The Nambucca Valley Arts Council will be featuring Freya Paton as its “Artist of the Month” for April.
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Freya has called her exhibition “Soul Food: because, in her words, “My art is the thing that nurtures and nourishes me the most.
“Even if I’m not working on anything the planning, gathering materials and researching is all part of the nourishing process.”
Art school
Freya enrolled in Joseph Conroy’s first art class at Macksville Teck in 1976.
“We had to move on after four years to make room for new students so I joined the Bellingen Art Society,” she said.
“Ted Hillyer was teaching at East Sydney Tech, and offered a correspondence art course and I signed up.
“It was really exciting to get my marked work in the post every month!”
Embroidery
Then came a five-day free machine embroidery course at Camp Creative in 1992.
“A new door opened and the marriage of my art and sewing began.
“A four year correspondence course with the NSW Embroiderers’ Guild followed.
“I feel blessed to have had the chance to pursue my creativity. There is always something new to discover, especially now with the Internet.”
Freya’s exhibition includes embroidered hangings, textile wall pieces, hand painted fabric, beaded ornaments and textile sculptures.
“I’m often asked ‘how long did that take to make?’,” she said.
“Time becomes meaningless in the face of creativity.
“As Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser said ‘Art should be positive, free, romantic, beautiful, something like a jewel, something which you cannot do without’.”
Launch
A morning tea to launch Freya’s exhibition will be held in the Stringer Gallery, Ridge Street, Nambucca Heads from 10.30am on Wednesday, April 5.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
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Weaving demonstration
Join Trish McInherny, a Birpai woman, at the Dunghutti Aboriginal Art Gallery for a demonstration of her unique weaving techniques.
Trish will be weaving dolls from gum sticks, lomandra and paperbark.
Visitors will have the opportunity to connect directly with the artist and to observe her way of working with fibre.
Saturday, April 1 from 10.30am at the Dunghutti Aboriginal Art Gallery next to the Visitor Information Centre in South Kempsey.
