The Joy of Transformation

If there is one thing in this world that I absolutely love, it is the power of transformation. Taking pallet timber that was destined for nothing but landfill and up-cycling it into something beautiful is the ultimate for me. I am a great lover of Trees and consider this process to be one of respect and acknowledgement to the life of the Pines.

FROM THIS......

.......TO THIS.

It is an honour to create something that is to be enjoyed and appreciated, made a part of someone's home.  As an artist I believe that a piece of art that speaks to the Soul and Spirit of a person is more than an object, it is something to lift the Spirit and re-connect us with the beauty that abides within us all. This can be considered as an asset to our quality of life. 

I began my wood work journey simply wanting to have a timber bath tray. I couldn't find anything local or on the internet so I decided to make my own. Still I cannot believe how much enjoyment I get from using a drop saw! So now when I take a bath I have noticed that I stay in the bath a lot longer than I would normally. Having everything I need for my bath gathered in front of me on my bath tray enriches the experience of relaxation and sheer indulgence. Living in a small country town jobs are pretty thin on the ground, so this is an opportunity to create work for myself. A marriage made in Heaven!

To see more of my timber art or if you wish to make a purchase go to Wildwood Art Designs on Facebook or simply click on 'Gallery and Prices' page on sidebar.

The Final Goodbye

Finally after nearly a year's worth of hard work the bulk of our first garlic crop is headed off to the Brisbane Markets! Watching Rob amble down the driveway with our precious cargo is so rewarding to me. The thought of people making their dinner with our beautiful food has me feeling satisfied that we have become a positive influence on the standard of food offered to the Australian consumer.

We are members of the more recently formed Kyogle Garlic Group - click this link to view the website showing a video of us on our farm. Our market contact has been arranged for us by Lyla Nolan who heads this group. I also sell the garlic on-line to help reach as many people as possible. The local Buy Swap and Sell Facebook pages have been invaluable in achieving this.

You can follow more of our journey on our Facebook Page Hermits Peak Produce.

Rob loads the garlic up onto our truck

Destined for the dinner plates of our fellow Aussies!

Now we are looking at preparing the ground for our next crop to be planted asap while the turmeric crop is due to be pulled up in June.

Meanwhile I am itching to get back to the studio so I can be creating my art. Autumn is pulling me towards water colours and the autumn leaves. Below is a bowl of Autumn leaves I bought home with me from Stirling in the Adelaide Hills last year.

My Facebook page for all things arty is Wildwood Art Designs.
https://www.facebook.com/oakandcrow/

Our adventure into the marketplace

Mandalas, hearts and garlic. This morning my thoughts are all around these things as we prepare for our first ever market.  This coming weekend we are going to "The Green Marquee" at Currumbin Queensland to sell our wares which promotes hand made, up cycled and home grown.  Our specialties are Elephant garlic that we have grown ourselves in our humble paddock and homewares that I have crafted from pine pallets that were destined for landfill. Excitement is mingled with a touch of anxiety as I wonder if anyone will want to buy anything!

Three Hearts Bath Tray

                               

                                               

Prosperity Mandala wall hanging

              

Elephant Garlic ready for market

                                         

                     

Stacked to dry before selling

                                                                

Wish me luck! My next post will be the story of our day at the market.

Profits and Puddles

This has been our first ever market gig! "The Green Marquee" at Currumbin in Queensland was our choice of market because the theme is organic, hand made and re-cycled. We fit the bill perfectly with our home grown, chemical-spray-free Elephant Garlic and my up-cycled pallet timber homewares. The pictures below show our marquee in all of its glory. Rob was an absolute champion getting the marquee up and helping to arrange our products. My confidence was boosted by positive feedback and to see how other people appreciated what we had put heart and soul into.

Ready to chat to the customers.

                                               

Rob takes a break in between sales.

We were nestled in the most beautiful tropical setting at this gorgeous eco-village, surrounded by stunning hills. We were also being stalked by massive rainclouds which let loose on us at regular intervals. Luckily we took a couple of big tarps to protect us in case of bad weather, which certainly came in handy.

There is a permanent organic produce store on the site so I went over to introduce myself. I sold 5 kilos of garlic to the lovely manageress there. As she explained, her ideal supplier is the farmer she has actually met.  Success! I also sold a couple of my hand made timber pieces which was also good for morale.  Soon after the entire market pulled up tent pegs and left early to avoid a further drenching.

Not to be deterred we will be going along to the same market next June when our turmeric has been harvested. We have realized it is a fun day anyway and are currently looking into doing other markets in our own district. I had thought I only wanted to sell our products on-line, however I can see now that a market day is great for socializing and being a part of life in the 'outside world'.

You can check out my Wildwood Art Designs Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/oakandcrow/

You can also check out our Hermits Peak Produce Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/Hermits-Peak-Produce-943287209161688/