Gardening is a Learning Curve

Gardening is a Learning Curve

Rain and humidity can create havoc in the garden—think weeds, pests, yellowing plants, and fungus. This guide shares practical strategies to adapt to wet weather, from liquid fertilising weekly with adjusted ratios to managing pests with neem oil and controlling weeds organically. Embrace the unpredictability of gardening by evolving your plant choices, trimming, mulching, and learning to work with Mother Nature.

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 Get your Garden Party Ready!

 Get your Garden Party Ready!

Hosting Christmas at your place this year? Get your garden party-ready with this quick and practical guide. Start by decluttering and tidying your lawn for a neat appearance. Trim plants lightly, remove dead flowers, and mulch for a polished look. Add instant festive colour with ready-made flower pots or hanging baskets. With these simple steps, your garden will be ready to impress your guests!

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National Tree Planting Day: A Superficial Solution to a Deep-Seated Problem

National Tree Planting Day: A Superficial Solution to a Deep-Seated Problem

As National Tree Planting Day approaches, I grapple with a deep sense of frustration. While well-intentioned, planting trees feels hollow against the backdrop of ongoing destruction of cherished landscapes like Scott’s Farm in Ripley Valley. Despite the proven mental and physical health benefits of nature, urban sprawl continues to encroach on every green space. National Tree Day, established by Planet Ark in 1996, aims to foster environmental stewardship by encouraging Australians to plant and care for native trees. However, without concrete plans and sustained actions, these efforts risk becoming mere PR gestures. Proper tree management, selecting the right species, and ensuring aftercare are crucial. We need to shift the conversation to comprehensive green growth planning, creating urban jungles rather than concrete deserts, and fostering a genuine culture of environmental responsibility. Only then can we make a meaningful difference.

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Winter Gardening Jobs

Winter Gardening Jobs

Winter in Ipswich brings cold nights and warm days, perfect for gardening. Mulch to maintain soil temperature, fertilise with Silica and Potash, and protect young plants from frost. Start a herb garden, plant seed potatoes, and enjoy winter blooms like camellias. Maintain your lawn, care for fruit trees, and focus on herbs and leafy greens in your vegetable patch. Keep your garden thriving all winter with these expert tips.

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The Native Garden: A Balanced Approach

The Native Garden: A Balanced Approach

Amid discussions about exotic species becoming problematic in Australia, it’s crucial to re-examine native plants' role in our gardens. While I cherish native plants, I also appreciate many exotic species and believe they can coexist harmoniously.

Recognise that native plants can become weeds, like the Cootamundra Wattle (Acacia baileyana), which can invade higher rainfall areas. Native gardens require effort, including soil cultivation, fertilising, and regular maintenance.

Genetic modification to meet consumer demands for constant flowering plants risks diluting native species' genetic integrity, weakening resilience and harming ecosystems.

By prioritising robust genetic traits and educating consumers, we can create sustainable gardens that celebrate both native and exotic species.

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Gardening after Rain

Gardening after Rain

Gardening after deluges of rain can be hard but worth it for our mental health. Recent weather events have lead to our home gardens being inundated with large amounts of water. Unfortunately our productive gardens may not be exactly ready for plantings and other established plants are rotting in the ground. Here are some quick tips for gardening after the rain.

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Art Auction Catalogue

 Summer Afternoon
Oil on Panel 30cm x 40cm
Value: $495

Cynthia Copely: An Australian expressionist artist who captures the natural world through her interpretation of colour, feelings, and connection with the environment. She works primarily with watercolours and oils, creating vivid and emotionally charged landscapes.

Auction Item : Summer Afternoon

This eucalyptus tree is located at a beautiful winery, 'Lisdillon Estate' on the East Coast of Tasmania at Little Swanport. I spent a few days on the estate with my family whilst on holidays. It was a painter's paradise. I wandered to the property with paints and paper in hand, delighting in every glorious detail. They do a lovely drop of red too!

Oil on Panel, 30cm x 40cm
Value $495

Auction Item : Watercolour Tuition

Spend some tme with Cynthia learning Watercolour. 2 hours tuition for either a beginner or intermediate painter. Choose from fundamental watercolour techniques or take the next step if you're a painter wanting to expand your current watercolour skills. I can tailor the lesson to your interests.

Value : $195

 

Mel Sinclair: A passionate landscape photographer with a deep appreciation for Queensland's regional areas. She creates atmospheric imagery from around the world, though what she enjoys most is chasing fog in winter in the Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim. Mel combines traditional and contemporary styles to craft images that inspire viewers to support local artists and appreciate the beauty of the world around us.


