRASER MAKES RAW, TEXTURED FORMS THAT CARRY THE HISTORY OF THEIR ORIGINS. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLÉ
EXHIBITION BUR R A DOO NSW
THERE’S SOMETHING RAW AND ELEMENTAL about creating
objects from clay with your hands – and even more so when, as Alison Fraser sometimes does, you’re digging the clay from your own garden. “Burradoo has really red clay,” she says of her home town in the NSW Southern Highlands. “It’s called wild clay. There was a massive brickworks here and a lot of the buildings in Sydney are made from bricks from this district. So 150 years ago they took clay from here, turned it into bricks, fired them and sent them to Sydney – and some of the biggest buildings there are made from clay from here.” To pull material from the depths and craft it into beauty: Alison knows something about that. Her work for the Country Gardens exhibition at Michael Reid Murrurundi focuses on flower vases and was inspired by a very difficult period after her marriage breakdown several years ago. “I left the family home and had to start from scratch,” she recalls. “My parents were coming down for Christmas, so I went to the charity shops to buy my Christmas tableware. It all ended up costing about 50 bucks, but it looked gorgeous – I had all this beautiful old silverware that no-one wanted, and crystal, and plates. The theme I chose was lustrework – everything had to have this gold work on it. Mum cut flowers from the garden and arranged them in the vintage vases, and it struck me that the vases looked
like trophies, and you put your trophy blooms in them. So I made quite formal lustrework vases that are a real ode to what you bring in from the garden.” They may be formal, but they also have Alison’s trademark rough-hewn texture. “Some of them are still a bit wobbly – they do a bit of a curtsy,” she says, laughing. “They dip around a bit.” This is thanks to what she describes as her clumsiness, although it’s also, of course, a deliberate aesthetic. While she was still living in Sydney, Alison was attending a ceramics workshop at Willoughby Arts Centre when her teacher encouraged her to continue with hand-building rather than learn to throw on the wheel. “He said, ‘It’ll take you three years to become competent at throwing.’ I was in my early 40s, and I thought, ‘I haven’t got time, and I really enjoy hand-building.’ I’m also very clumsy – I’ve got slow motor responses – so working with a wheel was almost impossible. I use a slab roller and I make slabs and I coil and pinch, and that’s how I produce the work. I like the materiality of the object itself, and I like the ridges and edges you get when you cut the clay with a wire.” Formerly the owner of a graphic design agency in Sydney, Alison sold the business 10 years ago, seeking a more personal form of creativity. Drawn to clay because her mother had made ceramics in the 1970s, she bought a kiln and started experimenting and attending workshops. >
“I use a slab roller and I make slabs and I coil and pinch, and that’s how I produce the work. I like the materiality of the object itself.”
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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Alison adds intricate detail by hand; vintage French doors usher in light; tools of the trade; rustic mugs; glazing a new mug; the pool house sits adjacent to Alison’s workshop; a vase base takes shape; one-year-old schnauzer Lily is a happy companion. FACING PAGE Alison’s favourite pieces “show the 1970s/Japanese mash-up style that I’m known for. I love making boxy, rectangular vases – they’re great for mixed cuttings from a home garden. The bottle forms are built with coils – that creates a solid silhouette. And bowls are a nice quick device.”
BUR R A DOO NSW EXHIBITION “I use this palette tool for blending, joining and smoothing,” says Alison. “I build each element of the piece separately, then apply a slip – softened clay used as a glue – then I squish the pieces together and smooth over them so it looks seamless.” FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Foliage surrounds the pool house; glazing in progress; garden visits bring joy; Alison creates the foot of a vase.
“I like the ridges and edges you get when you cut the clay with a wire.”
She quickly attracted a loyal clientele for her tableware (including Collette Dinnigan), and then, after moving to Burradoo with her then-husband and two sons, Hugo, now 14, and Fraser, 12, decided to focus on exhibition work. The Country Style exhibition was perfectly themed, she says. “I’ve got a two and a half-acre garden, and I just adore it – I’m always out there. My mother is an incredible gardener – she’s downsized to an apartment now but grows a lilly-pilly hedge on her balcony that’s so successful she harvests the lilly-pillies and makes jam!” Jam-making may not be on Alison’s own list of goals, but she does have an upcoming collaboration with local basket-weaver Brooke Munro, and is planning on giving back to her community. “I’ll be volunteering at a new centre in Bowral called the PopIn Centre – it’s an information and resource centre (not a refuge) for women experiencing domestic abuse and homelessness. I hope to conduct pottery workshops for the women, which I hope will create a gentle framework for conversations and support.” After finding her own way back to beauty through clay, it’s fitting that Alison’s helping other women do the same. For more, visit slabandslub.com.au, and follow Alison on Instagram @slabandslubalisonfraser Alison’s work features in Art of the Garden, Country Style’s exhibition at Michael Reid Murrurundi, corner Boyd and Mayne Streets, Murrurundi, NSW, (02) 6546 6767. The exhibition runs from March 3 to April 3, Thursday to Sunday, from 9:30am-4pm. Visit michaelreidmurrurundi.com.au
MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 49
NA R R A BR I NSW EXHIBITION Stunning florals combine in Brooke’s painting titled From the Garden. FACING PAGE Brooke – with Ringo the miniature schnauzer on her lap and dachshund Rusty at her feet – and several pieces titled (from top) Country Garden, Marjoram in Flower and From the Garden.
BOTANICAL BE AUT Y
NARRABRI ARTIST BROOKE DALTON’S CHEERFUL WORKS FEATURE WONDROUS SCENES INSPIRED BY HER LOVE OF GARDENS AND INTERIORS. WORDS A LICE MOFFITT PHOTOGRAPHY MONIQUE LOV ICK
MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 51
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Acrylic paint suits Brooke’s colour palette and work pace; Cumquats for Jam by Brooke, alongside an abstract painting by Emily Besser, and a gorgeous figurative piece by artist Robyn Rankin below; Brooke finesses a new creation; a tidy trolley helps her keep things in order. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP Brooke’s painting titled Pink Interior; books on gardening and interiors inform her work; an inspiration board in Brooke’s studio. Images like these often end up as paintings within her paintings.
NA RBROOK R A BR I E NSW DA LTON EXHIBITION ARTIST
IN NARRABRI IN NORTHERN New South Wales, the town’s
old ambulance station, a charming 1950s, two-storey brick building, is home to both of Brooke Dalton’s vastly different workplaces. Downstairs is the office of the grain brokering business that she runs with her husband, Steve. Upstairs, however, in the old station manager’s residence, is Brooke’s painting studio. It’s here that she creates interiors, still-lifes and garden-scapes in the loose, brightly coloured style she’s become known for. Narrabri is centrally located in one of Australia’s largest cropping regions, so when harvest kicks into gear each October, Brooke puts down her paintbrushes, closes the door to her studio and focuses on her downstairs day job full-time. And with her two teenage sons home from boarding school for the holidays, it can be a couple of months before she has the chance to paint again. That lost time is made up throughout the year, Brooke explains. “Because I use acrylic paints and they dry quickly, I’m forced to paint quickly, which I actually enjoy. It’s also helpful when I have a short deadline,” she says with a laugh. The 43-year-old confidently uses colour to translate her imagined scenes onto board. “I save a lot of posts on Instagram and tear pages I love out of interiors magazines. Both are huge influences for me in conjuring up scenes and vignettes,” she explains. “It could be a colour scheme, a fabric, a vase, a bunch of flowers, a chair or a garden design that leaps out at me and becomes a starting point. Then a painting will start to form in my mind. Deep down, I’m probably a frustrated designer/gardener/stylist. I also love colour and I think this is reflected in my paintings. I don’t do pastels in my house – or my clothes, either! I love the work of Australian still-life artists John Bokor and Laura Jones and they both have very colourful styles.” It was Steve’s work that brought the family to Narrabri 18 years ago. “I love it here because of the wonderful people and the typically warm, dry climate,” says Brooke. “We bought the old ambulance station a few years ago when the station shifted to the new hospital. That’s when I was finally able to move my painting off the kitchen table.” Although she’s happy to keep her painting studio separate from her home, Brooke says having both the office and studio under one roof is the perfect solution. “I generally have set painting days and work days. It’s too hard to paint and answer the office phones at the same time. But it’s very convenient being just upstairs if my husband needs to ask me something or if I need to quickly sort something out,” she says. Unsurprisingly, Brooke’s studio is bright and colourful and includes a couch where her dogs lie, keeping her company. But it’s not chaotic or cluttered – quite the opposite, in fact. “I’m meticulous in where my paints all go on the metal tool trolley at the end of the day. I don’t >
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EXHIBITION NA R R A BR I NSW
“Because I use acrylic paints and they dry quickly, I’m forced to work quickly, which I actually enjoy.”
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think I could work in too much chaos,” she explains. “I love how when I’m painting for an exhibition the finished works all pile up on the walls. I’m always a bit sad when it’s bare again after I’ve packed them up and it’s ready for a clean before the next one.” Brooke’s creativity isn’t limited to her artwork – she’s explored photography and floristry, and has completed a short course in interior design. Elements of these interests, combined with her university degree in Industrial Design, are all evident in her pieces. As is often the case with mothers of young children, it was only after her youngest went to school, seven years ago, that Brooke finally found the time to dedicate to painting. “I didn’t paint at all when the kids were little as I really need to be in the zone with it,” she says. She’s since become a regular exhibitor at the regional Moree Gallery, and in 2021 had a solo exhibition at the New England Regional Art Museum. Brooke has also previously featured in Michael Reid group and solo shows. This will be the third year she has exhibited in Country Style’s exhibition with Michael Reid Murrurundi. Although she grew up on a grain and cotton property just north of Moree, Brooke wasn’t a typical farm kid, she says. “I wasn’t really an outside sort of kid. I was always drawing or doing craft of some sort. I think my love of interiors, patterns, fabrics and furniture comes from a childhood of crafting and sewing,” she explains. Brooke’s childhood did, however, instil an appreciation for gardening, and she uses her botanical knowledge when conjuring up the scenes in her paintings. “My mum has a lovely garden; I grew up gardening with her,” she says. “Now, we have a cottage-style garden with tough plants that work well in our climate. It’s not formal and can be wild and unruly – especially over the summer months. There’s symmetry with the creative processes involved in painting and gardening, especially when I’m redesigning elements of my garden. I love the layers and contrasting textures, and colours of leaves and flowers.” It’s the perfect subject for her work in the Country Style exhibition – tough, a little wild, but always beautiful. To see more of Brooke’s artwork, follow @bdalton78 and @murraart on Instagram. Brooke’s work features in Art of the Garden, Country Style’s exhibition at Michael Reid Murrurundi, corner Boyd and Mayne Streets, Murrurundi, NSW, (02) 6546 6767. The exhibition runs from March 3 to April 3, Thursday to Sunday, from 9:30am-4pm. Visit michaelreidmurrurundi.com.au Brooke’s work will also feature at Michael Reid’s gallery in the NSW Southern Highlands later this year.
FROM TOP Fine details are added to a work in progress; a peek at From the Garden; sweet dachshund Rusty keeps Brooke company while she paints. FACING PAGE Brooke enjoys a variety of creative pursuits and says it’s a thrill to see her paintings accumulate before an exhibition opens. Here, she displays her works From the Garden (top) and Garden Tea.
EXHIBITION BLACK HEATH NSW Robert works alla prima, creating his landscapes in one take. Here, he’s capturing the glorious prairie garden at Highfields Garden in the Blue Mountains.
the a r t of su r pr ise PAINTER ROBERT MALHERBE’S UNCONVENTIONAL PROCESS RELIES ON FLASHES OF INSPIRATION. WORDS PENN Y CA R ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT
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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Robert says working outdoors makes him feel alive, “because I’m transforming what’s there”; a moody colour palette takes shape; when inspiration strikes, the artist gets to work immediately; Robert prepares his materials in the garden, eager to transfer the beauty before him onto the canvas; Robert paints quickly to capture the energy of the scene. FACING PAGE With its distant mountain views and thoughtful layers of trees, shrubs and flowers, Highfields Garden offers endless material for Robert.
BLACK HEATH NSW EXHIBITION
THERE’S ALWAYS A MOMENT of surprise in Robert Malherbe’s
day, just waiting for the artist to discover it. It could be the very specific way the light is falling on his wife’s neck, or a landscape that he’s painted dozens of times before, rendered new by a change in weather, time or perspective. “I could paint the same view, day after day after day, and it’ll be different every day,” he explains. “For me, the excitement is seeing something – you get that rush from the visual data of what you’re looking at.” When that inspiration drops, Robert can’t be stopped. The 57-year-old is not the type to take a photo and let the image marinate, instead working alla prima (meaning ‘at first attempt’) to capture the experience in one take. “I think the faster you work, the greater the element of surprise, because your hand does things and your brain does things and you might see a patch of yellow, but you push it, and then the whole picture becomes more about the yellow than anything else,” he says. “It’s a very exciting thing, painting.” Based in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Robert has become a familiar sight around the village, often setting up his easel on a street corner or at the scenic lookout Govetts Leap. As a self-taught artist, he was never interested in traditional methods of oil painting that involve layers built up over days: “To me, that was just so tedious. I like the spontaneity of painting an image all in one go, so that’s the way I do it… I get bored very easily.”
