Christmas Creatives 2024

Bronwyn Pratt

My work is either one-off bespoke pieces or limitededition

series of jewellery, which vary depending on my

mood.

I am inspired by the shape and colours of precious

stones and natural materials, the relationship between

what can be worn comfortably and how they will work as

a body moves.

There is a research phase, allowing me to explore the

physical properties of my drawn design, plus the

materials and the processes that I will use to transform

it. Sometimes a piece will take me a few days, other

times many months, until I get the feel and look of the

piece just right. I may have up to twenty items or more

on my bench in some stage of construction.

I take pleasure in marking my work with my makers mark

and being a member of The Gold & Silversmith’s Guild of

Australia. Once, I was considered a contemporary

jeweller, now after fifty-plus years of making I am not

sure what I am! Old to some, outdated to others .... I am

still to work out what I am now!

But I do know when I finish a piece that it has been

made from the heart, it is made for not only me, but also

for someone I am yet to meet. I ‘paint’ with metals and

precious objects.

I am an Artist and I make wearable art!

Bruce Wearne

As a box-maker, l set myself to explore ‘Originality’ within

the strict limitations of the rectangle and mitre corners.

‘Originality’ is explored through using a wide range of

Australian timbers, mainly procured from Northern NSW and

WA. Some favourites are River Oak, Scented Rosewood,

Rose Sheoak, Hairy Oak, Tulipwood, Huon Pine and Jarrah.

Camphor Laurel is another popular choice. Originally from

China, it was introduced over 100 years ago and is now

considered an Australian timber. These timbers are used in

conjunction with different leg styles and applied decoration.

The decoration is mainly painted using acrylics and markers

Polyurethane is used to stabilise the images with beeswax

providing a buffed finish. l also only use salvaged timbers in

the interest of preserving our wonderful forests.

Biography

I am a wood artist based in West Gippsland and have a

background of 30 years teaching in Victorian Secondary

schools in the areas of art, wood, metal and graphics.

I attended Melbourne Teachers College and majored in

wood under the tutelage of Vic Wood, a great Australian

wood turner. I have won several awards in regional Victorian

art shows, namely Phillip Island, Pakenham, Tyers and East

Gippsland at Bairnsdale.

I have been represented in the Maker of the Year award and

in Studio Furniture 2010 at Bungendore Gallery. Currently, I

exhibit my work at the Station Gallery in Yarragon and in the

East Gippsland Gallery in Bairnsdale. I last held an

exhibition at Meeniyan Gallery in 2021 with my daughter

Susan.

Carly Meade

As an artist deeply connected to the landscapes of

South Gippsland, my work captures the natural beauty

and spirit of the region, with a focus on the stunning

vistas of Walkerville, Wilson’s Promontory, and the

Bass Coast.

These locations hold a profound resonance for me,

inspiring a sense of wonder, serenity, and belonging that

I seek to translate into each piece. I use bright,

exaggerated colours and fine line detailing in my

interpretive landscapes to convey not just the physical

appearance of these places, but how they feel to me on

a personal level. Each stroke and hue is a reflection of

my emotional connection to the land — whether it’s the

bold, vibrant tones of a sunlit coastline or the intricate

patterns formed by the natural elements.

My aim is to immerse the viewer in the spirit of these

places, allowing them to feel the same sense of

connection and energy that I experience.

For this year's Christmas Creatives show, I present a

series of works that reflect both the familiar and the

unexpected beauty of these iconic locations. In each

piece, I aim to celebrate the connection between nature

and the human spirit, offering a moment of stillness and

reflection during the holiday season.

I am thrilled to share these glimpses of the South

Gippsland region with you and hope they resonate with

the same joy and peace I find in creating them.

Gary Beresford

Birds are one of my passions and the superb

fairywrens (blue wrens) are one of my absolute

favourites.

I always attempt to capture their extraordinary

behaviour on camera and then present them for

show in all their glory.

Biography

Gary Beresford has been taking and processing

photos for many years with no one single focus

but, perhaps if he had to choose, birds would

come out on top due to their ever-changing

behaviour, their obvious beauty and their innate

intelligence.

He uses all aspects of photography and post

processing to present these wonderful creatures in

their best light.

Helen Reeves

Collage enables me to create open, random, and

spontaneous art, and to work intuitively. Searching for the

right colour paper or texture, its ragged or hard edge is

always part of the process and inspires the direction of the

work. There is then an internal dialogue between me and the

composition — what to add or what to take away. It is all

about where it feels at rest. I am also intrigued by the

interplay of colour, a drawn or painted line, the trace of a

brush mark, and textiles in surface design.

Biography

Helen Reeves is a collage artist who lives at Mount Eccles in

the Strzelecki Ranges of South Gippsland, as well as in

Melbourne. She completed a B.Ed. (Art & Craft) at

Melbourne State College in 1982.

Her training in textiles led her to collage and creating small

scale textured works that invite closer viewing.

While teaching in the Northern Territory, she held a solo

exhibition at the Crafts Council of the Northern Territory and

contributed to many group exhibitions in the NT and

interstate, including the Ararat Gallery Acquisitive Exhibition,

who subsequently acquired her work for its Fibre and

Textiles collection.

