Creative spirit rising RENOWNED ARTISTS AND THE DWELLINGUP GALLERIES WHICH DISPLAY THEIR WORK, DRAW ON NATURE TO FEED INSPIRATION. BY TORI WILSON
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or a country town so steeped in nature, it’s perhaps no surprise that Dwellingup’s artists and galleries draw deeply from the inspiration of their surrounding environment. Like a never-ending creative spring, Dwellingup’s ethereal natural gifts project powerful energy, diffusing the history and culture of the area, and providing a rich source for local artists to derive ideas and visions from, whatever their medium. If you’re keen to discover more about this unique collection of creators, look for the emu footprints found at the town’s main intersection next to the IGA and follow them leisurely for 1km all the way to the Forest Discovery Centre to find a rustic gallery space tucked within the bushland. Not only is the centre a hub for environmental education and a great place for kids to learn and play, this is also a place for local artists to work and offers space for artisans to run creative workshops, ranging from soap making and resin art, to parquetry and wood turning. | 24 | S H I R E O F M U R R A Y
Helen Henderson, Jill Fisher, Jenny Dickinson, Willy Nelson and Wendy Binks are some of the artists whose works are currently or commonly featured at the centre, with Binks also the hand behind the interactive emu trail that winds its way through the town. Wendy’s work is instantly recognisable, and the artist and illustrator is known for her quirky emus as seen in children’s book ‘Where’s Stripey?’ Spot Wendy’s murals throughout town, including at Vergone’s Café, and find her works at the Dwellingup Trails and Visitor Centre, along with the Forest Discovery Centre. Wendy says her love of native animals comes from her background as a biologist. “I have participated as a volunteer on several surveys and research programs involving endangered animals, such as the numbat and western ground parrot, and am also a snake catcher. “I try to add extra information about wildlife in my children’s books, to enhance
children’s interest in nature,” she says. Monique Tippett’s work is another prime example of the influence of nature across the art seen in Dwellingup. Step into her gallery located in the heart of town, Lost Eden Creative, and gaze up at the gold-painted chestnut tree flipped on its head and converted into a chandelier before taking your time observing the exhibitions on show, often reflective of environmental influences. Monique has been working as an artist for more than 20 years and settled in Dwellingup when she was drawn to the town by its previously existing School of Fine Wood at the Forest Discovery Centre. Her background and interest in the natural environment of WA’s South West, specifically the forest landscape, heavily influences her works, which are primarily large-scale pieces crafted from wood. The pieces included in one of Monique’s featured exhibitions, titled My Darling Forest 14 Dwellingup, are finely crafted