That low tolerance for tedium has played an important role in Robert’s life path. Born in Mauritius, Robert and his family emigrated to Sydney in 1971, a time when a French name, accent and olive skin could make life challenging for a young schoolboy. Robert turned to drawing, and at 16 he was ready to swap high school for art school. But, when it turned out he had missed the enrolment period, he bundled his sketches into a portfolio and used them to get a job at an animation studio instead. “You could do things like that back in the ’80s!” he laughs. “I had a very successful career in animation. I worked at Hanna-Barbera and Walt Disney Studios and with that sort of skill it took me to London.” Spending weekends at the Tate and National Gallery in London, Robert was able to indulge his passion for art and painting – he even met his hero, painter Frank Auerbach, on the street in Camden. But it wasn’t until he had moved back to Sydney and met his wife, motion graphic designer Dana Rayson, now 56, that he began to think about swapping animation for an artist’s life. In another unconventional move, Robert decided to make the leap to painting full-time when Dana became pregnant with their first child. “I thought, ‘Well now’s the time to get serious about painting’,” he recalls. “I think the [usual] instinct is, if you’re going to be a dad, to just go out and try and make as much money as possible. >
“What I’m trying to do with painting is take in this visual world and make something of it that is uniquely mine.”
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The diverse Highfields Garden is Robert’s current muse. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT Robert and Milou, the family’s sweet Japanese Spitz, outside their century-old weatherboard home in Blackheath; a landscape painting that will appear in Robert’s Highfields Garden series hangs in his studio.
BLACK HEATH NSW EXHIBITION
My idea was, now I’m going to be a dad, I better be a good dad, which means that I better be the person that I should be. And then the kids can see that as an example that you really can do anything.” It paid off – within a few years, Robert’s work began to sell steadily. He is now a regular finalist in the Archibald and Wynne prize and exhibits frequently, with his work held in public and private collections in Australia, Europe and New York. “After selling my first painting, I knew I couldn’t be stopped,” he says. “It felt like I was setting this little snowball down and it would just get better.” Although Robert and Dana were inner-city types, living and working in Sydney, they wanted to give their children more space to grow. Visits to Dana’s sister in Katoomba introduced them to the mountains and they fell in love with a beautiful 1913 weatherboard home in Blackheath. Moving there 20 years ago was “probably the best decision we’ve ever made,” says Robert. The village offered a fantastic school for their kids, Gisele, now 21, and Fabien, 17, and a close-knit, welcoming community. Robert still has a studio in Sydney, which keeps him connected to the art world. This year, however, a new outdoor studio has captured his imagination. Highfields Garden in Little Hartley is a diverse series of colourful landscapes, ranging from a dry garden to a prairie meadow
and a romantic English garden, created by Robert’s friends David Kennedy and Andrew Dunshea. “It’s superb!” he says. “Walking through Highfields, I thought, ‘I’ve got to paint this, it’s so gorgeous’. So, I asked them if I could haunt the place like a ghost and paint the views, and they said it was a great idea.” It’s not the first time Robert’s been inspired by a friend’s garden – his painting of a majestic property in Ku-ring-gai will appear in the Country Style exhibition at Michael Reid Gallery in Murrurundi. Robert’s excitement for his Highfields project is palpable – after a lifetime of creating art, he’s still energised by the idea of capturing his singular point of view. “What I’m trying to do with painting is take in this visual world and make something of it that is uniquely mine,” he says. “And also, to make an image that feels alive, even when it’s 200, 300 years old. I think that’s very exciting. For more, visit robertmalherbe.com Robert’s work features in Art of the Garden, Country Style’s exhibition at Michael Reid Murrurundi, corner Boyd and Mayne Streets, Murrurundi, NSW, (02) 6546 6767. The exhibition runs from March 3 to April 3, Thursday to Sunday, from 9:30am-4pm. Visit michaelreidmurrurundi.com.au Robert’s Highfields series will be shown at Michael Reid Gallery in Sydney in October.
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COOR A N QLD EXHIBITION Lauren captures a single Singapore daisy in her piece titled Day’s Eye.
Shining a light LAUREN JONES CREATES IMPRESSIONISTIC, ENERGETIC OIL PAINTINGS FROM HER HOME IN THE NOOSA HINTERLAND. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY H A NNA H PUECHM A R IN
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“I like the idea that weeds are considered a pest, but they’re often a beautiful little flower that we don’t notice.”
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COOR A N QLD EXHIBITION
DESPITE OWNING A TREE-FILLED, tropical retreat in
Noosa’s hinterland in Queensland, Lauren Jones doesn’t actually like gardening. If you think this might make it tricky to create paintings for Country Style’s Country Gardens-themed exhibition, you’ve forgotten that artists are in fact alchemists, adept at turning the most unpromising material into gold. “I decided to do a little series on weeds,” says Lauren cheerfully. “I like the idea that they’re overlooked or considered a pest, but they’re often a beautiful little flower that we don’t notice.” No-one notices them, that is, except Lauren’s two-yearold daughter, Maple. “She often draws my eyes to tiny little things she picks up,” says the 33-year-old of the other reason she chose to paint weeds. “It felt fitting.” It’s absolutely fitting, given Lauren’s studio looks out onto rambling gardens that run down to a valley where she often spots kangaroos. “We have a tiny Queenslander,” says Lauren, “and my studio’s underneath the house, which is great because it’s separate and gives me that headspace. It’s not that big, but we painted it all white, so it’s really light, and it’s open on one side to the garden.” This also makes it ideal for her husband Ryan, 33, to pop down and work with her. “He’s a trained picture framer and exhibition installer, and he makes all of my canvases for me,” says Lauren. “I work from photographs a lot, because I’m very particular about the type of light I paint, so he helps me set up photo shoots as well.” What with looking after little Maple and spending two full days a week in her studio, Lauren’s life is busy. It’s convenient, then, that her preferred painting technique is a rapid one. While studying for her bachelor of visual arts at TAFE on the Sunshine Coast, she was introduced to oil painting. “I just loved it. I loved the feeling of it, the colour, how it moved. So then I only painted in oils,” she says. After graduating in 2008, Lauren took a workshop with Archibald Prize finalist Fu Hong on the alla prima technique, which involves painting wet on wet, as opposed to waiting days, sometimes even weeks for one layer of paint to dry before adding the next. “It’s the most impatient way to paint,” says Lauren. “It’s a gratifying > FROM TOP Lauren works on Stem by Stem; weeds are “the downtrodden and overlooked beauty in our natural environment,” says Lauren. “The garden is pruned and manicured in an attempt to eradicate unplanted stems. I like the idea of growing in adversity. The series includes styled jars of weeds – dandelions and Singapore daisies – glowing in a moment of beauty.” FACING PAGE In her well-lit studio, Lauren displays From the Untrodden Path, while Now I See the Beauty I Failed to See hangs above.
FROM BELOW “My art materials sit alongside items that inspire me: jars, bottles, handmade ceramics and little weed blooms. There’s also a postcard of a Lucian Freud artwork Portrait of Lady Elizabeth Cavendish,” Lauren says; cuddles with her long-haired Siberian cat, Sirius. FACING PAGE Lauren’s piece titled You’re Not a Flower soaks up the light in her tropical backyard.
COOR A N QLD EXHIBITION
“I work from photographs a lot, because I’m very particular about the type of light I paint.” way of putting down quick lines, seeing movement and energy. Impressionists used it a lot to capture a fleeting sunset or a fleeting mood. You do it in one sitting, so you just quickly get it down without overly mixing the colours or blending. I don’t like waiting for paint to dry, and I don’t have much time in the studio, so it suits me!” It was Fu Hong who set Lauren on her path to becoming a professional artist. “After the workshop, he had a serious chat with me and told me I should pursue art and study more. It felt like that was a real turning point when I knew I needed to make something serious of this,” she recalls. So Lauren went to Melbourne to study fine art at Monash University. But as with most artistic careers, hers was something of a slow burn. “It’s only in the last year and a half that I’ve really started to exhibit regularly,” she says. “I had a few group shows after uni, but I found it hard to connect to galleries or find a network after I graduated.” That changed when Lauren entered a competition run by CLO Studios in Noosa. She won, and got to exhibit her work at a shop in town. “I had so many opportunities spinning off from there,” she says. “So then I got into
more of a regular painting routine, and that really helped with having work to show people, too.” Now, this year is set to be her busiest yet, with two solo exhibitions at Noosa Regional Gallery, a solo show at Michael Reid Northern Beaches gallery in Sydney, and another solo exhibition at Studio Gallery Group. Added to that, she’ll be doing with Maple just what her own mother did with her: introducing her to the world of art. “We have so many photos of me painting or doing craft with Mum,” says Lauren. “That was really the beginning of it all.” So if you’re looking for Lauren, you know where to find her: in the studio, busy spinning base metal into gold For more, visit laurenjones.gallery or follow Lauren on Instagram @laurenjones_art Lauren’s work features in Art of the Garden, Country Style’s exhibition at Michael Reid Murrurundi, corner Boyd and Mayne Streets, Murrurundi, NSW, (02) 6546 6767. The exhibition runs from March 3 to April 3, Thursday to Sunday, from 9:30am-4pm. Visit michaelreidmurrurundi.com.au
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“After throwing the form on the wheel, I have a canvas to apply texture and colour,” Chrystie says. FACING PAGE The molten vases are inspired by the sea spray and waves breaking on the shore. “For the darker vases, I have tried to replicate the movement of the water as it moves across the sand,” she adds.
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THIR ROUL NSW EXHIBITION
n atural ref l e ctio ns
CLAY IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR THIRROUL-BASED ARTIST CHRYSTIE LONGWORTH, WHO APPROACHES EACH PIECE WITH CURIOSITY AND FLEXIBILITY. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT “I really love focusing on the intersection between the body and the neck. Those little details elevate a piece,” says Chrystie of working with the pottery wheel; Chrystie and Nigel were drawn to the relaxed seaside locality; Dash, the family’s dachshund; greenery surrounds the plank bridge over Hewitts Creek; test tiles for colour selection; Chrystie’s vases are both decorative and functional; the thrill of a piece in progress. FACING PAGE Chrystie’s textured vessels in shades of white, grey and black mirror the tones of nature all around.
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THIR ROUL NSW EXHIBITION
CERAMICIST CHRYSTIE LONGWORTH’S favourite part of
creating fossick vessels and vases is starting with the lump of clay on the wheel. “I may have a slight idea of what I want to make, but if the clay wants to do something else, I let it, because I find that’s what keeps me interested in the process,” she says. Exploring new themes is also a source of inspiration for Chrystie, who recently created pieces that respond to Australian natives for the Michael Reid Murrurundi Country Garden Exhibition. “I love flowers in groups, but especially love them on their own, as they become more sculptural,” the 46-year-old explains. One of the organic vessels is designed for kangaroo paw, while others will hold a single flower, branch or leaf. No two are the same. “I’m curious about what I am making and following my love of colour and form, with no intention to repeat myself,” she adds. “Something I make may trigger an idea and lead me down a path. I love following those threads.”
