Hello Koalas 

a project where public art meets tourism, about to launch in the Port Macquarie NSW area 

Coming to Greater Port Macquarie in mid September 2014 - 50 plus large-scale koala sculptures, manufactured in fibreglass & hand painted & decorated by celebrity artists, professional artists & community groups, to create an official Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail. A forward thinking project linking the creativity of artists, business sponsorship and the power of tourism.

I am thrilled to be able to say I was commissioned to paint not one, but two koalas. Way back in 2013, the call for artists to submit designs went out and I submitted the maximum three designs allowed per artist.

One of these was chosen to be sponsored by World Par-Tea, an Australian owned retailer & wholesaler specialising in chemical free loose leaf teas of the highest grade and quality.






Komorebi is a Japanese word which translates as, ‘sunlight filtering through the leaves on trees’. In reference to the koala's forest habitat up high in trees. To see a koala for yourself requires you to also enjoy komorebi - looking up into the sunlight filtered by the leaves on trees.

Komorebi will be placed at the World Par-Tea tea rooms. Pay her a visit, see the intricate painting detail in real life and treat yourself to one of their 'high teas' (or perhaps a morning or afternoon cuppa!) - Shop 22, 35 Merrigal Rd Port Macquarie, NSW, Austraila. Say hi and thanks to Kerrie and Rod while you're there.





The second koala ended up being a commission. Ricardoes Tomatoes and Strawberries had signed up early on as a sponsor, but there was no koala design submitted that was a good match for their business. So the Hello Koalas team went looking for an artist and thankfully they found my food themed paintings. So I was asked to create a luscious, fresh food design based around the produce of the business.

Hello Berry Beautiful.
See her in real life outside Cafe Red at the strawberry and tomato farm - 221 Blackmans Point Rd, Blackmans Point NSW. Indulge in some pick-your-own fresh strawberries (they are GOOD!) or some award winning tomatoes and give a friendly hello to Carol and Anthony too.


The Hello Koalas Sculpture trail had it's official launch on Monday. The koalas will be placed in their locations in approximately two weeks.

See the launch news story on NBN TV news and in the Port Macquarie News newspaper.

The Hello Koalas site is at www.hellokoalas.com

If you're in the Bellingen area, I'd love you to come along! 

Meditations on a Cook's Garden - Fiona Morgan

All events are in April

Talks run for 15-20 mins

Film screenings - 30 mins of related short films will follow each talk. BYO cushion

 

From the 'Light As A Feather' series. Celebrating the small side of the natural world with feathers, tiny plants, leaves and grasses. The themes are lightness, delicateness and zen stillness.

All artworks are available in the Official Art Store.

Imagination is a Garden Where Ideas Blossom:







Once You Have Tasted Flight You Will Forever Walk With Your Eyes Turned Skyward:







The Sunshine Was Like Powdered Gold Over the Grassy Hillside: 

Feathers

Once you have tasted flight you will forever look with your eyes turned skyward.



I, like many people have a fascination with feathers. 
Freedom. Lightness. Delicateness. Flight.


Who can resist collecting this in their pocket and taking it home? Do we unconsciously collect feathers as a kind of talisman in the hope that these properties will be transferred to our lives? I've realised for some time that I don't pick up feathers solely because of the way they look. There is something else going on, a strong
uplifting symbolism that I seem to be responding to.


Welcome to a new year - may it be filled with the grace and light and calm of feathers.

 These 10 latest works continue on with the Meditative Studies with the addition of, quite literally, a splash of colour! Soothingly repetitive to draw. Tricky to get just right. Requiring a really delicate touch with the pen. And it can all go horribly wrong with the randomness of the paint splatters after the effort of getting the penwork right. Yes, they are nervewracking to do! However working the other way around by doing the paint first and the pen after is strangely awkward and results in a drawing that lacks life. The life of the artwork seems to be in the bravado required to SPLAT colour all over a very careful drawing and trust
that it will work out.





Each piece is created on watercolour paper with artist quality materials, is matted and ready to frame at 8"x10". They are $38 each with free postage within Australia.

These latest Feather Meditative Studies are available now to purchase in the Official Art Store. If you'd like to be the first to know of new artworks, sign up to the newsletter (yellow box, top right) as subscribers are informed before everyone else.