George Baldessin (1939-1978) was born in San Biagio di Callalta, in the Veneto in Northern Italy and arrived in Australia ten years later. A printmaker and sculptor he built his bluestone studio at St Andrews (Nillumbik) in 1971 with his partner Tess and the three Hails brothers, Rob, Doug and Don. Made of recycled materials the studio today contains all of George’s equipment including the large press, which he modelled himself with the help of Neil Jeffrey (Enjay Presses). George won many prizes throughout his career and is represented in many of Australia's public art collections including his famous 'Pears' sculpture in front of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. In 1975 he represented Australia in the Sao Paulo Biennale, before living and working in Paris until his return to St Andrews in 1977. In 1978 George was killed in a car accident aged 39 years. In 2001 Tess returned to St Andrews to reclaim the run-down studio and reconstitute it as The Baldessin Press & Studio - a printmaking retreat. It operates in George’s memory, so that artists may continue to create, perpetuating the generous spirit of George. This work chosen for the folio is from an incomplete edition from 1966. It has been printed on Baldessin's original 1974 cast aluminium Enjay press (designed and made in collaboration with Neil Jeffreys) and restored specifically for this project by Dan Jones. In addition Deanna Hitti has used Baldessin's original Japanese Torinoko paper, stored safely in his studio for over forty years. ‘Portrait II’ is one of eight prints in the 'Baldessin & Friends commemorative folio. The folio was conceived by Tess Edwards as a fundraising initiative in celebration of the The Baldessin Press & Studio's fifteen year anniversary, and as a way to honour George Baldessin's memory. The Baldessin Press & Studio is a not-for-profit organisation created in memory of the late George Baldessin (1939-1978), whose original studio is now open to the public for creative use and as a practical legacy to living artists. The Studio is located in St Andrews, Nillumbik. The folio is a unique coming together of seven very different and acclaimed artists who are connected by their friendship to the missing eighth member, George Baldessin. This print is a fine example of Baldessin's primary interest of the figure, which displays great sensitivity to and observation of the human condition. Distortion, exaggeration and fragmentation were employed by Baldessin as tools to animate and scrutinize the displaced, dispossessed and alienated figure, flattened against the picture plane. Black and white distorted and exaggerated figure (head and shoulders), with hands raised to the face and the figure's right eye. acquatint, etching, baldessin, ekphrasis2018, figure

Painter, printmaker and installation artist John Wolseley was born in Somerset, England. He lived and worked throughout Europe before relocating to Australia in 1976. His work explores how people dwell and move within landscape. Wolseley see's himself as a hybrid mix of artist and scientist; one who tries to relate the minutiae of the natural world - leaf, feather and beetle wing - to the abstract dimensions of the earth's dynamic systems. Using techniques of watercolour, collage, frottage, nature printing and other methods of direct physical or kinetic contact Wolseley finds ways of collaborating with the actual plants, birds, trees, rocks and earth of a particular place. George Baldessin was one of the first artists John Wolseley met when he arrived in Australia in 1976. Both immigrated to Australia and connected through this shared experience. They were both at 'Realities Gallery' with Marianne Baillieu in the 1970s and 80s. George Baldessin (1939-1978) was born in San Biagio di Callalta, in the Veneto in Northern Italy and arrived in Australia ten years later. A printmaker and sculptor he built his bluestone studio at St Andrews (Nillumbik) in 1971 with his partner Tess and the three Hails brothers, Rob, Doug and Don. Made of recycled materials the studio today contains all of George’s equipment including the large press, which he modelled himself with the help of Neil Jeffrey (Enjay Presses). George won many prizes throughout his career and is represented in many of Australia's public art collections including his famous 'Pears' sculpture in front of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. In 1975 he represented Australia in the Sao Paulo Biennale, before living and working in Paris until his return to St Andrews in 1977. In 1978 George was killed in a car accident aged 39 years. In 2001 Tess returned to St Andrews to reclaim the run-down studio and reconstitute it as The Baldessin Press & Studio - a printmaking retreat. It operates in George’s memory, so that artists may continue to create, perpetuating the generous spirit of George. 'Life world of the Longicorn beetle' is one of eight prints in the 'Baldessin & Friends commemorative folio. The folio was conceived by Tess Edwards as a fundraising initiative in celebration of the The Baldessin Press & Studio's fifteen year anniversary, and as a way to honour George Baldessin's memory. The Baldessin Press & Studio is a not-for-profit organisation created in memory of the late George Baldessin (1939-1978), whose original studio is now open to the public for creative use and as a practical legacy to living artists. The Studio is located in St Andrews, Nillumbik. The folio is a unique coming together of seven very different and acclaimed artists who are connected by their friendship to the missing eighth member, George Baldessin. Communion and collaboration with nature are central to Wolseley's practice. He assembles different drawing methods to represent a kind of inventory or document about the state of the earth. His interest is to paint the processes and energy field of the living systems of this land. 'Life world of the Longicorn beetle' is his continued exploration of Australia's natural eco-systems. The beetle attacks the eucalypt and in the process of tunnelling into the wood of the tree leaves scribbly patterns. The work celebrates the cycle of life, and the wisdom and delicacy of these creatures. This three dimensional work consisting of three layers of paper is a varied edition, offering just the slightest difference between each print, reflective of variation in nature. The found log used as a woodcut acknowledges the interconnectedness of nature and living beings; the log is not apart from the art and the beetle has become an active artistic collaborator. An intimate and layered print of a tree log with line trails from the Longicorn beetle. Patches of pink, yellow and orange watercolour placed randomly. Woodcut from found log and etching on chine-colle with water colour on Gampi (top layer), Mulberry (middle layer) and Arches (bottom layer) paper. In pencil (handwritten): low plate: left '14/25' (edition); centre 'Life world of the Longicorn beetle' (title); right 'John Wolseley' (signature); low paper: right emboss 'GB' (Baldessin Press & Studio monogram)woodcut, etching, chine-colle, landscape, environment, longicorn beetle, print, baldessin, ekphrasis2018, eco, mixed media

