As part of Project Alchemy, Sammy Hawker is facilitating a series of community artworks. These artworks are a co-creation between local trees, their stories, and the humans that listen to them.

At the Ainslie & Gorman 'Open House' on Saturday 23rd of September, Sammy Hawker is inviting participants to book into a 2-hour sitting. In this time participants will sit with Sammy and together they will create a chromatogram of their favourite tree.

The process of chromatography facilitates the visual expression of vibrant matter. The hues and patterns that form cannot be controlled by the artist and the result can be understood as a self-portrait of the tree.

Interested participants are invited to gather a small handful (10 grams) of fallen leaves and shed bark from a local tree they feel a connection to. Place this sample in a paper bag & include a short written statement about how this tree speaks to you. One can be guided by feelings of well-being when it is OK to work with Country. Always source your sample ethically and with respect to the tree.

There will be two sittings from 10am - 12pm | 1pm - 3pm with up to 6 participants at each sitting.

This archive of chromatograms are going towards a public exhibition. Each participant will be posted an artwork of their final chromatogram.

'Tree Portraits' is part of a Project Alchemy, a series of cross disciplinary arts projects to build community connection across south-east Australia. The project is facilitated by award winning Canberra based Rebus Theatre and involves 15 artists from Bega Valley Shire, Eurobodalla Shire, East Gippsland, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council, and the ACT.

Project Alchemy is made possible thanks to funding from the Australian Government for the Black Summer Bushfire Grant Program. Rebus is also supported by Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres and the ACT Government.

More about Rebus here: https://rebustheatre.com/

More about Project Alchemy here: https://rebustheatre.com/projectalchemy/