Alcove Art Shop - Some of our Artists


Jill Preston works in the media of textiles, paper and mosaics, particularly using recycled materials. Jill says her confidence is building and she will start The Diploma of Textile Arts at Box Hill TAFE in 2008. The Alcove Art Shop was her first chance to sell some of her work so she says she is learning and growing as a crafts person by spending time near beautiful things and creative people. She enjoys felting, knitting, crochet and collecting treasures in Op Shops to use in her work.
	Barb Adams is an artist who delights in working with paper and fabric. She is a papermaker, bookmaker, felt and textile artist. She delights in sharing her work with others by teaching workshops, where she helps participants discover their creative skills. Barb’s own hand-made paper, both recycled and fibre paper are the basis of lots of her work. Her work for sale at The Alcove Art Shop includes books, beautiful paper, scarves and cards. Examples can be seen on her web site at http://barbadams.com.
Dorothy Cole Textile Artist
	Carol Downey has been working in the textile arts for 30 years, 9 of which were as a studio weaver with the Australian Fibre Art Workshop. During that time she produced work for the fashion industry, tourist trade and interior decoration for both domestic and commercial buildings. She has a passion for the tactile qualities of threads and textiles and currently enjoys designing unique scarves and wraps which highlight a variety of textures and colours. Carol now combines her experience in textile arts with hand papermaking and traditional techniques and materials are explored and manipulated to create non-traditional works, some of which reflect her passion for nature and the environment. A new journey of exploration involves creating one-off artists books, each one of which tells a story or makes a statement through its format, structure, materials and presentation.
John Easton Woodcraft
	Toni Collins Glass
Frida Birkic Ceramics
	Jane Dubsky Ceramics
Margaret Mueller Jewelley
	Margaret Sutherland Card Artist
Chris Rose. This year, after a couple of years break, I have enjoyed renewing my ‘active’ membership with the Alcove Art Shop. I am still passionate about handmade paper, using it in a variety of ways including books and paper casting. I am always stimulated by the Papermakers of Victoria Meetings I attend at Box Hill. Like many of the artist members of the Alcove Art Shop, I work with multiple media. I enjoy using plant dyes, indigo dye and rusting surfaces which I use with paper and silk, creating dyed pages for books, scarves and kimono forms. Another favourite is polychromatic printing on silk. I have produced many large flower pastel drawings over the years, but recently I have reintroduced painting to my repertoire. My small paintings reference the flowers I have depicted in my pastels, but on a much reduced scale, and I frequently use gold leaf to enrich the surfaces. Apart from producing work for the Alcove Art Shop, I have exhibited work, and this year I have exhibited work in ‘Shared Journeys’ (POV, at VU) and ‘A Conversation with Rain’ (Fairfield Gallery, Sydney).
	Megan Coote Photographer and Textile Artist
Tricia Alexander Textile Artist
	Helen Clancy has been working with clay for about thirty years, experiencing most raw materials, surfaces and firing methods. In recent years she has also turned to sculpture, depicting emotion and the spirit through pose, gesture and facial expression.
Juliette Rennie has been working with colour and textiles since childhood. Over the past 5 years she has been creating dolls and toys from natural fibres. On discovering the flexibility and freedom of felt making her work has entered another level of experimentation with colour, and the techniques of toy and felt making. This medium allows her the full reign of her creative impulses in her love of colour, texture, nature and the unexpected. She combines felt, fabric, silk, textile treasures and recycled items to produce wearable art.
	Jeanette Carter has studied and worked with textiles and ceramics. The textiles included spinning, weaving, tie dye and batik. She is a member of Basketmakers of Victoria and participates in their workshops, conferences and exhibitions. Jeanette’s ceramic work is inspired by the textures and colours of the stone houses and villages in France.
Gail Stiffe is a paper and book artist who has been working in the field for the last twenty or so years. She divides her practice between exhibition pieces and production work. Her many splendid books usually have handmade paper on the covers and Hahnemuhle for the text blocks and she often dyes the paper and the thread. Her work has been presented in many books and magazines and she designed two books for the Lark Books Production “Eco Books”.
	Urthly Organics started out in 1998 in the Box Hill South kitchen of Julie Andrews. As a child growing up in the country, Julie collected soap in different shapes and smells, her desire to create products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly whilst caring for the most troubled skin is the paramount of Urthly Organics. Julie has a trade background in pastry cooking so a lot of ideas come from food. “If it can't be eaten, it won’t be used”. Urthly Organics has always sourced organic, bio-dynamic, sustainable and natural ingredients to create quality skin friendly natural soaps, skin creams and other skin products to suit every skin type, even the most sensitive of skins whilst caring for the environment. All Urthly Organics products are 100% bio-degradable and environmentally friendly and will take your showering and bathing experience to the top level without compromising on quality. Julie now resides in Junortoun (Bendigo area) in a bush setting with her 2 beautiful girls, Jemille and Anelise. Every Saturday Julie attends the St Andrews market at St Andrews from 8am till 2pm selling her products also. “To all those that buy Urthly Organics, Thank you and hope you love the product just as much as I love making it.”