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The Lost Trades Fair in Kyneton is coming up on the Labour Day weekend. This is a key event in the calendar for Schloss - Good Ol' Toys and Collectables. Tim Schloss's unique wooden toys and quirky collectables are all handcrafted, with nearly all made from recycled or salvaged wood.. They are eco-friendly and great for the imagination., Tim, a founding member and past President of NEA, exhibits work in the NEA gallery; regularly participates in "Meet the Maker' events and offers workshops such as the 'Personalise Your Own Sword' workshop being offered at 'Lost Trades' and the successful 'Billy Goat Stool making workshop held at NEA in January 2017. A number of other North East Artisan members also work in wood using traditional methods. Garth Mitchell, whose walking sticks can be purchased at NEA, commenced the time consuming process of making hand made bespoke walking sticks 15 years ago after becoming a collector of walking sticks.. Garth searched the ‘net’ to find out more about the design, structure, materials, styles, etc of walking sticks. "Although little was available in Australia, I found that stick dressing was a very popular pastime in the United Kingdom, with many sites dedicated to product, technique, style, and so on. With that I was hooked!” Garth, who now belongs to a stick making guild in the UK, cuts and shapes the sticks by hand, using rasps, planes and spokeshaves. Mastering joints and polishing requires patience and skill. Garth prefers to use Australian timber and to contrast shank and handle. "Handle styles are generally the traditional English styles - Cardigan, Derby, Crutch and Crook, and, to be somewhat technical, in most cases I admit to a horn or timber spacer over a reinforced tenon joint”. Seamus Foley, also a musician and poet, can often be found at NEA whittling objects which he is now incorporating into jewellery. Seamus uses traditional methods in pursuing his love of musical instrument making, restoration and repair in his open studio at NEA. Chris Seeley's love of rare and recycled woods and traditional joinery methods is evident in the beautiful tables, trays and other objects made in his Butter Factory workshop in Swanpool and on sale at NEA. Chris is a master craftsman of fine furniture. From old salvaged timbers Chris creates wonderful new pieces using traditional methods of joinery. Schloss - Good Ol' Toys and Collectibles followers can see Tim's work and enrol in 'Personalise Your Own Sword' workshops at the Lost Trades Fair at the Kyneton Racecourse from 10 am Saturday March 10 and Sunday March 11. . "Craftsmanship, skill, tradition, forgotten arts and rare trades. Find authenticity, meet the makers - if you love bespoke, handcrafted, artisan trades and skills - do not miss this event. Incredible makers practising their trades; coopers to carriage builders, silversmiths to stonemasons, glass blowers to gunsmiths, over 100 makers at the biggest gathering of traditional tradesmen and women in the country. Be inspired by the 'art of handmade'." The work of artisans Tim Schloss, Garth Mitchell and Chris Seeley can be viewed and purchased at North East Artisans. Seamus Foley has an open studio at NEA. Occasional blog by BL January 21, 2018
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NEA President Tim Schloss's studio at NEA has been buzzing this year with workshops in swordmaking, billy goat stool making and more.
Schloss - Good Old Toys and Collectibles were at the Alternative Farming Expo at Seymour this weekend and will almost certainly feature in the Makers' Mart and Sunday Market at NEA during the Wall to Wall Festival in early April.
This article about Tim and his work was included recently in a promotional supplement about the Seymour Alternative Farming Expo.
There's only one thing missing from this slide show of Tim's workshop... the wonderful noise scape of the workshop on entering the room! What a terrific activity for family members to do together.
'Flight' - Gyro Propellor, Glider and Plane workshops Swordmaking "Small Box" Workshop  "Billy Goat Stool" Workshop
Inspired by Cornelia Selover, the Rite of Spring exhibition in November provided great impetus to the development of the Events Room Gallery. The new gallery adds an art filled ambience to meetings, workshops, games nights and celebrations held in the events room.. It was pleasing to see red dots gradually appearing during the exhibition. In early December Tim Bowtell's 'Rite of Spring' poster artwork and Deb Dodd's beautiful mosaic'd 'Fiesta for my Feathered Friends' bird bath (pictured) were both happily purchased and farewelled .  Music has reemerged at NEA over the past month or so, with the Bow N Tell Brothers playing in the Foyer Gallery at the Rite of Spring opening; Cobblestone, Kat and Rat, Michaela, and Erin featuring at NEA's Christmas Party and Carla and Tim Gardner's 25th wedding anniversary party recently, with Russell responding to an 'Open Mic' call up at the Christmas party singing lively sea shanties. Michaela has offered to become involved in planning future music events at NEA. Thanks, Michaela. New digital speakers which can be tethered to phone play lists have led to enhanced music quality in NEA's gallery spaces.. And, of course, if you listen very carefully when he's about, Seamus can be heard quietly singing Irish, English and Scottish folk music.. The foyer gallery, a salon in which NEA members meet up and share ideas and plans, is being transformed again. A rather sculptural new coffee machine on a hand crafted mobile counter is now in place and an even more cafe like environment envisaged. A perk of being at a meeting at NEA on Thursday was being able to taste the first coffees made with Tim and Kylie's new coffee machine !  NEA members who enjoy writing and contribute to publicity, Facebook, the website and submissions play an important role at NEA. Ruth Eisemann is now actively looking at the placement of NEA marketing in relation to the tourist industry and was recently involved with Tim Bowtell in resourcing a very readable and informative front page article about NEA in a tourism insert in the Wangaratta Chronicle. NEA artisans, Beechworth glass maker Leisa Clarke and Glenrowan felter Lise Darcy, who live and work in NEA's northern catchment area, are featured. If you haven't seen it, it's on the table in the Foyer Gallery.  Sustainability Team member Annalies describes enjoying the Water Kefir workshop held recently, with five participants providing the opportunity for her to pilot this workshop which will be repeated in 2017. Tim held his final Oil Painting workshop for 2016 on Sunday, while last week a 'Train the Trainer' program was run at NEA by Sally Wallace from Waminda. Waminda is offering this course to NEA artisans who may be anxious about conducting workshops at a reduced rate conditional upon agreement to offer a workshop through Waminda, Short notice meant that only one artisan was able to join the group and take up the reduced fee offer this time, however another Train the Train workshop is likely in 2017. Planning for the Door of Hope Project is now well underway. Subject/Object/I - Self Mapping Through Art' with Edie Black and 'From Fibre to Felt' with Annie Longmuir are being offered from mid February to March through the Door of Hope project to people with a long term interest in arts and crafts who haven't had the opportunity, for various reasons, to have this realized. Fliers and other information will be available soon. So much is happening .... but it soon will be time to slow down and focus on family and the festive season for a few days at least. Then it will be January - and another burst of activity at NEA during the World Gliding Championships. Margaret Zaal has been working with great enthusasiasm on designing new workshop formats to be offered during January, including workshops with groups of three NEA artisans and new toy workshops with Tim Schloss, It seems that the gliding championships have inspired a new Schloss range to join Tim's Swords, Shields, Axes and Kelly Guns. Evidence that Merv Beamish, whose Pop Up Art Show continues to the end of December at Chocolate Lane, has also been inspired by the upcoming gliding championships. is evident in these photos of a 'work in progress' in his upstairs studio. Photos: Merv Beamish BL **'The Occasional Blogger' is open for submissions by NEA members who may, from time to time, have a strong urge to write about their work or about NEA!. Send copy to bevlee47@gmail.com. ..
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Email: northeastartisans@gmail.com
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Phone: 0402 563 918 (Gallery Hours)
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Address: 122 Bridge Street East, Benalla, VIC 3672
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