Chrystie creates in a studio shed in Thirroul, on the NSW South Coast, where she lives with husband Nigel Puckeridge, 48, and their sons Oscar, 16, and Griffin, 11. Fittingly for the exhibition’s theme of country gardens, the family’s large backyard is intersected by Hewitts Creek and Turnbull Gully, while a makeshift timber plank bridge provides access to the relaxed subtropical garden, dotted with tree ferns, staghorns, rock orchids and bromeliads. Nigel, with the help of their architect friend Brent Dunn, designed and built the studio, which is clad in sustainable Paperock (layers of paper pulp bonded with resin). Fortunately, it was completed just before the second lockdown in New South Wales, allowing Chrystie ample space and beautiful light to immerse herself in her work. Chrystie, Nigel and little Oscar moved to Thirroul in 2007 after living in Rose Bay. At the time, Chrystie was working from home as a graphic designer and they were keen to buy. Visiting a friend in Thirroul one weekend, >
EXHIBITION THIR ROUL NSW A collection of earthy greenware vessels before the firing process begins.
the couple was drawn to the ocean, landscape and high escarpment. “We rented a house and within two months, started looking for something to buy here because we loved it,” she says. “It felt like we stepped back in time a little bit, but it’s only an hour and 15 minutes from the city by train. Within a month, we met people who were very generous in inviting us to things and they’re still our friends until this day. We quickly understood that we could fit in here – the place is full of artists and very creative people.” As a child, Chrystie’s favourite thing to do was create maps filled with faraway, fictitious places. She studied printmaking and photography at Sydney College of the Arts, then travelled around Europe for a year. Following that, she enrolled in a multimedia traineeship at Enmore TAFE, then started working professionally in web design. In 2001, Chrystie set up her own business in graphic design and continues to work with clients from her coastal base. It wasn’t until Oscar was six months old that she discovered ceramics, when a friend urged her to attend a class at Bondi Pavilion. “She pulled out after the second class as she found out you have to cut your nails, but I was like, ‘Oh, what is this? It’s amazing!’” says Chrystie. “A lot of graphic designers do pottery because it’s a totally different way of thinking about objects. With graphic design, everything is planned, whereas in ceramics there are rules that the clay imposes upon you, but within those rules you are free to be as creative as you want. I like having rules imposed on me to push against and try to get around. That’s what excites me – I’m always pushing myself.” Another favourite part of the process is arranging pieces together to photograph in her studio. “I love seeing how
they speak to each other, even though I may have no intention of them working together,” Chrystie says. For more than a decade, Chrystie has been a member of Illawarra Potters in Wollongong, where she volunteers: “I have met beautiful, amazing people of all different ages and walks of life. Clay is the thing that brings us together.” In 2014, the artist turned her passion for pottery into a business, creating the brand Cobalt and Kin to sell ceramic works at markets and gift stores. More recently, she has curated pop-ups with other artists, hosted by WorkLife at their co-working spaces on the South Coast. Chrystie is also learning new techniques and working on larger pieces at Gymea TAFE with other potters. All her hard work is paying off: Chrystie was recently commissioned by the National Gallery of Australia to make a collection for the gift store that responds to the work of painter Jeffrey Smart, to coincide with the exhibition. Her works have been exhibited with Michael Reid CLAY for the past two years, and are also available at Geelong’s Greenhouse Interiors and Boom Gallery. “You never stop learning in ceramics,” Chrystie says. “It’s about being open to experiencing new things.” Visit chrystielongworth.com; cobaltandkin.com, or follow her on Instagram @chrystielongworth; @cobaltandkin Chrystie’s work features in Art of the Garden, Country Style’s exhibition at Michael Reid Murrurundi, corner Boyd and Mayne Streets, Murrurundi, NSW, (02) 6546 6767. The exhibition runs from March 3 to April 3, Thursday to Sunday, from 9:30am-4pm. Visit michaelreidmurrurundi.com.au
“I’m curious about what I am making and following my love of colour and form, with no intention to repeat myself.”
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ROOM TO ROA M
MOVING BACK TO THE COUNTRY HAS GIVEN THE ROCHE FAMILY THE CHANCE TO EXPLORE CREATIVITY AND TAKE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THE WAY THEY LIVE AND FARM. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS
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M A NGOPLA H NSW HOME Seven-year-old labrador Poppy waits by the laundry, which holds tile artwork by Julia and her sister, Jacqui Meyers, that was exhibited as part of 8 Artists at Wagga Wagga Art Gallery. FACING PAGE Catching the sunlight in the woolshed, painter Julia Roche takes inspiration from her surroundings.
HOME M A NGOPLA H NSW On display in the entrance hall is Julia’s year 12 art, which she created in life-drawing class while studying French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The house interior is painted in Porter’s Paints K2. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP Michael and Julia with their children, Rosie, Jimmy and Francesca; vibrant wall art by French artist Léa Maupetit.
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ARTIST JULIA ROCHE GREW UP AT WOOROOLA, a mixed
farm 25 minutes’ drive south of Wagga Wagga in New South Wales and recalls endless, carefree days as a child, camping outside under the stars, building treehouses and playing in the woolshed. “I have really positive memories and realise how valuable and important those experiences and opportunities were in my childhood. We created our own adventures and fun,” the 36-year-old says. Julia is now reliving those memories with her own children – Rosie, seven, Jimmy, five, and four-year-old Francesca – since moving back to the family property four years ago with husband Michael, 36, a grain trader who was originally from Adelong. The couple had long discussed the concept of moving from Sydney back to the bush, to give their children a similar upbringing with plenty of space, a sense of community and proximity to grandparents. They have since renovated the 1940s homestead and operate a livestock trading business with Angus cows and composite ewes. For Julia, it’s a departure from painting in a controlled urban environment. Now, she’s focused on creating an uninhibited, ever-evolving narrative of the natural landscape – usually from her vista within the corrugatediron Wooroola woolshed, which was built in 1910. Each painting is left outside in the elements to weather and become imbued with dust, rain and sunlight. “The way I create art is very intuitive and affected by what’s happening around me emotionally and physically,” she explains. “I have a strong desire to keep understanding the history of our landscape and that connection to my space. I’m more considerate of the fact I am working on Wiradjuri land, and the significance that holds and what my place is here.” Last year, Julia was one of five female artists from the Riverina region to exhibit in Regenerative Visions, which examined the connections between art and farming, and the ability to restore the landscape. “Mick and I are trying to do the best we can from a holistic perspective and be more reflective in the way we live and farm,” she says. Julia was thrilled to find a community of like-minded people in regional Australia. “Here I was, coming back from the seaside and living in the country, and I discovered there are groups of artists exploring the intricacies of the landscape. That’s guided me and given me a framework on different ways to investigate the landscape through my art, and connected me to other incredible artists, farming families and people such as Gill Sanbrook of Earth Canvas.” >
The north-facing verandah features flowering camellia planted by Julia’s parents 35 years ago. “We built the deck around it,” Julia says. FACING PAGE The exterior is painted in Porter’s Paints Jute, with French Green on the windows and gutters, and Popcorn on the eaves. 78 COUNTRY STYLE MARCH 2022
M A NGOPLA H NSW HOME
In August 2021, Julia launched a solo exhibition, Under a Winter Moon, with the Murray Art Museum Albury. She created a series of works outside and painted in the moonlight, working with shadows and silhouettes. “It challenged the notion of what we think is right or beautiful,” she says. “Working in the night, with no sense of control in terms of seeing the palette I’m putting down, has been interesting and another layer of letting go. There’s something raw and authentic because it’s not controlled.” That was followed by Julia’s first solo exhibition with Otomys Contemporary gallery in Melbourne, which included a series of 15 originals. Her art continues to be a form of storytelling. “It’s important for me to share and explore regional concerns and celebrations,” she says. This March, Julia will take up an art residency at Geelong Grammar, followed by a show at Rosby Gallery in Mudgee in late May. Later in the year, she will hold another solo exhibition at Otomys from November 3-17. At home, Julia and Michael have made their own imprint on the Wooroola house to create a vibrant abode >
ABOUT THE HOUSE:
• Julia’s favourite local stores include: Ruby Tuesday,
rubytuesdaywagga.com.au; Ted & Olive, tedandolive. com.au; and Texas Jane, shoptexasjane.com. For homewares, Julia heads to The Speckled Hen, thespeckledhenwagga.com. “Joan’s Shoes, Confetti Emporium, My Shed, and Paper Pear are other local stores I get lost in,” she says. “And Wagga is lucky to have The Red Pomegranate, an organic grocer.” Julia sources art supplies at The Sydney Art Store and Southern Buoy Studios. “Nothing like a box of Charvin oil paints and a 15-metre roll of Arches oil paper turning up at your front door!” she says. Local builder Trent Balding, of Balding Constructions, worked on the house. “Trent and his brother renovated our 70-year-old home, seamlessly tying in the old aspects with the new,” Julia says. Meanwhile, painter Brent Seach “is the most innovative and visionary painter I’ve come across!”
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HOME M A NGOPLA H NSW
A vintage Turkish rug, bought by Julia’s father during his travels in the ’90s, lies in the master bedroom. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Giggles on the ute; the 1890s-era Victorian walnut bookcase holds ceramic family portraits that were exhibited at Cadell Place, Wagga Wagga, in 2020; Julia’s childhood cast-iron bed is now in Rosie’s bedroom.
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befitting their young family. They installed new cabinetry and spotted gum boards throughout and refreshed the exterior render with Porter’s Paints Jute, while the windows and shutters are painted French Green. “It has good bones and a good aspect. It’s interesting and quirky, with lots of intriguing parts,” says Julia. “We were lucky enough to keep some of Dad’s antique pieces of furniture, which feel like they belong in the house.” The pair has collected a broad range of artwork. “We have some gallery works we’ve invested in, but a lot of the paintings around the home are by our children, my folks or local artists, including works by my talented sister, Jacqui Meyers, and her colleagues, who sell through Wagga’s supported art studio, The Art Factory,” says Julia. “The kids did a beautiful oil stick on cotton rag piece for Father’s Day last year, which hangs above our bed. Rosie did an enormous canvas that is pink and sparkly and hangs in the kids’ room. She has made a bit of name for herself over that piece and has had offers to buy it!” Julia and Michael love giving their children a rural upbringing. “We are so lucky with the garden and space – the kids have the ability to be outside and muck around,” Julia says. “They are aware of how important nature is; they play in it, feel it, and hopefully they will grow up with a sense of how important and informative it was for them, just as it was for me.” For more, visit juliaroche.com.au or follow Julia on Instagram @_julia_roche
HOME M A NGOPLA H NSW CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Julia at work in the repurposed woolshed; By night, of night by Nicole Kelly, along with ceramic nudes by Julia; concept mock-ups; Michael and the children, watched by Angus cattle. FACING PAGE Julia paints atop the granite rock in Picnic Paddock: “It’s our place to go for everything.” Her brother was married here, while the family enjoys camping under the stars.
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“I have a strong desire to understand the history of our landscape.”
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NA R R AWA NSW HOME Simon Kensit and Penny Sheehan love exploring the vast fields of Moorabinda, where Simon grew up. FACING PAGE Penny inherited the Indigenous artwork (artist unknown) from her grandmother. It sits beside Atham-areny by Angelina Ngale, and a reprint of a 1947 Matisse poster in the yellow dining room.
A HUMBLE 1950S FARMHOUSE HAS BEEN REVITALISED WITH A VIBRANT PALETTE, MASTERFUL LAYERS OF PATTERN AND CHERISHED ARTWORKS. WORDS PENN Y CA R ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS
HOME NA R R AWA NSW
THE ROAD TO MOORABINDA IN NARRAWA, western New
South Wales, winds through an undulating landscape dotted with mossy rocks, grazing sheep and sleepy towns. The bucolic scenery is so reminiscent of English and Irish countryside, it makes perfect sense that this merino farm’s restored homestead feels just as charming. The pastoral setting inspired interior designer Penny Sheehan, 28, to embrace an English cottage feel when she took on the revamp of the four-bedroom home, owned by her partner Simon Kensit, 30. Built in 1954, the house was where Simon’s father, David, had grown up, but by the time Simon bought it from his parents in 2017, it had been uninhabited, then leased, for several years. So, the house was somewhat run-down when Simon took Penny to look at it in early 2020, with a view to making it their future home. Far from being daunted, Penny was excited. “I just saw so much potential, in that it already had pretty good bones, so you could really transform it and bring it back to life without spending too much money,” she recalls. “We saw it as our little project.” It was also the perfect opportunity for Penny, who works with interior designer Anna Spiro in Brisbane, to stretch her design wings. The only hiccup was the pandemic, which kept the Queensland-based pair at arm’s-length
from the project. Apart from a working bee with family during a break in lockdowns in 2020, Penny directed the eight-month renovation from a distance, using FaceTime calls with their builder and Simon’s parents, who also live on the 1600-hectare property, to keep track of progress. Penny wanted to restore the character of the old home, so individual rooms for kitchen, dining, living and sunroom remain, in defiance of modern open-plan trends. The biggest change was in the kitchen, where they removed the retro cabinetry, knocked down an internal wall and installed a skylight to transform the formerly dark space into a bright and airy hub for casual meals. Simon was happy to give Penny free rein on the design, which prompted a bold palette of pink, green, yellow and blue. “I was very lucky to not have someone who wanted everything white!” Penny says, laughing. “I just felt in a place that can get quite cold and dreary in the winters, it’s nice to have something like this that is so uplifting.” From the pale-pink living room (Dulux Ellen halfstrength) to the sunny dining room (Porter’s Paints Turmeric), every space has its own personality. But Penny has cleverly kept it cohesive, taking inspiration from a floral fabric she had stashed away for years, now sitting >
“I saw so much potential… you could transform the house and bring it back to life… We saw it as our little project.”
CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Simon and Penny; the floral couch cushion inspired the palette for the house. On the wall, two vintage embroideries were updated with neon frames; a quiet spot for relaxing; the green fireplace contrasts with the pink walls, which hold Penny’s still-life piece, titled November Lillies and Persimmons. FACING PAGE Pretty views of the dam.
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pretty as a cushion on a blue gingham couch. “I always loved the palette of colours in that fabric, so I drew from that a lot,” she explains. Timber floorboards, wicker accents and dark antique furniture help to ground the cheery hues. But it’s the layers of pattern – in upholstery, bed linen and curtains – that bring the look together, Penny notes. “You don’t want it to feel like a kaleidoscope of colour, but I think as you go from the yellow to the pink to the blue and green bedrooms, it has a flow to it because the fabrics do as well.” The green-painted brick fireplace in the living room was a happy accident, Penny shares. She originally intended to paint it pink, but when she tasked her sister, Emma, with the job during their working bee, Emma reached for the green instead. “I hate to say, but it was almost a mistake,” she says. “It looks so much better to have that contrast.” It’s not Emma’s only contribution to the house: she also painted a still life, Breakfast at Moorabinda, which now sits on the mantelpiece – and has serendipitously kicked off Emma’s career as a sought-after artist. Simon’s mother, Pam Kensit, is also an artist, painting abstract portraits > CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Penny picks crabapples in the garden. “We love this tree because of the beautiful red – it’s the only colour we get in winter,” she says; a vibrant still-life by Charlotte Thodey is on display in the kitchen; antique timber furniture strikes the right English cottage note. FACING PAGE Replacing the roof allowed Penny to add a skylight to usher light into the kitchen. She also sourced a large table for shared meals.
NA R R AWA NSW HOME
ABOUT THE HOUSE:
• Penny chose a range of colours to create a “neo-traditional” look,
including: Porter’s Paints in Turmeric for the dining room; Villa for the fireplace and master bedroom; Jodhpur Blue (half-strength) for the kitchen cabinetry; and Water Nymph for the twin bedroom. Dulux Ellen (half-strength) is the soft pink in the living room, while Dulux Wink is the pretty blue in the bedroom. The key to pulling off a wide-ranging palette is having distinct rooms, allowing natural start and end points for colour, says Penny. “It means you can create different stories in each room.” Penny scoured auctions for affordable paintings: “They have an interesting mix of prints and they’re beautifully framed.” She also sourced furniture from auction houses Leonard Joel and Lawsons. Sydney stores Lunatiques and The Bay Tree are two of Penny’s favourites. She also loves Empire Revival in Brisbane for unique trinkets and accessories.
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HOME NA R R AWA NSW Moorabinda is in the Upper Lachlan region, which sits high in the Great Dividing Range. It’s a spectacular sight when moody, misty clouds linger in the early morning.
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“It’s a pretty special place to be, tucked away in amongst the hills – you feel as though you are worlds away from the city.”
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT In the guest room, a suzani quilt from Uzbekistan sits alongside vintage curtains; Pam converted a machinery shed into her art studio, where she paints landscapes and abstract portraits; the Indigenous artwork (artist unknown) is from Penny’s family collection: “I feel good surrounded by colour”; Moorabinda entrance. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP Pam with Jack Russell terrier Audrey; light, shadows and clouds create a dreamy scene.
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NA R R AWA NSW HOME
and landscapes of the local area and her native Ireland in a converted shed on the property. Pam, who was recently elected mayor of the Upper Lachlan Shire, is now painting one of Moorabinda’s panoramic views to add to the home’s colourful walls, at Penny’s request. “Her work is deeply rooted in the country; the colours are very earthy but vivid,” Penny says. While she contributed some of her own works to the home gallery, it’s the interiors that are Penny’s masterpiece; she confesses that she kept the project under the radar from her boss while she found her groove. “I really wanted it to be something that I did on my own,” she explains. Not surprisingly, the finished result got a glowing review from Anna Spiro. Penny and Simon are yet to make the homestead their base; they’re now living in Emerald in Queensland, where Simon manages a Wagyu feedlot, and Penny commutes to Brisbane once a month for work. But they embrace every opportunity to visit Moorabinda, where they can go on long walks around the paddocks and swim in the Lachlan River. “It’s a pretty special place to be, tucked away in amongst the hills – you feel as though you are worlds away from the city,” says Penny, who enjoyed her own rural upbringing in Dubbo. “I’d definitely like to live there [one day]; it’d be a beautiful place to raise a family.” Until then, they’re gladly sharing the joy of Moorabinda with others as an idyllic country getaway. For more information, visit moorabindaguesthouse.com
GARDEN TR ENTH A M V IC
u se of spa ce FOR HOMEOWNER AND GARDEN DESIGNER SIMON RICKARD, THIS PLOT IN COUNTRY VICTORIA PROVED PERFECT FOR A TRADITIONAL LAYOUT. WORDS H A R R IET SIM, H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY CLA IR E TA K ACS
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Simon’s front garden is based on the bold forms of plants such as Melianthus major, Beschorneria yuccoides, Cordyline australis ‘Purpurea’ and Cupressus sempervirens ‘Glauca’.
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Simon shares his passion for horticulture through garden design, coaching, lectures and workshops; Phyllostachys vivax ‘Aureocaulis’ backlit by the morning sun; Cordyline indivisa; Helleborus foetidus ‘Wester Flisk’; early autumn is on display in the charming woodland garden; Miscanthus ‘Flamingo’ is a graceful ornamental grass.
TR ENTH A M V IC GARDEN
GARDEN DESIGNER AND PLANTSMAN Simon Rickard has
had his hands in the earth all his life. His love of the great outdoors, nurtured by his grandmother, led to a job as the head gardener at Victoria’s Diggers Club gardens of Heronswood and St Erth, followed by a stint as the market gardener for restaurateur Annie Smithers. He also gained valuable experience overseas as a guide on garden tours. Every one of those years of experience came in handy when Simon began creating his own garden at home 17 years ago. “The block was completely bare when I moved here,” explains Simon, who lives in Trentham, Victoria. “Everything in the photos has been designed and grown since I had the house transported from Melbourne to the country in 2005.” While cultivating this glorious space, Simon was inspired by the traditional gardening style he grew up with, as practised by his English grandmother. “I love British Arts and Crafts gardens,” he says of the movement towards handcrafted works that began in the mid-19th century in Britain and flourished until the 1920s. Renowned Australian garden designer Edna Walling was one of its foremost proponents locally. “One of the features of that style is the division of the garden space into separate ‘rooms’, each with its own personality,” Simon adds. “The Escallonia x ‘Iveyi’ hedging was a way to divide my garden in this way, creating public and private spaces within it.” Although inspired by the past, Simon’s own approach to the outdoors is considerably more contemporary than historical. “Gardens are a product of their age, so there is no point trying to re-create Downton Abbey if you don’t also retain an army of garden staff to husband it,” he says. “I prefer to work within the scope of my climate, and create something new, which talks to the architecture.” That architecture is a pretty weatherboard house that dates from the 1930s. “My house faces west – a blessing in this climate – and I planned the front garden with an eye for how it would look from my living room, backlit by the evening sun. Hence the heavy use of grasses, which shimmer and sway in the breeze,” says Simon of his creative process. Once the house was in place, the garden plan became clear to him. “The space was naturally divided by the house, driveway and utility areas, and I applied my plantsmanship skills to making those spaces either beautiful or productive,” he says. The house played a big part in the design in another way, too: it was painted to match the garden. “Perhaps I was suffering from a midlife crisis when I decided to paint it a bold single colour, or perhaps I wanted my house to >
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GARDEN TR ENTH A M V IC Autumn splendour in the front garden, as Cornus sericea ‘Baileyi’ uncovers its red winter twigs, and the flower heads of Miscanthus transmorrisonensis take on a silver hue.
“I wanted the garden to feel lush and exuberant, with seasonal highlights of flowers, autumn hues and winter twigs and forms.” MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 99
GARDEN TR ENTH A M V IC
reflect my personality: courageous but hopefully tasteful,” Simon says. “I auditioned nine different paints before deciding on a Porter’s Paints shade called Red Lantern.” The deep hue certainly stands its ground against the abundance of plants. “The front garden has a lot of dark red foliage and flowers in it, to go with the house colour,” he says. “I’ve included lots of brighter apple greens and glossy dark greens to counterbalance that.” Although Simon uses colour with an assured, painterly eye, he believes structure is the foundation of any great outdoor space. “I think shapes are more important than colours in gardens,” he explains. So, he designed the front garden based on plant forms and foliage textures, using flowers as a garnish rather than the main event. As guests move about this garden, the rich diversity of textures and forms whisper a story of life and renewal. “I wanted the garden to feel lush and exuberant, with seasonal highlights of flowers, autumn hues and winter twigs and forms,” says Simon. Influenced by Trentham’s cooler climate, the garden is awash with berries and plants from the high altitudes typical of cooler Mediterranean climates such as the Andes mountains in Chile and the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa. Despite the eclectic mix of plants, though, there are some types he’ll never be able to grow successfully here. “My winters are very cold and long, and summers are short and relatively cool. I can’t even grow tomatoes in this climate,” says Simon. “I’d love to be able to grow a lemon tree, gardenias, and some of the beautiful desert mallee eucalypts, but it is not to be.” Within his climatic limits, though, he’s made a space that is a sight to be relished all year round. Throughout summer, the privy garden, inspired by Baroque palaces such as Hampton Court, is designed to be chest-deep in bold flowers. In the cooler months, Simon’s favourite spot is his front garden, where Nyssa sinensis and Cotinus ‘Grace’ combine with ornamental grass seed heads, rosehips and autumn-flowering bulbs for an effusive last hurrah before winter. “I particularly love autumn, with its mild weather, brilliant foliage colour, and smell of nostalgia in the air,” Simon says of his favourite season. As for his favourite plant: “It changes weekly. Last week, it was my delicious raspberries; this week, it’s perfumed oriental lilies.” For more, visit simonrickard.com or follow Simon on Instagram @simon_rickard
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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Hylotelephium ‘Purple Emperor’; the pink seed heads of Aralia elata ’Silver Umbrella’; Viburnum davidii; Berberis thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea’; a tapestry of mat-forming plants; the trumpet-shaped, highly fragrant Lilium ‘Lankon’; vibrant Salvia nemorosa subsp. tesquicola stands out in a sea of greenery. The house beyond is painted in Porter’s Paints Red Lantern.
DOWN THE GARDEN PATH
Tiny weeds can cause big problems yearround in the garden.
woe a mong the weeds HELLO, MARCH! I wonder what kind of summer you had
at your place. Here in Gerringong, it was wet and warm, and I’ll be honest: the weeds have just about overtaken me. At the farmers’ market every week, people are talking to us about their out-of-control gardens, and it seems everyone is battling new and old weeds, as well as familiar and unfamiliar bugs. There’s a general sense of dishevelment, overgrowth, chaos and exasperation with the weed load in the garden. SO MANY WEEDS! If this is you, too, you’re definitely not alone. At Buena Vista, we planted new gardens around our old farmhouse in spring last year – beds full of roses, salvias, lavender and cosmos. We started so cleanly, with tidy edges and a neatness to the deliberately rambling cottage gardens. Today, there is also an awful lot of kikuyu that I need to deal with, as well as dandelion, thistles and common nightshade. But, this year, there is nothing as virulent as the onion weed. Oh my goodness, it has taken hold and, so far, our best efforts to subdue it have been for naught. I’ve developed very strong feelings about onion weed. We’ve repeatedly and laboriously dug it out by hand. It came back. We’ve tried solarising it – by which I mean covering whole garden beds with black plastic for up to two months. It came back. We’ve tried to overplant it with anything that may overcome it, but it’s obviously a triffid. Nothing will beat it! I’ve seen earnest homesteaders use onion weed for pesto and pickles – I cannot bring myself to be at all friendly towards it or invite it into my kitchen. My last resort for its demise is an organic spray called Slasher, which was recommended by a friend, but its application requires dry weather – something we’ve had very little of this summer. I’ll report back. I love the idea of eating weeds. So frugal. Very permaculture. I’ve harvested and dried dandelion root,
but personally I don’t find it a sufficient substitute for coffee (things just don’t get done if I’m powered by dandelion instead of caffeine). I’ve used chickweed in salads, and diligently harvested and cooked purslane as a side green. Frankly, it’s just not as satisfying as the spinach growing alongside it. I’m a huge fan of the idea of eating weeds, but someone made me a weed salad once and… well, it tasted pretty ‘weedy’. I will weed out the chickweed and grow more rocket, thanks anyway. (You go right ahead and put mallow or lamb’s quarters on your sandwich, you good thing.) The wet summer has brought out the bugs, too. There are snails on the dahlias, aphids on the kale, and lacewings smashing through the lemon balm. In the past, we’ve dealt with bugs by introducing other bugs (sounds like a familiar recipe for disaster… hello, cane toads!). However, it usually works. We introduced nematodes into the flower garden last year to eat the aphids that were killing the cosmos, and they did a fine job. No complaints. Nice work, nematodes. I love that there is a whole business called ‘Bugs for Bugs’. We’re all for natural solutions here. If I could find a beetle that would eat all the roots of the onion weed, I’d be a very happy woman. Obviously, a good natural solution to the perennial weed problem is a sensible planting plan that doesn’t leave wide, open spaces for kikuyu and grasses to crowd into. Weed matting. Mulching. Interplanting. Perhaps some good edging. Oh, and don’t let the weeds flower. But if they do, you’ll find that the annual mallow has the prettiest pink bloom, and the comfrey has a delicate purple, bell-like flower, and the flower of the onion weed smells truly gorgeous. (Note: you can smell it as you stomp on it. Ineffective weed control, but very satisfying) Follow Fiona on Instagram @buenavistafarm
“If I could find a beetle that would eat all the roots of the onion weed, I’d be a very happy woman.”
