Sydney Craft Week Festival - Basketry Workshops
I'm happy to be participating in Sydney Craft Week Festival this year running from 9 - 18 October 2026.
Sydney Craft Week is about celebrating creativity and the handmade in all its forms. This festival creates the opportunity for the whole community to engage with craft, experience the benefits of making, and purchase local handmade work. Sydney Craft Week is the only festival in Sydney dedicated to making by hand. An Australian Design Centre (ADC) initiative presented by UNSW Faculty of Art & Design, Sydney Craft Week brings together contemporary crafts organisations and individuals in a celebration of craft across the city as part of a ten-day festival each year in October. The festival fosters community participation and creativity, with the opportunity for the public to meet artists, buy and learn about craft and get involved in making.
CLICK here for more information
MY WORKSHOPS running in the Festival
SUNDAY 18 October 2026 – Random Weave Sculptures Workshop, Mosman, Sydney
Join award-winning basketry artist Catriona Pollard for an inspiring, hands-on basketry workshop and immerse yourself in the sculptural craft of random weave basketry. In this natural fibre weaving class, you’ll learn how to transform Bangalow Palm inflorescence into a unique basket or wall sculpture.
In this basket weaving class you don’t need any experience, it is all about creative exploration, not perfection. You’ll discover the joy of working with your hands, connecting with nature, and crafting something truly personal from organic materials. It’s a mindful and satisfying experience for anyone looking for a creative outlet or a new artistic skill. By the end of the day, you’ll take home a finished piece and the confidence to continue your basketry journey at home.
When: Sunday 18 October 2026
Time: 10am – 3:00pm
Where: Mosman, The Barn, Avenue Rd
Cost: $220 inc GST and materials
More information and bookings click here
Basketry Looping Workshop – Primrose Park Art & Craft, Cremorne, 11 October 10am-12pm
Spend a relaxed, creative morning learning the easy and fun looping technique.
Join basketry artist and teacher Catriona Pollard for a hands-on workshop exploring the meditative, sculptural world of looping. This simple and versatile technique has been used across cultures for thousands of years—and once you start, it’s hard to stop.
No experience needed. This is all about enjoying the process, not getting it perfect. You’ll play, experiment, and discover how satisfying it is to work with your hands—transforming natural paper cord into your own unique form.
Expect a calm, creative atmosphere where you can slow down, connect with making, and try something new. Whether you’re curious, creative, or just want a different kind of morning, you’ll feel right at home.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll head home with your own finished piece—and the confidence to keep going.
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00pm
Where: Primrose Park Art & Craft, Cremorne
Cost: $85 inc GST and materials
Lane Cove Art Award 2026
I'm thrilled that 'After The Fire' has been selected for the Lane Cove Art Award 2026. Lane Cove Council and Lane Cove Art Society invited artists to exhibit in the Annual Lane Cove Art Award sponsored by Lane Cove Council. This is a nationwide exhibition, open to both non-members and members of the Lane Cove Art Society. The exhibition is held at Gallery Lane Cove, 164 Longueville Road, Lane Cove. The Lane Cove Art Award started in 1965. It is an acquisitive award with several other prizes on offer.
Spiral Sanctuaries of the Bush Fairies selected for Ku-ring-gai’s Sculpture Trail
Spiral Sanctuaries of the Bush Fairies selected for Ku-ring-gai’s Sculpture Trail.
Shh… where the ferns whisper and tangled roots weave secret pathways, a hidden fairy village awaits those who look closely. Perched on slender stems, these intricately woven spiral homes sway gently in the breeze, each one a tiny sanctuary for the bush fairies who emerge at dusk. Perhaps this is where starlight spinners rest their shimmering wings before setting off beneath the moon, or where woodland spirits gather to share stories carried on the wind. Or perhaps they’re simply a gentle reminder that the world is still full of wonder—if we slow down, wander curiously, and look closely enough to discover the magic hiding in plain sight.
Ku-ring-gai’s Sculpture Trail celebrates sustainable art in the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden and will run from 5 September until 5 October. This year's Ku-ring-gai Sculpture Trail will display over 55 sculptures created by both professional and amateur artists. All of the sculptures are made from recycled materials that have been repurposed artistically and will be displayed as you walk through the Senses Track through to Dampier's clearing and Cunninghams rest.
Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden, 420 Mona Vale Road, St Ives
I'll also be running a looping workshop at the garden on Saturday, 26 September 2026 | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. For more information and bookings click here.