Imam is represented in the Nillumbik Shire Art Collection and was the winner of the 2015 Nillumbik Prize for her work "Diagram of sentiment #1" (judged by Linden New Art Director Melinda Martin). She was also a finalist in the Nillumbik Prize 2016, 2015, 2013 and 2010. Imam completed a residency at Laughing Waters in 2011. Imam works within photography, the moving image and installation to create works centred on themes of embodiment and the female perspective. In this work she participates in a dialogue between her body and the Finnish Archipelagos in order to develop a relationship with the islands as both a place and an organic body [of land] where flux and change occurs. Photograph of the artist immersed from the waist down in green moss (landscape).N/Afinnish, archipelago, inkjet, print, photographic, body, island, moss

Nillumbik Prize finalist (2018, 2016, 2015, 2014). The artist lives and works in Nillumbik. Abstract sculpture inspired by the artist attending a local ceremony in Nillumbik to harvest tubers of the Murnong (yam daisy), a traditional staple of the Wurundjeri people. Wirth was also inspired by the writing of Bruce Pascoe. Wirth works intuitively with awareness that meaning may be deciphered through the combination of material/mediums/techniques that she uses randomly. Through the process of experimentation and automatism Wirth allows her work to evolve organically. Wirth is represented in public art collections including: Victorian College of the Arts, Victorian Performing Arts Centre and Ararat Regional Gallery. She also completed a residency at Laughing Waters in 2012. Yellow abstract sculpture woven into a vessel with long tentacles using cotton yarn. N/Afinalist, nillumbik prize, abstract, textile, yellow, vessel, yam

This painting was sparked by a US studio residency at Yellowstone National Park, shortly after Trump’s election. In America, Chin witnessed conservative nationalism and divisiveness, but also an equal reaction promoting diversity and challenging structural inequality. Developing this work in Australia, Chin examined how a sense of place forms fluidly in the consciousness, to surpass geographic borderlines.Kevin Chin is a local artist. He has been a finalist in the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art (2015, 2019). In this painting Chin explores economic, cultural and social structures that shape the world in which we live, questioning who has built what, who takes ownership, and who has the right to the land. Landscape painting depicting a house (upside down) and a half finished urban structure sitting amongst mountain peaks and land that has been cleared and immersed in fog/smoke.N/Alandscape, kevin, chin, structural, inequality, castle, trump, painting, nillumbik, residency, yellowstone, realism, oils

Vipoo Srivilasa works predominantly in ceramics, creating unique contemporary porcelain sculptures, vessels and figures to transmit a universal message of cross-cultural experience. His works explore similarities between the cultures of homeland, Thailand and his adoptive home, Australia. His work is both a playful, and at times a political, blend of historical figurative and decorative art practices with contemporary culture. For more than 20 years, Vipoo has exhibited both internationally and throughout Australia, including Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Saatchi Gallery, London; Ayala Museum, Philippines; Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan; Nanjing Arts Institute, China and the National Gallery of Thailand. His work is held in national and international collections including the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of South Australia, GOMA, and the Craft Council, UK.