Majestic Snowgum

Digital Image on Canvas, 30cm x 45cm

Value $250

Auction Item : Majestic Snowgum

High up in the Australian Alps, among the hiking trails and wild brumbies, above Thredbo NSW, the mountainside is littered majestic snowgums. These trees are the most incredible natural colours and are twisted by the conditions in which they thrive. This image was featured in my 2022 solo show at Arts Alive Ipswich and was one of the most popular. It's perfect as a statement piece in a smaller space, somewhere it will catch the natural light.

Digital Image on Canvas, 30cm x 45cm

Value $250

 

Kylie Stevens: An Ipswich-based artist dedicated to showcasing the beauty of nature and inspiring viewers to protect our precious natural spaces. Her multimedia art practice expresses her deep connection with the environment.My arts practice allows me to express my deep connection with the earth.  It is my aim to showcase the beauty and alchemy of nature, inspiring in the viewer a deeper respect for and desire to protect our precious environment. My recent work has focused on working with rivers, with a spotlight on my local rivers Urarrar (The Bremer River) and Maiwar (The Brisbane River). 


Maiwar

Brisbane River water, copper leaf, ochre, limestone, charcoal and acrylic paint on canvas, 76cm x 76cm

Value $600

Auction Item : Maiwar

In my process river water thins my paint, allowing it to pool and travel across the canvas, with the addition of hand-ground ochres and charcoal the canvas is marked, giving control to the river in this stage of the work.  Then I map the river in charcoal and copper leaf upon the richly textured surface.  Using the natural elements of river water and earth in the work gives it an essence of the place it represents.

Brisbane River water, copper leaf, ochre, limestone, charcoal and acrylic paint on canvas, 76cm x 76cm

Value $600

 

Kate Roberts: An artist whose journey spans various mediums, with a special focus on metal and silversmithing. Her artistic exploration and experimentation with different materials make her craft a constant adventure.


Auction Item : Decadence – Lavish Attachment

Lavish Attachment is a Copper, Sterling Silver and Crystal brooch, which can be worn with a necklace.

Value $350

Decadence can be 2-edged sword! We as the average person strive to have a little decadence in our lives, to savour and enjoy on special occasions. Yet if allowed to dwell in the in indulgent decadence as a part of our everyday lives, it brings our world and the wider society to questionable decisions that can bring about certain ruin. This dwelling in decadence has led to recent turmoil in local leadership and the fallout continues to affect the average person who still just wants a small experience of a little decadence. This piece is designed for just that, within a humble earthy background of copper.

Lavish Attachment is a Copper, Sterling Silver and Crystal brooch, which can be worn with a necklace.

Value $350


Auction Item : Ring making class for 2 people

Ring making class for 2 people 

Workshop - 3hr

Materials and equipment included

Value : $250

 

Amanda Wachevski (IPSWICH PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO) : Amanda Waschevski has established a reputation for empowering, inspiring and innovative portrait photography. A visual celebration of individuality - Ipswich Photography Studio.

Auction Item : Portrait Session

Portrait Session

THE RED CARPET EXPERIENCE!

Perfect for business owners, creatives and other detail-oriented folk looking to take their online presence to the next level, and be seen for who they are, not just what they do.

What’s included:

In Person Consult | Personalised Planning Session

All the Time you Want

All the Guidance you Need

Unlimited background & wardrobe changes

 Value : $625

 

Jodi Bowen (LONE GOAT STUDIO): A creative force that brings quirkily beautiful ceramic art and decorative pieces to life. Her works are handmade with love and often carry a touch of humour and a sense of the quirky.

Auction Item : Pink on Pink

I love the colour of the Australian landscape. Native flora provides bursts of colour contrasted by shadows and the pink sunsets of late. It is so captivating.

Oil pencil on paper. 15.5cm x 23.5 cm.

Framed and ready to hang.

Value : $250


 

Amy Stapleton: An emerging artist who draws inspiration from the natural environment to create contemporary, mixed-media landscapes. Her work blends traditional materials with a modern touch, incorporating elements of photography and graphic design.

Auction Item : It's All Changed Now

This piece is from Amy’s personal collection and is called “it’s all changed now” as this is what College’s Crossing used to look like before the devastating 2011 floods.