Basketry Workshops - Sydney, Kendall, Newcastle, Cronulla
Now is the time to learn basketry! Join award-winning basketry artist Catriona Pollard for an inspiring, hands-on basketry workshop and immerse yourself in the sculptural craft of random weave basketry. In this natural fibre weaving class, you’ll learn how to transform Bangalow Palm inflorescence into a unique basket or wall sculpture.
In this basket weaving class you don’t need any experience, it is all about creative exploration, not perfection. You’ll discover the joy of working with your hands, connecting with nature, and crafting something truly personal from organic materials. It’s a mindful and satisfying experience for anyone looking for a creative outlet or a new artistic skill. By the end of the day, you’ll take home a finished piece and the confidence to continue your basketry journey at home.
SUNDAY 13 September 2026 – Random Weave Sculptures Workshop, Kendall, Mid North Coast near Port Macquarie
When: Sunday 13 September 2026
Time: 10am – 3:00pm
Where: Kendall Community Centre, Comboyne St Kendall
Cost: $195 inc GST and materials
SUNDAY 20 September 2026 – Random Weave Sculptures Workshop, Newcastle
When: Sunday 20 September 2026
Time: 10am – 3:00pm
Where: Newcastle, Henry Park Hall, 28 Thomas St, Hamilton South NSW
Cost: $220 inc GST and materials
SUNDAY 18 October 2026 – Random Weave Sculptures Workshop, Mosman, Sydney
When: Sunday 18 October 2026
Time: 10am – 3:00pm
Where: Mosman, The Barn, Avenue Rd
Cost: $220 inc GST and materials
SUNDAY 25 October 2026 – Random Weave Sculptures Workshop, Cronulla, Sydney
When: Sunday 25 October 2026
Time: 10am – 3:00pm
Where: Gunnamatta Pavilion (Activity Room 3), Gunnamatta Park, Cronulla NSW 2230
Cost: $220 inc GST and materials
More information and bookings click here
Expanded Textiles Exhibition
Expanded Textiles is a group exhibition investigating contemporary textile and fibre practices beyond their conventional boundaries, reflecting the growing intersection of sustainability, environmental awareness and contemporary textile and bio-textile art.
Expanded Textiles: 5 – 27 Sept 2026, Articulate Project Space
Bringing together nineteen intergenerational artists and their wide range of conceptual, spatial and materially complex practices, this exhibition emphasises transformation and experimentation. Natural processes such as plant-based dyeing, growing plant and fungi fibres, weathering and staining, connect a number of the works. Others are connected by construction and deconstruction through processes of weaving, stitching, twisting, spinning and knotting using traditional manual techniques. In contrast, several foreground biological investigation, or technological processes and innovative fabrication methods. Many make connections between nature and the climate crisis, personal history, ancestry and identity, which resonate as non-linear narratives throughout the exhibitions.
Together, these artists reveal the remarkable versatility of textiles as a contemporary artistic medium, both visually compelling and intellectually engaging, honouring traditional techniques while continually evolving through new ideas, materials and processes.
Featured Artwork
My so happy to have my woven sculpture, Whispers of the River, featured in this exhibition. Rivers sustain ecosystems, shape landscapes and connect communities, yet they are dammed, diverted and exploited for human use. This sculpture reflects on the growing movement to recognise rivers as living entities with inherent rights. Handwoven from reclaimed copper wire and foraged vines, each length has been individually salvaged, unwound and woven through a slow, repetitive process. The interconnected strands echo the branching networks of rivers and their dependence on every tributary remaining healthy. By transforming discarded material into a resilient woven form, the work invites us to reconsider our relationship with rivers—not as resources to control, but as living systems deserving of protection, respect and care.
Artists: Nqa Blayed, Jane Bodnaruk, Julia Boros, Sadhbha Cockburn, Elizabeth Day, Ellen Ferrier, Joanna Fowles, Kath Fries, Agnieszka Golda, Sylvia Griffin, Cecilia Heffer, Waihan Lee, Madeline McGregor, Julie Paterson, Sue Pedley, Catriona Pollard, Venessa Possum, Rhonda Pryor, Jane Richens.
Curators: Kath Fries & Sylvia Griffin, Exhibition assistant: Annie Lu
Opening drinks with the artists and curators 3-5pm Saturday 5th Sept
Workshop: ‘Stitch-in’ workshop with Julie Paterson: 12-2pm Sunday 6 Sept. Free - bookings essential.