I am naturally drawn to using bold colours in my work that I apply to the canvas with quite gestural marks using everything from brushes to my hands to create an image. For me the colour represents passion for all the beauty of nature and the movement of paint on the canvas is like the dance of life. The surrounding bushland of my home is the main focus of my paintings in which I spend a lot of time exploring and absorbing the many nuances of my subject. The work is an expression of the intimate relationship we have with nature, the human narrative we impose upon it and its ability to define us. This work, ‘Time for Clarity’ is about the positive impact COVID-19 has had on the environment, cleaner air, clearer skies and waters. It has opened the door to future possibilities, a glimpse of the ecological value of taking a more thoughtful and measured approach to the way we consume, it's slowed down time and given us a chance to be more introspective.This work was originally commissioned in 2020 by Nillumbik Shire Council for the exhibition 'Art in the time of COVID-19'.

Winner of 2015 Expressions: the Wool Quilt PRize. Created by Lisa Davis. Artist statement: "The Art of Record Keeping" pays homage to the work of Ernst Haeckel, German zoologist and evolutionist from the late 1800s. Raw edge machine applique and intricate quilting combine to create texture and detail reminiscent of Haeckel's illustrations. Including parallel lines in the quilting echoes the idea of documentation"Black wool quilt with white wool shapes

Winner of "Expressions 2006: The Wool Quilt Prize". Artist statement: 'Dressed in Memories IV is my continued exploration into contemporary quilting by looking back to the history of women, the quilts they made and the memories their work holds. Layered on the wagga of recycled materials is embroidered a dress that my mother made when she was in her teens. This contemporary quilt celebrates women's domestic work through the generations in Australia.'W7183 'Dressed in Memories IV' Detail of 'Dressed in Memories IV' (full photo in W7183textilefibreforumarticle2007.pdf) CV of Michele Eastwood Article 'Stitched and Bound' by Alvena Hall in "Textile Fibre Forum, vol. 21, issue 1, No. 65 2002. Article 'What is a Contemporary Art Quilt?' from "Popular Patchwork, April 2002, England. Article 'Quilt winner dressed for success' from "The Weekly Times", January 3, 2007 Article 'Expressions 2006: The Wool Quilt Prize' from "Textile Fibre Forum" no 85, 2007 Catalogue worksheet page 1 Catalogueworksheet page 2Dressed in Memories IVquilting textile art wagga, eastwood, ms michele, quilting, textile art, wagga

Winner of Expressions 2008: The Wool Quilt Prize Artist Statement: 'My friend Vriginia named this quilt for me and I thought "of course". A ladder is a means of rising or climbing and I began this work woth a sense of freedom. In this case freedom from entrapment of thought, feeling and creativity.'W7184 'Green Ladder' Catalogue for 'The New Quilt 2003: an exhibition of contemporary quilt textiles' Jo Steele's entry in 'The New Quilt 2003' catalogue Jo Steele's Curriculum Vitae Photocopy from Quilters Guild Magazine, 1998. Jo Steele's 'Eggshells & Iron Bars' Photocopy from catalogue '2002: One step further marvellous minatures', including Jo Steele's entry. Photocopy from '2007 Australian Cotton Fibre Expo'. Jo Steele entry 704. Includes first prize certificate for Section 7: Contemporary Quilting and Patchwork. Certificate awarded to Jo Steele for 'Chill Out!' 2004. Winner 'Fashion Extravaganza' Category. Photocopy from catalogue for 'Territory Craft 30th Alice Craft Acquisition'. Jo Steele entry 133. Photocopy from catalogue for 'The 29th Alice Craft Acquisition'. Jo Steele entries 143 and 144.Jo Steel 34 Neale Street Katoomba 2780 NSW 0413 074 604 'Green Ladder'quilting textile art, steele, ms jo, quilting, textile art

Indigenous culture3 Wooden Tapping Sticks with a high gloss varnish. Appears to be commercially made.Sticker “An original work of art” Painted black white ochre . Dots and stripes on one end.

