During the Rooted in Nature exhibition, I ran two small, intimate workshops focused on observing nature through different lenses. The first workshop explored trees from a distance — their shapes, rhythm, and presence in the landscape. The second shifted to a close-up study of eucalypt blooms, celebrating detail, texture, and colour.
Working with texture paste and acrylic, we built layered, expressive surfaces full of energy. I keep my groups small to allow for a more personal approach, and although everyone followed the same process, each artwork turned out completely different.
There is something truly magical about creating inside an exhibition space. Being surrounded by artworks and artists in the act of making seems to boost creativity and confidence — the energy is contagious. Both groups did an incredible job, and I’m genuinely proud of the results and the courage they brought to their work.
In March 2025, True Blue & a Little Bit of Yellow presented a fundraising exhibition titled The Spirit of the Peninsula at Northern Beaches Gallery, Cromer. Running from 8–22 March, the exhibition invited visitors to walk through the familiar rhythms of the peninsula — its streets, bushland, and the light-filled beaches of North Sydney. The works reflected a strong sense of place while remaining deeply connected to broader stories of belonging and care. At its heart, The Spirit of the Peninsula was about building a bridge between Australia and Ukraine. Through art, the exhibition created a space for connection, support, and generosity during challenging times, reminding us that local landscapes can carry global meaning.
Furniture Decoration — Art You Can Live With. Working with furniture brings me a particular kind of joy. Three-dimensional objects are experienced from all sides, revealing a different picture as you move around them. There is something deeply satisfying about applying art to forms that are not only observed, but used and lived with every day. Chairs, tables, cabinets, and screens become surfaces where colour, texture, and form extend beyond the wall. Decorated furniture has the power to anchor a room. It can become a focal point, decisively unify a colour palette, or bring cohesion to an interior style. When art moves into functional objects, it becomes part of daily rituals, adding character and warmth to everyday moments. The process becomes even more meaningful when an old piece is given a second life. Repairing, recolouring, redesigning, reimagining, and reusing transforms something forgotten into something personal and renewed. Furniture decoration is, for me, a way of combining creativity with care — honouring what already exists while shaping it into something fresh, purposeful, and full of story.
