B.1958

Lisa has had an affinity for collecting beautiful and interesting objects, of metal, China, fabric, wood or any other material, as well as enjoying drawing, creating and making things. Lisa’s practice focuses on appliqué and mosaic forms; both combine collecting and creating, piecing together smaller parts to form an aesthetically pleasing design. Over the years Lisa’s creative expression has taken form in enamelling, embroidery, lead light, quilt making and mosaics. Living and travelling overseas and absorbing art from different cultures has influenced her work. Lisa spent a year travelling around South and Central America in 1989, lived in Papua New Guinea from 1991-1994, in Mt Tamborine (Qld) from 1994-1996, in Dubai (UAE) from 1997-2002.

She is originally from Shepparton; I have lived in Yinnar for seven years.

B.1970

Miranda Brett is a Melbourne-based visual artist whose creative practice exists at the intersection of textile, collage and mixed media. Miranda’s work transforms everyday fabrics, paper and found ephemera into poetic, layered compositions that evoke quiet narratives of texture, colour and story. Her process is intuitive, playful and tactile – she often begins a piece without a fixed plan, allowing shapes, tones and unexpected juxtapositions to emerge organically. Over time, these evolving elements coalesce into works that feel both delicate and resonant, inviting viewers to linger on subtle connections and hidden rhythms. Textiles and the creative process are her ‘sounding board for life…Miranda has participated in various exhibitions in Geelong, Melbourne, NSW and the UK, with a solo exhibition. “Wool; in the Making” Hay NSW 2019

Beth and Trevor have lived in Canberra for the past forty years, but both grew up in Melbourne and surrounds. They made their first textile together in 1972, a patchwork coverlet, but it was not until 1988 that textiles came back into their frame of reference.

They joined Canberra Quilters made a sampler quilt and then began to experiment with different techniques, from there they went on to make quilts that were a little bit different, sometimes together, sometimes individually.

They have exhibited nationally and internationally and are represented in international and Australian private collections. Work in public collections include the ACT Hospice, Parliament House Art Collection, the ACT Government Library Service and the ACT Heritage Library. Beth and Trevor won Best of Show at the Canberra Quilters Exhibition in 2009 and again in 2018.

They enjoy the process and design together collaboratively using stitch as a visual Stimulant.

B. 1947

From the moment Robina opened her eyes, she was encouraged to see, observe, to paint, draw, read, use a camera and a dark room. Robina holds decades of formal education in photography, interior design, business management and textile design, and informally decades of meeting artists, visiting exhibitions and galleries. Robina has exhibited in Australia, Europe, the Middle East and USA. To Robina, Art is about continual acquisition and sharing of new ideas and new skills, which she plans on doing forever.

Cheryl’s work and practice seek to represent both; her environment and her home. Her work is both influenced and made from materials forged from her local environments, and personal dwelling. Her work is a visual record of time, of place and of environmental engagement. With an emphasis on sustainability, Cheryl conveys that, “…sustainability is where your art expresses your belief in the world and the way you choose to live in it… I try to live softly and keep my environmental footprint as light as I can…”

Underpinning the development of Cheryl’s art practice, is the use of materials that engage the senses, where nothing is wasted and eventually feeds into something else. It is the story of regrowth with layers of meaning connecting us to our stories.

Cheryl’s art invites others to ‘become more conscious of their impact on the environment’ and to spark ideas in their approach to art, to nature and to life. She invites spectators to become curious about their natural surroundings and to engage with moments remembered.

B.1966

Nicole Kemp works as an artist, teacher, and mentor presenting a diverse range of creative experiences. Nicole explores contemporary themes through textile art and in so doing, explodes its association with gentleness and the domestic.
She notes, ‘Women have, from the beginning of time used fabric and stitch to create messages of many kinds and definitely not always gentle.’ And often the women’s work, resulted from some very hard times. Through her medium, Nicole delivers powerful commentary on resistance, power, patriarchy and political systems

In 2024-5 she held two successful solo shows at Glen Eira City Council Gallery, and Artemisia Gallery, Windsor. These cemented her profile in the arts community and has led to further community-based craftivist activities. Her work is included in public collections.
In 2021, her Covid Quilt was collected by Museums Victoria. This quilt provides a dynamic, emotive and powerful representation of the lived experience of COVID-19 in the State of Victoria from March 2020 – January 2021

Nicole is represented in several book publications and art magazines and was interviewed by ABC National News, Australia, in 2021, Artists in Lockdown. She continues to participate regularly in group shows, while working towards her next solo.

Lynette is a textile artist, with her practice, and design embracing inspiration coming from the natural world, architecture and events around her. Her current work focuses on Shibori and indigo dyeing, along with breakdown printing. Eco-dyeing provides interesting, unique shapes and colours. She uses natural and found objects to print with and compose original designs. Lynette lives in Ocean Grove on the Bellarine Peninsula and enjoys entering exhibitions. She is a member of Ozquilt Network Inc., Victorian Quilters Inc., Geelong Patchwork & Quilters Guild Inc., and her local group – Stitchers at Sea.

B. 1955, UK

“…We are swathed in textiles from birth and shrouded with them when we leave the world. Cradle to the grave. A trite observation on the importance of textiles to humans. To those of us who bring our love of textiles into our artwork, who find our best fit with the tools of generations of craftspeople and artisans, seamstresses and tailors, embroiderers and knitters, it is our reality and our truth…”

Sarah’s working life was in IT, as a computer consultant. Later, with children and living as in expat in the Middle East, she designed embroidery patterns digitally and had an online shop in 1996, after she and her family returned to Australia. In 2002, Sarah obtained a Diploma of Art (Studio Stitch/Textiles, which led to teaching textile art at TAFE. In 2011, she completed a Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts (Textiles) from Australian National University.

Sarah has exhibited extensively in Australia and overseas, since 2002, most recently with Gathered Threads for the past five years. Some of Sarah’s selected career highlights are travelling to Philadelphia as a finalist in Art Quilts at the Sedgwick in 2006; winning First Prize for Time-based Textiles at the 2011 Biennial of the World Textile Association in Mexico, and staging a solo exhibition Play-Pose-Post in 2015 at Rubicon ARI in North Melbourne.

Ellen Taylor grew up making and creating on Bunurong Country, in the coastal town of Inverloch, her practice now encompasses large-scale drawings and plant-based installations.

Her works are imbued with the obsessiveness and compulsivity of an artist who loves to make with her hands. Whether this be hours of layered black crosshatching, or the gathering and arrangement of thousands of grasses, leaves and flowers – the work is part of the work.

Taylor uses locally sourced, semi-dried flowers, grasses and plant materials to create foliage installations that act as a serene devotional space.

Her work can be seen as drawing in space, grown out of the rich role that flowers play in ritual and symbolism. Taylor first began making large floral displays in her artwork after her mother passed away. The harvesting and collection of the plants is a labour of love and act of dedication woven into her foliage works as an everlasting thread and memorial to her mother.

Taylor completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Sculpture and Spatial Practice, at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2008. In the years following, she has exhibited in various group and solo exhibitions throughout Melbourne and South Gippsland, where she currently works and Lives.