Workshops with the 2024 Craft + Design Canberra Artists-in-Residence: Lynne Flemons, Michele England and Emma Rani Hodges

Join artists Lynne, Michele, Emma and the Craft + Design Canberra team for a creative open day and workshop program at the historic Ready-Cut Cottage in Namadgi National Park.

Enjoy artist workshops and hear about the inspiration and interpretation of the park environment and its history
Engage with acclaimed artists
Participants are encouraged to join us for the entire period of the event from 10am - 3pm to benefit from all activities in the program including morning tea, artist talks and workshops. Activities will commence at 10.15am

Morning tea will be provided at Gudgenby Ready Cut Cottage. We recommend bringing your own packed lunch and any snacks/drinks as required. A collapsible camping chair or picnic rug is also advisable. Warm, waterproof and windproof clothing, covered footwear and sun protection is essential.

Ready-cut Cottage is located approximately 30km south of the Namadgi Visitor Centre, along Boboyan Road. Participants can park on the road near the cottage. There is small amount of parking at the cottage. If the weather is inclement the dirt driveway into the cottage can be rough and visitors should park near the gate and walk in. People with mobility issues should be aware that the rest of parking is not close, all the terrain is rough and is not easily wheelchair accessible.

The Craft + Design Canberra Artist-in-Residence program is supported by ACT Parks and Conservation Service. The 2024 research partner is ACT Historic Places. More information about the program is available on our website.

The Workshops

Lynne Flemons: Being in the Landscape - Converse with the natural environment through drawing

Participants will engage with the landscape of the valley around the Ready-Cut Cottage through drawing and collage using pencil, colour pencils and ink-tense watercolour pencils.

Participants will begin by walking and drawing to describe how we use our senses whilst in the landscape. Participants will be introduced to blind contour line drawings, ‘looking and not looking’, keeping the pencil on the paper and rotating the paper as we walk. Back at the cottage we will overlay this response to the environment with observed natural shapes in colour and textures using colour pencil and watercolour pencils and the addition of direct printed leaves.

The objective of the workshop is not to create a view, a scene or even a visual likeness but to be drawn into a relationship with the natural world around us and to compose a response. There is no right way up, no rules to follow as this is a personal response.

At the end of the workshop participants will take home a very simple folded one-page artist book of their experience to share.

Michele England: Printing and Painting with Plants

Michele will introduce you to her multi-disciplinary practice that strives to tread lightly on the earth through carefully considered materials and processes. She will detail what she has been focussing on during her residency – linocutting and stencilling. A brief overview of her finding will be detailed. Following, Michele will provide information about how to make ink from plant materials - what plants may be suitable, method and tools required. After this introduction participants will venture outside in a group to be inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds the cottage. There is plenty to see, touch, smell and hear from ancient rocks, to running stream, from grasses and gums to a variety of animals – feathered, furred, scaled and more. Back at the cottage or on the rock face (weather permitting) participants will have an opportunity to use Michele’s own inks to paint or draw over a pre-printed image (made whilst on the residency) on heavy paper.

Participants will take home a unique expression of Namadgi in the Autumn, using plant made inks and featuring one of Michele’s unique prints.

Image: 5 Foot Photography.