This work is the result of a series of interviews with committee members of 69 Smith Street Gallery, an artist-run gallery that operated in Collingwood between 1998 and 2016. These interviews taken between 2010 and 2011 feature artists who went on to form the creative group known as the 69 Collective.This work was part of The Line exhibition at Collingwood Gallery in 2018. The brief given to participating artists was to present works using the theme of the horizontal line. The artworks, in a range of mediums, were hung with a consistent line travelling through each piece around the perimeter of the gallery space. The line in each work, inferred or explicit, were carefully placed together to make this cohesive whole.oral history, video, 69 smith street gallery, artist-run initiative, artist-run space, melbourne art galleries, merle parker, julian di martino, marianne little, 69 collective, jenny gibson, art, video art

Originating from Scotland pre-1950, this wool winder is ornately decorated featuring a male figure at its peak and a cherub at its base. Wool Winders are practical objects typically with minimal decoration; however, Wool Winders with ornate design features do exist. Scrimshaw (whale ivory) was a popular choice of material in the 18th and 19th century. It is smooth, preventing yarn from getting caught when unwinding, as well as having artistic beauty. Wool winders require a heavy base, as to not topple over when in use. It is popular to decorate these bases on more elaborate winders, such as shown in this example. The bows featured to tie the wood segments together is another feature of more elaborate models of wool winders, also highlighted in this example. This winder began life in the possession of Annie Crawford. The Crawford name has a strong connection with the town of Paisley, Scotland, and its Woollen Mills. The Crawford name can be seen working at the Woollen Mills in the 1851 Scotland Census, with Robert and his brother’s James and John working as Wool dyers. Their father Alexander also worked as a Loom Weaver. The winder immigrated with Annie when she, her husband and 3 children travelled to Australia, ready to start a new life. Most of their possessions were left behind in Scotland. This winder accompanied the family on their journey; so it stands to reason that the winder was special to them. Annie Crawford passed the winder onto her eldest daughter Joan Crawford. Joan did not have any children and so she passed the winder onto the eldest female grandchild, Fiona Crawford. Fiona Crawford continued the connection of the Crawford name with textiles, with an exhibition titled "When you go looking for me, I am not there". Utilising medieval embroidery tradition of ‘Punto Assisi, the exhibition was a reflection on the lack of women recorded in history, particularly their contribution to the domestic arts. Her work investigates both the absence of women while also honouring the unknown female makers of this now highly desired art. The Wool Winder was donated to the National Wool Museum in 2021 by Dianne Crawford, the sister of Fiona Crawford. Umbrella swift style wool winder made of metal, wood, and ribbon. Decorated at its highest point with a sculpted man standing on one leg, holding what is perhaps a rolled newspaper as though he may be bidding at an auction. Or perhaps he is holding a hank of wool. The man stands upon a three-tier platform of decreasing size and design which leads to the central metal shaft. At the base, the winder is decorated with an engraved cherub. Both figures have a small hole in one of their hands, indicating that they originally held something. Unfortunately, it is not known what this is. From the central metal shaft, this winder has 2 rows of 6 arms radiating out. These arms cross in the middle to form an X. These arms are also connected horizontally with additional arms which cross. This all forms an intricate web design, tied together with ribbon. The size of the web these arms create is adjustable, to accommodate yarns of different length. Beneath the second row of arms is a locking screw which holds this row at the desired height and width. This entire top section, beginning at the central metal shaft, can be unscrewed from its base for easier storage. The base begins in a wooden circular shape growing into a smaller ornately designed raise on which the cherub sits. From the head of the cherub the central metal shaft begins.paisley, scotland, wool winder, immigration

Ghost Blanket IV won the 'Award for Excellence' at Ozquilt Network's biennial juried exhibition Art Quilt Australia for 2021. The quilt presented with the Award for Excellence is acquired into the National Wool Museum's Collection dating back to 2000 with the art quilt "Earth Blanket". Artist statement: In "Ghost Blanket IV", woven checked blankets are deconstructed and reimagined to create an appliquéd work with the feel of lace. It celebrates the natural colours of alpaca fleece and the qualities of felted, woven fabric.Woven black white and grey checked design appliqued onto silk organza.ozquilt, quilt, art quilt, wool