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PHOTOGRAPHY FIONA WEIR WALMSLEY
Fiona Weir Walmsley is in a race against time to banish the dreaded garden weeds.
IN THE GARDEN
SHOW & TELL
In March, Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens play host to the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest horticultural event, the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. This year, inspirational show gardens include balcony spaces and urban plots; workshops and talks are on floral and botanical themes; the Diggers Club will showcase heirloom vegetables and flowers; and there’s free advice at the Landscape Advisory Centre. From March 30 to April 3. Visit melbflowershow.com.au
in the garden WHAT TO PLANT, BUY AND TRY THIS MONTH. Send your garden news to austcountrystyle@aremedia.com.au WORDS H A NNA H JA MES
Turning over a new leaf
The rise of house plants is one of the biggest interiors trends we’ve seen in recent years. This glorious coffee table book celebrates interiors where greenery rules, with beautiful images of homes around the world whose owners explain how and why they chose the plants they live with. A New Leaf: Curated Houses Where Plants Meet Design, by Jennifer Haslam and Pip McCormac ($60, Hardie Grant), is out now.
Slip and snip
PHOTOGRAPHY MARK ROPER, SARAH PANNELL
DRINK UP
VEG OUT Autumn is the time to get planting as the weather cools. Start sowing: • Brussels sprouts • Beans • Cabbage • Cauliflower • Parsley • Parsnips • Radishes • Sweet peas
Growing plants is rewarding on many levels – but consuming what you produce is among its greatest joys. And growing your own cocktail garnishes is a simple way to fancy up a pre-dinner drink. The Botanist Gin has teamed up with The Plant Mail to create a cocktail set consisting of a bottle of gin and rosemary in a pretty pot – a perfect gift (or gift to self). $104, theplantmail.com.au
Merry People’s much-loved waterproof boots now come in a clog version for quick trips to the shops or long days spent pruning or weeding in the garden. Like the Bobbi boots they’re based on, the Billie clogs have a waterproof outer, neoprene lining, arch support and grippy soles. Visit merrypeople.com
WATER WISE Gardeners love the land, and using sustainable tools is a small way to help future generations enjoy it, too. Nylex’s new ReTh!nk range of watering accessories is made from recycled plastic and includes a 20-metre hose, spray guns, watering nozzles and hose connectors. For more, visit bunnings.com.au MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 103
K ITCHENS A ND BATHROOMS DECOR ATING
I S. BEAUTIFUL DETAILS AND CAREFUL COLOUR CHOICES GIVE KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS A GLOW.
PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON STYLING BELLE HEMMING BRIGHT
WORDS H A NNA H JA MES
A palette of pink running from walls to tiles harmonises this tiny kitchen in Ballarat, Vic, while sweet vintage details bring personality and style.
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DECOR ATING K ITCHENS A ND BATHROOMS Lighting in just the right spot means cooking’s a breeze. FACING PAGE The kitchen is kitted out with all the essentials – yes, that means coffee.
PR E T T Y I N PI N K
SMALL IN SIZE, BIG IN IMPACT: THIS COMPACT, COLOURFUL KITCHEN IS A MASTERCLASS IN STYLING AND SMART USE OF SPACE.
THE FIRST THING YOU SEE IS THE PINK, of course: the
same fresh sorbet shade covering walls, tiles, shelves and corbels. (The walls are Porter’s Paints Victoriana at half-strength; the tiles are Meca ceramic tiles in Blush from Perini Tiles.) But the colour is only one part of the puzzle. It’s the details that make this kitchen sing. A custom-made Australian hardwood benchtop from Robert Sim Building Supplies in Ballarat elevates the space while ensuring it’s decidedly country in feel, while beneath it, curtains in place of cabinet doors underline that rustic inspiration. A simple jute rug from Spotlight, a vintage wooden stool and a pendant light from Fat Shack Vintage bring the look together and ensure that despite its small size, the kitchen is a favourite spot for people to congregate. A servery hatch to the garden keeps guests fed and watered. “Despite being narrow and tucked away at the back of the house,” says owner Kirby Kaye of the room, “it’s a great space for entertaining.” To book, visit settlerandsons.com.au >
GET THE LOOK
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Neutrals in contrasting textures deliver a rustic, earthy finish. Add light with soft pink, white and granite touches.
PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON STYLING BELLE HEMMING BRIGHT, KATE LINCOLN
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1 Industrial steel pendant, from $179, from Temple & Webster. 2 Jude linen apron in Olive, $80, from Cultiver. 3 Yufka 60cm grazing board, $119, from Saardé. 4 Larder M jar, $12.95, from Provincial Home Living. 5 Bramble rug in Natural, from $390, from Armadillo. 6 Lawson stool, $139.95, from Provincial Home Living. 7 Granite mug in White, $39.95 (pack of four), from Robert Gordon. 8 Meca ceramic tiles in Blush, $119/m2, from Perini.
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DECOR ATING K ITCHENS A ND BATHROOMS The Bjorn arch mirror from RJ Living sits over the new vanity and brass taps. FACING PAGE Tumbling pothos plants soften the space.
TIME AFTER TIME A MIX-AND-MATCH APPROACH TO ERAS – A VICTORIAN-STYLE BATH; A CONTEMPORARY SINK – CREATES ECLECTIC CHARM.
HOW DO YOU MAKE A RECENT RENOVATION into your own?
For owner Kirby Kaye (whose Ballarat kitchen was featured on the previous page), it involved retaining the roll-top, clawfoot bath the home’s previous owners had installed, along with the existing black tapware. But the unrelenting black-and-white palette didn’t suit her vision for the room. “It was a little too stark for me,” she explains. “So we added an arched mirror, textured, matte wall tiles and brass bib taps for warmth and softness.” A new vanity from Highgrove Bathrooms, with a custom Australian hardwood benchtop by Robert Sim Building Supplies, with a round white basin sitting atop it (the Eden sink in Matte White, also from Highgrove Bathrooms), fulfilled the ‘warm it up’ brief, too. The finishing touch was the brass tapware, which Kirby sourced from Restoration Online – they’re the CB Ideal flanged bibcock taps in Lea Wheeled Brass, and are accruing a weathered, antique patina as time passes. “It now feels softer and more subtle, just with the addition of these warm materials,” says Kirby. And that’s how you do it. >
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GET THE LOOK
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Smooth surfaces, muted tones and chrome extras create a sleek setting for pampering and daily maintenance.
PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON STYLING BELLE HEMMING BRIGHT, KATE LINCOLN
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1 Perrin & Rowe freestanding shaving or vanity mirror, from $935, from The English Tapware Company. 2 Standard pull handle in matte black 9669, $12.75, from Paddington Hardware. 3 Bali stone lava matte tiles (200mm x 200mm), $99.95/sqm, from National Tiles. 4 Dotto coffee mug bundle, $17.99, from Living By Design. 5 Kado Era chrome pillar tap, POA, from Reece. 6 Studio 1 Windsor 1700mm clawfoot bath with matte black legs, $1099, from Harvey Norman. 7 Pure linen towel bundle in Forest, $245 (includes two bath towels, one hand towel, one wash cloth and one cotton bath mat), from Cultiver. 8 Mondella matte black resonance pin lever bath set, $117, from Bunnings Warehouse. 9 Sans (ceuticals) pH perfect body and hand wash, $53, from Mecca.
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DECOR ATING K ITCHENS A ND BATHROOMS
M AT E R I A L WOR L D HISTORY MEETS THE PRESENT WITH A CAREFULLY CURATED MIX OF ANTIQUES AND MODERN MATERIALS.
The kitchen at Harts Lane has views from Mt Franklin to Wombat Hill. FACING PAGE A prett y courtyard forms the view from the bathroom.
BRINGING A 157-YEAR-OLD HOME UP TO DATE is a mammoth
task, but it was one interior designers Simon Carver and Stuart McKenzie undertook not once, but twice. They first renovated their original miners’ cottage in Daylesford, which dates back to 1865 and is one of the oldest buildings in town, back when they bought it 25 years ago. They’ve since completed another overhaul, incorporating contemporary materials and blending them with antique finds to create a deliciously lived-in, layered interior. You might not see a historic cottage and immediately think ‘concrete’, but in fact, cast into a durable benchtop, it’s a material that’s perfectly in keeping with the building’s hardworking past. Above the window, which frames a slice of the garden, jars and platters sit on black-painted shelves. The bathroom has an equally intimate relationship to the garden, leading to a tranquil courtyard with a pond and trees. “Contemporary art and materiality are a big part of my design aesthetic,” says Simon, and that’s evident from these carefully curated rooms. To book, visit hartslane.com 2
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GET THE LOOK Refresh bathrooms and kitchens with statement furniture that doubles as storage, and classic country decor.
PHOTOGRAPHY LEANN TIMMS STYLING LYNDA GARDENER, KATE LINCOLN
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1 Vivid slimline plus wall basin/bath outlet 180mm, POA, from Phoenix Tapware. 2 Cotton pendant, $295, from St Barts. 3 Linden 30cm platter, $109.95, from Salt & Pepper. 4 Apron sink (595mm x 475mm), $1299, from Early Settler. 5 Chartwell Home Pale Turquoise 37cm cadence ceramic vase, $219, from Temple & Webster. 6 Oia marble bedside table in Black, $355.50, from Life Interiors. 7 Ariana four-door black buffet, $2499, from Attica House. 8 Vivid slimline pull out sink mixer, POA, from Phoenix Tapware. 9 Blue Mazarine medium rectangle baking dish, $49.99, from Ashdene.
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RECIPES AND WORDS SOPHIE H A NSEN A ND A NNIE HER RON
PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING SOPHIE HANSEN
FOOD WRITER SOPHIE HANSEN HAS TEAMED UP WITH HER MOTHER, ARTIST ANNIE HERRON, IN A NEW BOOK THAT CELEBRATES COOKING, CRAFT AND ART.
FOOD Enjoy a slice of strawberry and pecan streusel cake (page 114). FACING PAGE Take time out to notice the small joys, such as seasonal changes in the garden.
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FOOD FACING PAGE Annie’s painting of a cheerful kitchen table setting inspired the book cover; Annie and Sophie; garden delights; moreish florentines.