After a career in education in Gippsland where she grew up,

and later in Melbourne as a public servant, she returned to

her art and is thoroughly immersing herself in her practice,

holding a highly successful solo exhibition at WAS Gallery in

Warragul in 2023. She regularly contributes to exhibitions in

Melbourne, including at Linden New Art, and Brunswick

Street Gallery.

Kate Billingsley

Kate Billingsley is a Jewellery and Textile designer based

in Boolarra, Gippsland. She creates extravagantly

colourful jewellery and patterned textiles for the joyful

maximalists in life, and all her textile products feature her

own signature original fabric designs.

Kate completed a Certificate IV in Design at ISCD in

2014, before going on to study a diploma in Surface

Design. She has also studied and taken short courses in

various creative disciplines, including botanical

illustration.

Kate's jewellery is created from lightweight polymer clay

and acrylic, and features hypoallergenic high grade 304

surgical steel posts. Each piece is patterned, finished

and constructed by hand, meaning that every pair is a

little unique! Kate also occasionally teaches polymer clay

workshops across Gippsland.

Kate's textile products primarily feature traditionally

painted watercolour motifs, which are then arranged into

repeat patterns in Photoshop and Illustrator, before

being digitally printed onto base cloth and finally sewn

into products.

You can find Kate at markets throughout Gippsland, as

well as online, and her products are stocked by a

number of shops and galleries, locally and interstate.

https://katebillingsley.com/

Mark Gambino

For over three decades, my hands have shaped clay into

functional and decorative pieces, a process that has

become my meditation ….. and my art.

Each piece I create on the pottery wheel carries with it a

deep connection to the earth, from the raw stoneware clay

to the glazes I have painstakingly developed. My work is a

dialogue between form, function, and texture, intended to

enrich everyday moments with beauty.

The tactile nature of stoneware, its durability, and its

connection to nature are central to my practice. I am

continuously inspired by the simplicity of organic forms and

the infinite possibilities in glaze chemistry, as I strive to

balance rustic charm with refined craftsmanship.

Biography

Mark Gambino has been a dedicated potter for over 30

years, producing wheel-thrown stoneware pottery from his

studio in Montrose.

His work ranges from fine tableware to rustic plant pots and

vases, all meticulously crafted with a unique blend of clay

and glazes he has developed throughout his career.

Introduced to pottery at the age of ten, Mark’s passion for

the craft has evolved into a lifelong pursuit of mastering both

form and surface. He shares his love for the medium

through teaching at his studio, passing on the techniques

and philosophies that have shaped his journey. Mark’s

pottery is a reflection of his deep connection to the material,

offering functional, timeless pieces that enhance the rituals

of daily life.

Regina Dudek

I have always been an avid collector of items that

have an aged patina and a layer of history and

character — rusty metal, tarnished silverware,

verdigris copper, old keys, vintage pressed metal

to name a few.

My pieces are mostly inspired by my materials. I

like to put unlikely items together to create a new

story.

A lot of my materials are displayed throughout my

home and studio ready to be used and to help

trigger new ideas.

I use simple techniques — hand cutting tin with

tin-snips, drilling, riveting, wiring and gluing. The

“engineering” of each piece presents its own

challenges and always keeps me innovating.

I often work on several pieces at the same time.

This allows me to keep working when I get stuck

and allows me to reassess my work and change

things if necessary.

I never know where my materials will take me.

@the-mad-queen

Valmai Todd

Valmai's artwork has always been inspired by her

immediate world. Family, friends, gardens — especially

filled with native plants and flowers, the Australian bush

and beaches, all offer her a sense of personal and visual

connectivity and joy.

Valmai studied art in the early 1970s and graduated from

university with a degree in art education. She went on to

teach art and creative technology in Gippsland and

Melbourne Secondary schools. During this time she

undertook Graduate studies in design, drawing and

textiles. She has also participated in many workshops by

master artists such as Anne Greenwood, Linda Gipps,

Jazmina Cininas, David Frazer, Basil Hall and Heather

Shimmen. All influencing her artistic journey. She is

capable of working in a wide range of mediums.

Valmai became enthralled with the technical processes

of print making, especially relief printing. Colour

reduction lino printing and wood engraving have been

her main focus for some time.

Recently she has shifted in her technique of colour

reduction lino printing, inspired by Ukiyo-e, Japanese

wood block printing of the Edo era. Her current work is a

single monochrome print outlining painted colours by

hand. The designs have detailed areas of focus,

balanced with open flat areas to give visual rest to create

the composition.

Vicki Philipson

I am a botanical illustrator based in Korumburra, South

Gippsland.

Plants have always been a great inspiration to me and

through my paintings I aim to portray their character

and beauty, tell their story and evoke an emotional

response in the viewer.

My paintings are all in watercolour, starting with detailed

drawings in graphite. I like to show beauty of texture and

detail in plants so my paintings are often larger in scale

than the original subject. I take photographs of the plant

material in my studio and then base my initial drawings

on the composition which has the most aesthetic appeal.

I constantly refer to fresh plant material during the

course of the painting process in order to portray

accurate colours and details.

I use watercolours because their transparency allows me

to slowly build up depth of colour through layer upon

layer of paint. This in turns creates interesting and

vibrant new colours which would otherwise be

impossible to achieve through mixing on the palette.