Mixed media on timber panel in oak frame.
30cm x 40cm

Value : $250

 

Brisbane Story

$300

Andrea Baumert Howard (ART BEFORE HOUSEWORK): A multi-disciplinary artist who finds inspiration in everyday moments and believes that art and beauty are all around us. Her work is born from ideas that persist until they materialize into reality. Andrea’s backyard studio allows her to get messy and follow any direction inspiration takes her. She is currently obsessed with handmade recycled paper. She uses shredded junk mail and office discards, dyed with inks and natural materials to create multilayered papers. Every sheet of paper is individually crafted in the mould, hand coloured and mixed in the vat. The delicate nature of the handmade paper is tested in the extreme when put through a printer, sometimes a whole piece falls apart, and she usually only gets one try. Her love of nature and environmental concerns are a strong theme in her current work. She hopes the use of recycled junk-mail and office paper, sparks conversations about recycling and mindful reuse of resources.

Auction Item : Brisbane Story

Digital Photograph on Handmade paper from Junk mail and office discards

Framed 47 x 57cm

Value : $300

 

Tree of Life

Beth Barrett: I am an Art Teacher with over 30 years of experience teaching children and adults. During this time, I have developed my own practice exploring the natural environment using a variety of mediums. Colour and shape would have to be the major influences in the development of an idea. My preferred medium is acrylic paint on cut timber giving me the ability to create a more tactile effect in the works. I like to draw with a jigsaw!

Auction Item : Tree of Life

For me, trees symbolise strength and connection between life and spirit. Each tree is unique and individual, its layers shaped by different experiences. This piece grew from a selection of timber off-cuts that would normally be discarded. Now, being reborn to reconnect and continue to create a calming presence.

Craved Acrylic on MDF Board

900 x 600 x 30mm

Value : $500 

 

Rebecca Lewis (LITTLE BROWN DOG): Bec Lewis is a self-taught textile artist, seamstress, printmaker and collage enthusiast living and working in Ipswich, Queensland. In 2014 she held her first solo exhibition of at Cactus Espresso Bar. The show featured lino prints of local houses on old newsprint, timber and paper. Since then she has been exploring different ways to use her prints including traditional collage, outdoor or locative collages, stop motion animation and automaton. In 2018 she won the Queensland Regional Art Awards – Digital Art prize for a short stop motion film featuring her lino prints and paper cut outs. The prize was a week long residency at ‘The Edge’ at the State Library of Queensland. She used this week to experiment with simple automaton. Again ‘animating’ Lino prints but this time with simple hand cranked mechanisms. Bec has taught workshop in print making and animation from Brisbane to Biloela and regularly attends the GOMA Design Market with her screen printed wares.  

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo automaton

Auction Item : Yellow-tailed black cockatoo automaton

Her latest work combines her love of Lino print and automaton with her fascination and admiration for Australian birds. Turn the handle to watch them fly.

2024

Hand printed fabric, wire, beads and vintage cotton reel

Value $250



Auction Item : Time with Bec

Come and hang in Bec’s garden studio for two hours. Would you like to have a crash course in screen print, Lino print or stop motion collage? You decide and we’ll make it happen.

All materials provided. 

Value : $195

 

Handmade Teapot

Timothy Acutt Studio Potter and Visual Artist. With exhibits of his pottery, paintings and drawings in Ipswich and Brisbane.

Auction Items : Teapot

The form, functionality and aesthetics of the teapot is a constant challenge for the studio potter. My aim is to make teapots that are functional and also have a sculptural presence. I try to balance a defined form with a more immediate and spontaneous decoration.

Black stoneware teapot with thrown handle. 22cm x 23cm.

Value :

Auction Item : Day with Tim

If you have your own Pottery Wheel and are looking to improve your skills, Tim will come over for the day and give you some advice.

Value : $195

 

My Favourite Gardening Task

My Favourite Gardening Task

Discover the unparalleled satisfaction of tending to your lawn. Dive into the myriad of positive attributes lawns bring to your garden landscape, from recreational spaces to mental well-being. Explore sustainable practices to enhance these benefits while minimizing environmental impacts.

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Mediterranean Gardens in Ipswich

Mediterranean Gardens in Ipswich

I find garden design concepts like ‘Mediterranean Garden’ hard to give actual plants for as it’s a concept, a feeling especially in Ipswich’s ever changing climate and soils. No matter what your garden design is it should be a complete sensory experience and practical for YOU. Here are my tips for creating a ‘Mediterranean Garden’ in Ipswich

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