CREATIVE EXPRESSION COMES in many forms, and for author
and food writer Sophie Hansen and her mother, artist and sculptor Annie Herron, their greatest joy comes from cooking (and eating) delicious food together and sharing their many artistic skills. Sophie and Annie have combined their passions in a beautiful new book, Around the Kitchen Table: Good things to cook, create and do – the whole year through. Celebrating the four seasons, Around the Kitchen Table is brimming with recipe ideas for meals and treats that can be enjoyed together; art and craft ideas for all ages; and easy-to-follow instructions for edible gifts. From beach picnic provisions to tasty preserves to warming soups and giant chocolate chip cookies, there are meal and activity suggestions for every occasion throughout the year. A colourful autumn wreath welcomes the cooler weather, while handmade decorations and feast favourites help to create a festive atmosphere at Christmas. While the dinner is cooking, follow Annie’s expert guide to painting birds or using watercolours. Enjoy the opportunity to take time out and cook or create something every day of the year. Here are some tasty recipes to try this weekend… >
STRAWBERRY AND PECAN STREUSEL CAKE Serves 6
Celebrate spring’s new-season strawberries and the mellow sweetness of pecans in this wonderful slice-like streusel cake. It’s especially good with any berries, but it’s also worth trying with rhubarb or stone fruit once they come into season. ½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, softened ½ cup (110g) caster (superfine) sugar Grated zest of 1 orange 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 eggs, at room temperature ½ cup (75g) plain (all-purpose) flour ½ cup (50g) almond meal 1 teaspoon baking powder A pinch of sea salt ¼ cup (70g) plain yoghurt or buttermilk 2 cups (300g) strawberries, hulled and quartered
STREUSEL TOPPING
75g (2½oz) unsalted butter ¼ cup (55g) white (granulated) sugar ¼ cup (35g) plain (all-purpose) flour ¼ cup (60ml) thick (double) cream 75g (2½oz) roughly chopped pecans Icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease and line a 22cm (8½ inch) square cake tin with baking paper. Beat the butter, sugar, orange zest and vanilla in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping
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every now and then to scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt and yoghurt or buttermilk and beat for 1 minute or until well combined. Transfer the batter to the cake tin and smooth the top. Scatter the strawberries over the top and push them into the batter a little. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes or until risen, pale golden and almost cooked. About halfway through this initial cooking time, prepare the topping. Combine the butter, sugar, flour and cream in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to bubble and everything is melted into a gorgeous golden caramel. Take the cake out of the oven – it should be just pale golden on top and cooked enough to ‘hold up’ the caramel and nuts. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the cake, then pour the caramel over the top. Gently spread the topping with a spatula so it covers as much of the top of the cake as possible. (Don’t worry if it doesn’t cover the cake entirely – it will spread further as the caramel cooks.) Return the cake to the oven and bake for a final 25 minutes or until the caramel is golden and the cake is cooked through. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then lightly dust with icing sugar and serve warm with cream, yoghurt or ice cream.
FLORENTINES Makes about 18
Florentines are so easy and they don’t need any oven time. They also make a great ‘thanks for having me’ present. ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter 100g (31/2oz) caster (superfine) sugar ½ cup (100g) brown sugar 2½ tablespoons single (pure) cream 200g (7oz) flaked almonds ⅔ cup (100g) dried cranberries 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 200g (7oz) chocolate (milk, dark or white – your call!)
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Cook the butter and sugars, stirring, for 5 minutes or until you have a smooth, golden-brown caramel (if it looks crystallised, keep stirring and cooking and it will come together). Pour in the cream and stir until well combined, then cook for a few minutes. Add the almonds, cranberries and vanilla and stir well. Reduce the heat to low. Working quickly, place 1 tablespoon of the mixture on the tray and press down to form a circle, then repeat with the remaining mixture. Keep the pan sitting over low heat and stir the mixture every now and then. Pop the tray into the fridge for 10 minutes or until set. Stir the chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until smooth. Cover the base of each biscuit with a little chocolate, then press it onto the tray to even it out. Return to the fridge to set. Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the Florentines and finish with a tiny sprinkle of sea salt. Store in an airtight container for a few weeks. >
This is an edited extract from Around the Kitchen Table by Sophie Hansen and Annie Herron ($39.99, Murdoch Books), out March 29.
“This dish is a bit fancy. It’s worth it for a special lunch for a special two or few.”
FOOD Annie’s watercolour piece captures the beauty of flowers. FACING PAGE Spoil guests with this vibrant, sweet duck and fig salad.
WARM DUCK BREAST AND FIG SALAD WITH CAULIFLOWER CREAM Serves 2
This dish is a bit fancy. It definitely looks and tastes special, and with the figs and duck as key ingredients, it’s probably the most extravagant meal in the book. But it’s worth it for a special lunch for a special two or few. 2 duck breasts 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons five-spice powder 1 teaspoon honey ½ cup (125ml) white wine 4 figs, halved 2 handfuls rocket (arugula) ½ cup (70g) pomegranate seeds ½ cup (60g) walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped Crusty bread or focaccia, to serve
a few minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the cauliflower and cook for a few minutes before adding the stock. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is completely tender. Transfer to a blender, reserving some of the cooking liquid, and blitz until you have a smooth purée, adding a little liquid if needed. Smear the cauliflower cream over the base of a pretty serving platter. Remove the duck breasts and figs from the oven and let the duck rest under a tent of foil for 10 minutes or so. Return the pan with the cooking
juices and figs to the stove and cook over high heat for a few minutes to reduce the juices a little. (You could add a splash more wine if there’s not enough liquid to make a sauce.) Slice the duck against the grain and arrange it on the cauliflower cream. Add the figs and scatter the rocket, pomegranate seeds and walnuts over the top. Serve with some crusty bread or focaccia. VARIATION If figs have come and gone for the season, try using a little thinly sliced pear, some plums, blackberries or even raspberries instead.
CAULIFLOWER CREAM
1½ tablespoons (30g) butter 1 leek, white part only, diced ½ head cauliflower, broken into small florets 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock or water
Score the top (fatty) side of the duck breasts in a crisscross pattern and place in a bowl. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, five-spice and honey in a small jug, then pour the marinade over the duck breasts, rubbing it into the scored meat. Cover and marinate overnight or for at least a couple of hours in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Place an ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, then sear the marinated duck breasts for about 2 minutes, fatty side down, until golden and crispy. Pour the wine into the pan around the duck breasts (but not over the top of them). Transfer to the oven for 15 minutes. Add the figs, cut side down, and bake for another 15 minutes or until the duck breasts are cooked but still pink and tender inside. While the duck is cooking, make the cauliflower cream. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Cook the leek for
PAINTING YOUR GARDEN When you’re painting a garden scene, try a wetter approach – splash a patch of water onto your paper and drop some undiluted watercolour paint onto the wet area, adding different greens and letting them run. The paint will only run where the paper is wet, so keep spaces white and dry to paint your flowers. Remember that watercolour paint is transparent, so colours sit best on white paper. And always work from light to dark. Let one area dry before wetting another patch. It’s good to have a few sheets of paper on the go so you can paint a section of one while the others dry. Build up the green patches, then add areas of coloured flowers. When all is dry, you can paint some finer details using more undiluted watercolour paint, or draw them in using a fine permanent ink pen. Keep your painting light and fresh. Don’t overwork it – less is best. – Annie Herron
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MY TOWN RUTHERGLEN Self-taught winemaker and owner of Scion Wine Rowly Milhinch with his wife, Sally, and daughter, Elke –and their adorable wine dog Sasha.
MY TOWN
RUTHERGLEN
THIS FOOD AND WINE DESTINATION IN NORTH-EAST VICTORIA IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, EXPLORE AND INVEST. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT PHOTOGRAPHY GEORGIE JA MES PHOTOGR A PH Y
Rowly Milhinch OWNER, SCION WINE
“The big thing about living in a place like Rutherglen is lifestyle. It’s fantastic, with everything you need.”
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Locals and visitors enjoy the region’s spectacular scenery. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Artist Kerrie Ware; the iconic Victoria Hotel; book a stay at The Rutherglen Convent; Thousand Pound Wine Bar features a stunning mural by artist Kirrily Anderson; Scion Wine makes small-batch wines; The Wax Trade candle store.
BORDERED BY THE AUSTRALIAN ALPS and majestic Murray
River, Rutherglen in Victoria has a proud history of 160 years of winemaking. Celebrated for fortified wine and bold reds, as well as a growing number of varietals, the region draws more than 200,000 visitors each year. Creative winemakers continue to make their mark. Rowly Milhinch, owner of Scion Wine, switched from a career in design to winemaking and moved to Rutherglen from Melbourne in 2005, a few years after his mother planted a vineyard. “I moved up to explore what another life path could look like,” Rowly, 40, says. “The journey has been amazing. I like challenges – trying to position the business in a dynamic fashion and make it thrive.” Rowly points to Rutherglen’s relaxed lifestyle as a major drawcard. “In the last few years, there’s been an influx of young families and professionals, and that’s encouraging,” he says of the town, which has 2400 residents. “The big thing about living in a place like Rutherglen is lifestyle. It’s fantastic, with everything you need.” Rowly and his wife Sally, 42, have a six-year-old daughter, Elke, and their second baby is due next month. “Rutherglen’s connection to place is really strong. We have the Murray River on our doorstep. It’s a quintessential Australian landscape with remnant red gum and grey box. We spend a lot of time at the lake and river,” he adds. Artist and schoolteacher Kerrie Ware discovered a creative community when she and her husband, George van de Ven, moved to Rutherglen in 2003 after living overseas. “I have very dear friends here and it’s a beautiful,
supportive place,” Kerrie says. “George and I were involved in the Sculpture Trail through Arts Rutherglen, and continue to be involved in arts projects and exhibitions.” Kerrie and George enjoy taking visitors to the local wineries. For dining, they head to Grace Bar and Eatery by Milkin Kitchen, Caffeine N Machine, Thousand Pound Wine Bar, The Pickled Sisters Cafe, Valentines Artisan Sourdough Bakers and Tuileries Restaurant at De Bortoli. Another duo who felt right at home in the town is Gina De Stefano and Ben Kennedy. They enjoyed camping at Stanton’s Bend on the Murray River with their four-yearold daughter, Tahlia, before co-purchasing The Rutherglen Convent with another couple in 2020. “We’ve been in love with Rutherglen for a long time,” says Gina. “We’ve always loved the building and the seeds were planted when [the Convent] came up for sale six or seven years ago. It wasn’t the right time for us, but we started to dream about it.” Last year, they opened unique accommodation at The Convent between lockdowns. “There’s a real strength of community spirit. Everyone lifts each other up,” Gina adds. For more information, visit explorerutherglen.com.au and victoriashighcountry.com.au >
GETTING THERE Rutherglen is a three-hour drive from Melbourne via the M31 Hume Freeway, or a four-hour drive from Canberra. FLYING IN? Albury Airport is 35 minutes’ drive from Rutherglen. Visit flyalbury.com.au
RUTHERGLEN MY TOWN
Kerrie Ware ARTIST AND SCHOOLTEACHER
“I have very dear friends here. Rutherglen is a beautiful place."
MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE $402,000 MEDIAN RENTAL PRICE $385 per week BY THE NUMBERS “The Rutherglen market ranges from three- to four-bedroom brick veneer homes selling for $380,000 to $420,000, with period and classic homes ranging from $500,000-plus. Rutherglen offers affordable housing in a vibrant township community,” says Susan Hanrahan, director of Brian Unthank Real Estate. MARKET WATCH “Many buyers are relocating from Melbourne and surrounds. Rutherglen is central to four rural centres – Albury-Wodonga, Corowa, Yarrawonga and Wangaratta – which allows for education, health facilities, employment and recreation. Rutherglen is a forward-thinking country town soaked in heritage and history. The market is trending upwards,” Susan adds.
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OPPORTUNITY CALLS
Indigo Shire has an annual economic output of $1.984 billion and supports around 5000 local jobs. The major employment sectors are manufacturing, agriculture and viticulture, tourism, retail, health and education. Indigo Shire Council has received a $5.1 million grant for a Rutherglen Wine, Walk, Cycle Trail, building 48 kilometres of trails to showcase the wine region.
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RUTHERGLEN MY TOWN Visitors to Scion Wine’s cellar door can enjoy a picnic hamper among the gum trees. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT The Rutherglen Convent co-owners Gina and Ben with daughter Tahlia; artist Kerrie Ware’s work; enjoy retail therapy at Rutherglen; historic shopfronts; James & Co Cellar Door; the town’s history on display; indulge at Jones Winery and Vineyard.
REASONS TO VISIT
TASTES OF RUTHERGLEN The best
of the region’s food and wine is on show from March 12-13. Treat the senses and book a masterclass or dinner in the vineyard. tastesofrutherglen.com.au
MURRAY TO MOUNTAINS RAIL TRAIL Cycling over 100 kilometres
of sealed and off-road trails makes for the ultimate way to experience the ever-changing panorama of mountain ranges, farmland and bushland. The trail links Beechworth, Wangaratta, Rutherglen, Myrtleford and Bright. ridehighcountry.com.au/rail-trails/ murray-to-mountains WINE BARS Visitors to Rutherglen and surrounds are spoilt for choice when it comes to stylish bars with inner-city flair. Head to Main Street,
where Thousand Pound and James & Co serve up tasty meals and top-quality beverages. thousandpound.com.au; jamesandcowines.com.au
REASONS TO STAY
WINERIES Discover more than
20 wineries in the Rutherglen region. Take a tour or plan your own adventure visiting some of Australia’s finest vineyards, cellar doors and restaurants. explorerutherglen.com.au/wine/ wineries-cellar-doors LOCAL PRODUCE The historic town is famous for its local produce. Grab a loaf of fresh bread from Valentines Artisan Sourdough Bakers and stock up on Gooramadda Olives from the cellar door. Indigo Food Co has a large selection of cheeses, cured meats and
produce, and the Rutherglen Farmers’ Market is held on the second Sunday of every month. explorerutherglen.com. au/food/local-produce
RUTHERGLEN TASTES OF ART
Now celebrating its fifth year, this fine art show, held from March 11-20 in the Rutherglen Memorial Hall, includes paintings, mixed media and photography. Local artists include Kerrie Ware, Dianne Kotzur and Toni Harris. artsrutherglen.com.au
LAKE MOODEMERE TRAIL WALK
Lake Moodemere, a natural billabong carved by the Murray River, is a special meeting place for the Whroo, part of the Bangarang people. Pack a picnic and explore the wetlands along the 12-kilometre trail. explorerutherglen. com.au/listing/lake-moodemere-trail >
“Rutherglen’s connection to place is really strong. We have the Murray River on our doorstep.”