Artists Talks –
Sunday 6th, 2pm: Jane Bodnaruk, Ellen Ferrier, Agnieszka Golda, Julie Paterson,
Waihan Lee
Sunday 13th, 2pm: Sadhbha Cockburn, Joanna Fowles, Jane Richens, Sylvia Griffin
Sunday 20th, 2pm: Rhonda Pryor, Kath Fries, Madeline McGregor
Sunday 27th, 2pm: Julia Boros, Catriona Pollard, Sue Pedley, Cecilia Heffer
Closing drinks with the artists and curators 3-5pm Sunday 27th September
Articulate Project Space: 497 Parramatta Road, Leichhardt NSW 2040
Friday to Sunday: 11am – 5pm
www.articulateprojectspace.org
The Other Environmental Art Exhibition 2026
The Other Environmental Art Exhibition opening 14 August 2026. Winged Quiet will be in it, along with some smaller works. The exhibition is a thoughtful, diverse contemporary art exhibition reflecting on our relationship with the natural world.
The Other Environmental Art Exhibition (OEAE) 2026 runs from August 14 - 23, 2026, at Artbau Gallery, 1/1 Mitchell Road, Brookvale, NSW. @artbau_by_frankie Curated by Louise Nade @LittleLouArtist for its third year, it showcases celebrating diverse, nature-inspired artistic responses to the environment.
Exhibition Details:
August 14 – August 23, 2026Opening Hours: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (closed Monday through Wednesday)
Location: Artbau Gallery, 1/1 Mitchell Rd, Brookvale, NSW
Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios inaugural Winter Salon
So happy to be selected for the Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios inaugural Winter Salon, an exhibition featuring artists working across a diverse range of media and at all stages of their careers.
A thoughtful and well-curated exhibition, bringing together a mix of established artists alongside emerging voices. A salon in the truest sense, a gathering of diverse voices, curated for a cohesive show, the exhibition brings together painting, sculpture, photography, textile, print and beyond into one richly layered presentation. It is also an exhibition designed for visitors who love to discover, with surprising juxtapositions, fresh names alongside familiar ones and the kind of variety that rewards a slow, considered visit.
The exhibition showcases a diverse range of artists and practices but also highlighted the importance of art in our world and the role galleries play in supporting creative expression and connection.
Exhibition Period: 11 - 27 June
Gallery Lane Cove
Finalist Northern Beaches Environmental Art and Design Prize 2026
Thrilled to announce I have been selected as a finalist in the Environmental Art and Design Prize 2026. Now in its sixth year, the prize is the leading national environmental prize for artists and designers, platforming inspiring and critical works that engage with today’s environmental issues.
The work selected is The Living Circuit which explores the relationship between human infrastructure and ecological systems. Salvaged copper power line is transformed into two woven, vessel-like forms that frame a piece of driftwood shaped by natural forces. Once part of an electrical network, the copper is recontextualised to suggest the flow of energy through living systems. The driftwood moves between the forms like a current, evoking connection, exchange, and interdependence. By bringing together discarded industrial material and organic matter, the work reflects on how human-made systems remain embedded within the natural world.
Exhibition: Fri 7 August - Sun 20 September
Manly Art Gallery and Museum
Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence - Tweed Regional Gallery
As Artist in Residence at the Northern Rivers Regional Gallery, the landscape became a place of quiet revelation—the shifting light, mist, rain, and sudden rainbows that slowly unfolded through daily rides along the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.
Over the month I was in Residence, I rode more than 800 kilometres, developing a deeper sense of place through repetition, movement, and close observation of the environment each day.
The trail became both a physical and creative practice. I rode through mornings thick with mist and relentless rain and the occasional sunshine, beneath a canopy of trees that felt cathedral-like in their beauty and stillness.
I passed ancient grass trees standing like grandmothers beside nurseries of new growth. With whip birds echoing through the bush, turtles paddling in creeks and glow worms in a tunnel of darkness.
Returning each day to the studio at the gallery created an important balance between immersion and reflection. It allowed me to process these daily experiences through making and experimentation.
This residency and the daily rides offered the rare gift of time: time to move slowly through a landscape, to observe deeply, and to reconnect creative practice with attention, embodiment, and place.
Watch the video I did of my residency:
https://youtube.com/shorts/_q6tGaIkjbU?si=ARb45WSMOJimaDQ7