MY TOWN RUTHERGLEN CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Grace Bar and Eatery owners Erica and Matthieu Miller; The Rutherglen Convent accommodation; visit James & Co for wine tastings and gourmet cheese platters.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Rutherglen is well resourced and has two primary schools – Rutherglen Primary School and St. Mary’s Primary School – along with a local high school. To learn more about the community, head to indigoshire.vic.gov.au/ Community-Directory
EAT
GRACE BAR AND EATERY A firm
local favourite, head here with friends for exquisite meals and cocktails, or pick up a delicious heat-at-home meal from the canteen. 84 Main Street, (02) 5017 0017; milkinkitchen.com.au
JONES WINERY RESTAURANT
Savour French cuisine or grab a gourmet hamper and wine from the cellar door. 61 Jones Road, (02) 6032 8496; joneswinery.com.au
THE PICKLED SISTERS CAFE
Take a cooking class or dine on fresh regional produce and local wines. 121 Main Street, (02) 6033 2377; pickledsisters.com.au JAMES & CO WINES Visit this cellar door for tastings and enjoy a cheese platter in the courtyard. 136 Main Street, 0447 341 373; jamesandcowines.com.au PARKER PIES This family-owned business serves up gourmet pies, pastries and coffee. 88 Main Street, (02) 6032 9605; parkerpies.com.au
SHOP
DAISY COW SOAP Since creating
Daisy Cow Itch Relief for her daughter’s
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eczema, Sue Brian has extended the range to include moisturisers, soaps, exfoliating scrubs and balms. 114 Main Street, (02) 6032 7908; daisyskincare.net.au TUTTO BELLO The store name means ‘all things beautiful’, which sums up the boutique fashion and homewares on offer. 66 Main Street, 0439 365 741; tuttobello.com.au THISTLE & FERN Your first stop for fresh flowers and gifts. 111 Main Street, 0447 844 785; thistleandfern.com.au
STAY
BASQ STAYS Book a weekend at
these stylish, self-contained villas. 205 Main Street; basqstays.com.au JONES TINY HOUSE This charming, sustainable eco-dwelling is set among farmland at Jones Winery & Vineyard. 61 Jones Road, (02) 6032 8496; joneswinery.com.au
THE RUTHERGLEN CONVENT
This former convent has been restored with original ornate features. With plenty of open space, it’s ideal for large groups or families. 50-74 High Street; rutherglenconvent.com.au
REGIONAL SHOPPING
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br ush w ith beaut y
A CREATIVE HUB IN THE ADELAIDE HILLS PROVIDES LOCALS WITH ART SUPPLIES – AND SO MUCH MORE. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY CHR IS MOR R ISON
A well-used and beloved set of oil paints belonging to Bec Madden. FACING PAGE Bec is an artist and owner of The Paint Box in Hahndorf, SA.
REGIONAL SHOPPING
LOOK IN AT THE GEORGIAN windows of The Paint Box in
Hahndorf, South Australia, and you’ll see antique French apothecary cupboards stocked with tempting tubes of bright paint. Boxes of brushes, shelves of pastels, and packages of Middle Eastern gums and resins used by museum art restorers and people who work on musical instruments crowd the space. The Paint Box is an artsupply shop – but a small-town shop is rarely just a shop. Built in 1839 by Samuel Thiele, who sold vegetables, flowers, tools – and paintbrushes – the shop must, says owner Bec Madden, be one of the oldest in the country that’s been in continual operation. Now it’s also a cafe, bar, art gallery, events space, and produce-swap centre. And a shopkeeper is rarely just a shopkeeper. Bec’s many career highlights include working as a design assistant for Vivienne Westwood (yes, that Vivienne Westwood, godmother of British punk and revered fashion designer); working in a French restaurant; antiques dealing; selling vintage clothing; and even being a legal practitioner. But Bec’s move into art supplies wasn’t planned. “I was running a studio with a friend, who had to leave, so I was left with a lease,” she says. “So I bought some paintbrushes and paint. About five years ago on opening day, I sold one paintbrush for $6.15. The next day I didn’t sell anything. But the day after that, three artists came in because they heard someone was selling brushes – and it started from that.” For an unplanned business move, it was a savvy one. “We’ve got so many artists in the Adelaide Hills, and had no art supply shop,” says Bec, who is in her mid-50s and an oil painter herself, “so it grew very rapidly.” The region’s most famous artist is 20th-century landscape painter Hans Heysen, so, following in his footsteps, watercolours are the shop’s most popular item. And you don’t need much
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to start with: “For beginners, three tubes of watercolour is absolutely sufficient,” says Bec. She’s accustomed to helping beginners kit out their studios, particularly since the pandemic began. “There are lots of people living in the Adelaide Hills who work in the city, and during COVID lots of them came in and said, ‘I drive past your shop on my way home and I always wanted to stop, but I’m so busy in the office. But now I have this time,’” explains Bec. “It was the loveliest thing.” It’s not just beginners she caters for: her experience importing antique clothes and furniture from Europe and the UK (where she grew up before moving to Australia aged 20) means she’s well equipped to provide her customers with exotic materials. “I got in touch with my favourite shop in London, Cornelissen – that’s where [JMW] Turner bought his paints – and now they send me a box a month,” Bec says. “And I get all sorts of rare pigments and gums and resins for museums and restorers that you really wouldn’t find anywhere else.” The business is going strong, helped by Bec’s family. Her son Laurence, 28, who used to manage a supermarket, is bringing the shop into the 21st century and online. Daughter Lily, 26, usually works on the family’s organic farm in Mylor, where Bec lives, and which provides the produce for the cafe. That’s on hold for now while Lily steps into her new role as a mum. Also making it all work, of course, are the customers. “I meet the most wonderful people every day,” says Bec. “They’re so independent and intelligent and dynamic. And observant and funny and non-conformist – that’s your artist for you.” It could just as well be said of Bec herself, the shopkeeper who’s not just a shopkeeper, running the shop that’s not just a shop. For more, visit thepaintbox.com.au
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Bec arranges brushes in the shop; glowing pigments cater for artists who prefer to make up their own paints; the shop also functions as an art gallery and exhibition space; the shop’s cafe has a prized table on the pavement; easels cluster in a corner of the space, ready to be used for art classes and exhibitions; the exterior of the shop is suitably artistic, with petty painted signage; stop in for a coffee – or a glass of wine; The Paint Box’s street position means locals all know just where it is, and thanks to the rise in working from home, often have more time to stop in and check out what’s going on. FACING PAGE The shop’s charming back garden.
DESIGN AND TEXTURE ARE KEY FOR CERAMICIST ALISON FRASER, WHILE PAINTER LAUREN JONES LOVES VINTAGE-STYLE, FEMININE FASHIONS. PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLÉ, H A NNA H PUECHM A R IN
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FASHION Lauren feels happiest in prett y dresses and practical boots. FACING PAGE Alison collects flowers in her garden with her one-year-old schnauzer, Lily.
LAUREN JONES FULL-TIME ARTIST, 33
Lauren lives in tranquil Cooran, Qld, with her husband Ryan, 33, their two-year-old daughter, Maple, and a long-haired Siberian cat named Sirius.
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Spending time in nature helps Lauren unwind and glean inspiration; cuddles with Sirius; dainty weeds make ideal art subjects. FACING PAGE Lauren perfects her artwork titled Stem by Stem.
What do you love about living in the country? I grew up in Mapleton, a little town on the Sunshine Coast. The rolling hillsides, waterfalls and expansive views have always had a place in my heart. Cooran, where I live now, has a creative, warm community. How would you describe your style? I’m drawn to natural fibres and earthy tones. I love dresses that are easy to wear in the garden and for walks into town. I also like vintage dresses that have a collar or are a bit structured. I pair them with my staple Doc Marten boots. Are you interested in fashion? I love the way you can express your personality through fashion. Who are your style influences? I’m fond of 1940s dresses and timeless country styles. What’s the best style advice you’ve ever received? “Buy well-made classic items instead of cheap, fast-fashion pieces.” What are your wardrobe essentials? Linen and light cotton dresses, and Doc Martens. What are your favourite clothing labels? I love Simply Grey, Christy Dawn, Dôen, Oak Meadow and Bird & Kite. Where do you shop for clothing and accessories? I do most of my shopping online. What are your essential beauty products? I like natural products – my favourites are Issada for foundation; and Ilia for blush, lipstick and mascara. Do you have any favourite accessories? I prefer unfussy and unique jewellery, such as my star pendant from local markets, and a set of gold rings from Kez Elsome Designs. What helps you keep a balanced life? I love my chai in the morning, it helps set me up for the day. And spending time in nature with my daughter. What are you reading/listening to/watching? I’m listening to The Count of Monte Cristo, which is a fantastic classic book. I love historical fiction. Where are your favourite local spots to eat? I like Belmondos in Noosa and Humdrum Espresso in Eumundi. What drew you to painting? I’ve always accredited my passion in art to my mother. She encouraged and nurtured it when I was young. What do you wear when you paint? I wear my painting dress and Doc Marten boots. For more on Lauren and her artwork, see page 63.
FASHION
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1 Lauren’s painting From the Untrodden Path, from Country Style’s exhibition with Michael Reid Murrurundi. 2 Line Saga x HR Zodiac necklace, $380, from Holly Ryan. 3 Anouk oil burner blend, $39, from Aēsop. 4 Molly maxi dress in Nude, $219, from Auguste the Label. 5 Dr. Martens lace-up ankle boots, $252.78, from Cettire. 6 The Pepe vase, $280, from Merci Maison. 7 Sunrise and Sunset ring set, $286, from By Charlotte. 8 Mira linen cushion cover in Ana, $100, from Cultiver. 9 The Count of Monte Cristo novel, $12.99, from Penguin Books. 10 Alma pant in Khaki, $109, from Auguste the Label. 11 Dôen Plum blouse in White, $243.86, from Net-a-Porter.
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FASHION
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1 Poplin long sleeve shirt, $179, from Oroton. 2 Ceramic retro vase in Lava White, $79, from House of Orange. 3 Nice dining chair by Vincent Sheppard, $620, from Cotswold InOut Furniture. 4 Officine Universelle Buly Eau Triple Damask rose perfume, $254, from Mecca. 5 Wide leg linen pant, $160, from Venroy. 6 Altar console table, $998, from Tara Dennis Store. 7 Albany antique bucket, $299.95, from Provincial Home Living. 8 Surry sneaker, $295, from R.M. Williams. 9 Dorothy cuff in Silver, $49.95, from Witchery. 10 Linen halterneck apron in Khaki, $49.90, from Francalia.
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ALISON FRASER ARTIST AND MAKER OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS, 55
Alison lives in Burradoo, NSW, with her sons Hugo, 14, and Fraser, 12, and their beloved pets: cats Blossom and Tinsel, and dogs Daisy and Lily. What do you love about living in the country? The calmness. The greenness. Roads with no kerbs. The cumulus clouds that look like giant buildings set against intense blue skies. The sense of individuality. How would you describe your style? I really love fabrics, so if a piece is made of a beautiful textile in natural fibres, I’m in. Are you interested in fashion? Fashion is a waste of money, but I love good design, well-crafted objects... and palazzo pants. Who are your style influences? Sophie Tighe, the owner of The South Store in Bowral. She has the most wonderful style; a relaxed elegance. And Collette Dinnigan. I once had an exquisite silver silk gown of her design. What is the best style advice you’ve ever received? “Don’t wear big patterns when you are short.” (I am). What are your wardrobe essentials? A smock. What are your favourite clothing labels? Manuelle Guibal, Baum und Pferdgarten, Ulla Johnson, Second Female, Bassike, Nobody Denim. Where do you shop for clothing and accessories? I buy from The South Store – Sophie curates a unique range of labels. And Arkke, also in Bowral, has artfully designed clothes in natural textiles. What are your essential beauty products? My favourite is Vintner’s Daughter Essence and Serum. I love the herbaceous aroma. Do you have a favourite fragrance? Damask Rose by Officine Universelle Buly. Do you have any favourite accessories? I have a silver cuff that is fashioned in the shape of little belts with buckles, which I bought in Paris. What helps you keep a balanced life? Hugging my children. What are you reading/listening to/watching? I’m reading Life in the Studio by potter Frances Palmer, and listening to an audiobook by Bill Bryson: At Home: A Short History of Private Life. Where are your favourite local spots to eat? Berrima Vault House. They have a wonderful set up, a delightful garden courtyard and really good food. What drew you to art? It’s instinctive. My mother and grandmother were always making things. It’s just in the blood. What do you wear when you are creating? Clay! I’m really clumsy, so it gets everywhere. For more on Alison’s life and art, see page 44.
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Alison cuts fresh flowers to display in her vases; blocks of clay for creating new pieces; Alison rolls coils of clay to make bottle-shaped vessels. FACING PAGE Sweet companion Lily enjoys the limelight.
BOOK CLUB STRONG WOMEN, MOSTLY REAL BUT SOME IMAGINED, SHINE FORTH THIS MONTH. REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON
SHEILAS: BADASS WOMEN OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORY Eliza Reilly, Macmillan, $34.99 For several years, Eliza Reilly and her sister Hannah have been re-educating the Australian public online, on air and on stage. Now, Reilly has put out a book, remaking history with 13 mini biographies. It begins with a bushranger, an Indigenous woman who “because the media assumed that no woman’s story could be of interest” did not take her place in history, and concludes with Reg Ansett’s notorious campaign to prevent Deborah Lawrie from flying one of his planes. Yes, that one: the battle about menstruation. And don’t forget Ansett’s fears of a putative ectopic pregnancy
distracting the wrongly gendered pilot when trying to land a Boeing 727. Lawrie is still flying by the way, 50 years on. If you want to dive in rather than read from page one, start with Queensland’s Nancy Wake, the ‘white mouse’ top of the Nazis’ hit list in WWII. If you pictured her gamely sabotaging railroads in the war and smuggling 2000 French soldiers into Spain, you’d be on target. But there was more. Wake reported getting a buzz from breaking necks with the open palm-chop the Brits taught her. Following that chapter is an excerpt from a published guide to hiring women in the 1940s. It advises against mentally demanding tasks because – you’ve guessed it – female minds are weaker than men’s.
ANTHEM Noah Hawley, Hodder & Stoughton, $32.99 This is an R-rated novel, and some. It deals with four major dilemmas in the Western world today: the environment; urban violence; mental problems; and addiction. It would be a better book if it was half as long and focused on just two issues: teenage angst; and the role of Big Pharma in the opioid crisis. Simon, son of the CEO of a major drug company, meets Louise at the Anxiety Abatement Centre. She’s been abused by The Wizard (think Jeffrey Epstein) and his assistant, Astrid (think Ghislaine Maxwell). Louise’s psychiatrist (think Dr Phil) is putty in her hands; she knows that his counsels won’t help. The only cure is revenge.
BOOKS Walls painted by Ludi Braga Interior. Florence circular dining table, $6650, from MCM House. Layla stoneware bowl, $420, from Katarina Wells Ceramics.
Enter The Prophet – a young Messiah. He says parents are “over”. It’s up to adolescents – himself, Simon and Louise – to save the world. The Wizard’s location is known only to Evan, whose cooperation is won via coyote urine and snap-on Wolverine claws. It’s horrific, but Hawley’s such a good writer that you’ll keep going.
THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR
PHOTOGRAPHY ALANA LANDSBERRY STYLING LISA BURDEN
Nina De Gramont, Macmillan, $32.99 There have been many theories about the 11 days in 1926 during which more than a thousand police officers and 15,000 volunteers searched for Agatha Christie. She and her husband, Archie, had quarrelled about his wish to marry his mistress. The disappearance was attributed to amnesia. In fact, Agatha was hiding in plain sight at the Swan Hotel in Harrogate. She’d signed in using the name of Archie’s mistress. De Gramont’s gift for creating Christie-esque characters and plot twists and a teasing style makes this novel hugely enjoyable. Hardly a victim, Agatha is having fun! The narrator is the mistress. We discover a woman who is far from being a homewrecker. Her backstory unfolds as she leaves poverty and wicked nuns in Ireland. She works on her accent and whole image until she can pass into the very comfortable layer of Britain’s class system, where the Christies belonged. A delightful police inspector, Frank Chilton, finds Agatha and untangles what is truly an unusual situation. He merits a sequel. When Agatha is found, the media goes bananas. And amid nationwide rejoicing there’s barely a mention of two dead bodies stretched out in the morgue.
REPUTATION Sarah Vaughan, Simon & Schuster, $32.99 The sad thing is that the legacy of Sarah Vaughan’s new novel will be a conviction that parliament is no place for any woman you care about. Our own Julia Gillard’s fate, and Julie Bishop’s
too, prove that it is too soon to expect maturity let alone sophistication; misogyny persists. Maybe in 10 years’ time things will be different… Emma Webster’s career in the British House of Commons comes unstuck when her worst enemy falls downstairs and dies. Emma’s in the frame. As she struggles to establish her innocence (whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?), we discover the trolling that goes on against female MPs, despite trained staff who form a barrier and the shared wisdom of women who dealt with the first wave of online hostility. Nowadays, trolls have learnt to target family. Emma has a 14-year-old daughter, Flora. Emma’s ex-husband, David, left her for a woman who was not busy. (Duly noted.) The fourth female in the mix is Sonja Jackson, a confounding variable if ever there was one. She’s the prosecuting counsel. Her strategy, as Emma observes, “is familiar, even hackneyed, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t work”. Vaughan has tricks up her sleeve. She won’t leave you with the jitters. What happens at the end is upbeat, tantalising and you have to figure out the specifics for yourself. Perfect.
A SOLITARY WALK ON THE MOON Hilde Hinton, Hachette, $32.99 There’s a new breed of writers turning up in print. They explore new truths and capture the essence of our time. Lives no longer have a beginning and a middle and an end. They have successive beginnings. In Hinton’s new novel, June is a junkie. She brings her son, Ben, to Evelyn’s laundromat once a week. The boy is fiercely protective, but what can he do? He’s seven. Evelyn snoops on customers who she thinks might need her help. She’s tactful. Soon, Ben is depending on Evelyn for a big bag of bakery snacks to take home, and June has stopped snarling at the kindly lady. Just as well. Lest you fall into the trap of thinking we’re heading towards
a happy-ever-after, Hinton gives the narrative a shake. It’s her call. Community is dead in her universe. Random, instinctive pseudo-families take its place.
BEDTIME STORY Chloe Hooper, Scribner, $34.99 Don Watson’s two sons were very young when he was diagnosed with a tumour which, for four years, zigzagged between terminal and possibly curable. Their mother, Chloe, tells how most of the advice she sought from experts, and from fairytales and popular wisdom, indicates that parents should convey the truth to their children, however young. It’s ironic that Watson, whose talent was communication – he wrote speeches for Paul Keating – was unable to explain to the boys what was happening. Four-year-old Gabriel chuckles his way through the prospect of Dad not being there one day. ‘Not being’ is a concept slow to emerge, as Swiss psychologist Piaget demonstrated. Seven-year-old Tobias, however, is abuzz with intimations. Chloe’s memoir is addressed to him. Watson had been in the habit of composing bedtime stories. Much as he tries, he cannot conjure up a story that will prepare the boys for the worst. As Watson’s visits to hospital become more frequent and more alarming, the meaning sinks in. For Chloe, the experience is more than traumatic deep down: it is very frustrating at the surface. The first specialist’s unhelpful manner must be tolerated because the woman is about to have a baby. As for the suave oncologist, Chloe takes his elegance – especially his shoes – as an insult. The reader agrees. A dandy is not what you want when matters are this grave. By the end of the memoir, there’s no doubt Chloe will shepherd the boys to safety and in the years to come they will be hopeful, rather than braced for woe. As for herself, the prospect is less encouraging. At one point, she says: “Stories aren’t helping… they’re only making things worse.”
MARCH 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 137
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FIELD GUIDE
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BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY GUY BAILEY, JO MURPHY STYLING ANNA DELPRAT PHOTOGRAPHY MK IMAGES
STYLE COUNSEL
CALMING SCENTS
SHORT CIRCUIT
Uimi’s unique range of fashion made from Merino wool, Egyptian cotton and cashmere cotton is designed and produced in Melbourne. uimi.com.au
Sweet Home Additions’ new candle collection is infused with ylang ylang and lavender to help you put mind over matter. sweethomeadditions.com
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CULTURE CLUB
SPOONFUL OF SUNSHINE
HOT STUFF
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AUSTRALIAN MADE KNITWEAR
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W W W. B Y N G S T R E E T H O T E L . C O M . A U
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Tasmania | Victoria | Escape & Explore
You’re welcome
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BLOOM your art!
Get your creativity flowing in 2022, even if you have never painted before.
BOOK your transformational BLOOMS PAINTING WORKSHOP experience in Australia or overseas
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Jacqueline Coates
Blooms Painting Workshops are available again in • Sydney • Melbourne • Perth • Sunshine Coast • The Barossa Valley • Hamilton in NZ • Los Angeles • French Art School France No previous experience necessary. Art materials & catering included. Check out my inspiring France tour & paint options. Master acrylic paints. Learn the Blooms 1 & Blooms 2 painting methods and create two stunning Blooms paintings. Learn how to handle you inner critic.For the latest dates & locations to suit you, please visit; artscreativehub.com/workshops
Learn to Paint BLOOMS ONLINE from the comfort of home
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Enquiries to my Blooms Assistant +61 412 587 438 or email jacquelinecoates1@gmail.com
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11-20 March 2022 Rutherglen Tastes Of
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COUN TRY SQUIRE
WORKPLACE PERKS ROB INGRAM DISCOVERS THAT WORKING FROM HOME ALLOWS FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY – AND MORE BAD HABITS. body clocks. “A bit early in the day, isn’t it?” posed The Chosen One the other morning. Not her fault, I suppose. She’s still catching up with the concessions provided by Working From Home (WFH). Most cherished among the conditions and benefits afforded by Working From Home is the right to have a glass of wine with lunch. Close behind is the right to have lunch at 9am. “It’s a whole new world out there,” I explained. “You have to move with the times. The Union Movement won us many concessions; the Work From Home Movement has just taken things a step further.” “Work from home,” she muttered. “What a revolutionary concept. Who came up with that idea? Was it a man by any chance? Anyway, you’d be well-qualified to take the part-time option.” In truth, the Work From Home Movement has made the old part-time label obsolete. These days, I mostly work on a split-shift basis: I work for a while in the morning; have an extended siesta; then work for a while later in the day. The siesta isn’t just a nap – it marks the significant transmutation from night pyjamas into rest-of-the-day pyjamas. COVID might still have us all on full alert, but we are “So, no more worries for you about COVID,” said The adapting to the changes in our lifestyle. The Chosen One Chosen One. marvels at how I can still be late for work when I work from “It wasn’t for COVID… it was an IQ test,” he said. home, but WFH allows us more flexibility. Around a third Following the cleaner’s call, I gave my desk a deep clean of all Australians have been working from home… and and polish. It seemed a pity to mess it up by putting my notes maybe that’s just the medical professionals! on it, but I thought The Chosen One would be impressed. There are plenty of opportunities in the WFH field, Impressed? She told me a clean desk is a sure sign of a but be careful what you choose. repulsive desk drawer. It’s hard Forklift driving can be disruptive in “THE CHOSEN ONE MARVELS to satisfy some people. the domestic environment. Pilots are AT HOW I CAN STILL BE LATE Even my mask came in for some in demand, but really require a home ridicule. TO WORK WHEN I WORK with a runway. You can be a business “Why are you sitting at your desk FROM HOME.” analyst and START WITHIN with a mask on?” she demanded. MINUTES! But, to be truthful, most of my business I explained I didn’t want to contract one of those experience has been in the not-for-profit field. This wasn’t computer viruses. intended, it just worked out that way. And START WITHIN Someone – probably a family relationship counsellor – MINUTES!… Sorry, Usman Khawaja is on 87 and looks like once told me that women need someone to make them he might go on to score another century. laugh… and men need someone who they can make laugh. Our cleaner phoned the other day. She’d decided that Well, it’s not happening here, folks. WFH is the way to go… and left a list of chores we should But life isn’t all bad. Work From Home has come up attend to. But at least we were luckier with the bloke who with a brilliant solution for that jaded, bored-to-tears mows the lawns. “I had a test and it came back negative,” 3:30-itis that office workers know so well. It’s called the he told us cheerfully. drinks cabinet. Will anybody join me?
154 COUNTRY STYLE MARCH 2022
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY SAM MCADAM-COOPER STYLING PHOEBE MCEVOY
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