Welcoming 2022

It’s been a surprisingly busy January for me here in the studio. I had hoped to close the online shop for a few weeks to give myself a little rest, but your orders have kept me on my toes! I do however hope to take two weeks off in February pending whether we make it down to Hobart or not. I will be keeping you posted via the socials whether that happens or I would recommend subscribing to my website to get all the latest info and also an exclusive into my annual studio sale which will be happening in March… A bit later than I had anticipated but better late than never!

Hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I had a very low key Christmas just at home with Tim and my dog Ruby. We did manage to do a few little trips around Brisbane and even had a road trip down to NSW which was fantastic. Check out the adventures below!

Stradbroke Island with Tim and Ruby

Stunning beaches at Stradbroke Island

I was lucky enough to go for the first time to Stradbroke Island which is just off the coast. It is about an hour drive for us from Brisbane to the ferry and then 40 minutes on the ferry to get to Stradbroke terminal. What I love about this island was that it wasn’t overrun with tourists - but in saying that we did go during the week so it was probably quieter than usual. There is still a wildness about this place and we had such an adventure driving on the beach with the ute.

Ruby enjoying a swim

I think out of the three of us, Ruby probably had the best time running and swimming all day. She is hilarious to watch because she sort of tries to lay down in the water and swishes around because she can’t seem to figure out how to role over!

Over the Christmas period, Tim and I tried to get to the beach as often as we could. The heat in Brisbane can be quite oppressive especially for a Tasmanian. One of my highlights was going to Sandgate beach which is just north of Brisbane city. It isn’t too far from our place so it was the perfect way to spend an afternoon and plus they do fantastic fish and chips on the waterfront. We often just get a takeaway and have a picnic!

Stunning sunset at Sandgate Beach

We had hoped to visit Hobart over Christmas but I had a feeling that covid cases were going to rise and it would just feel a little scary to be travelling. I’m glad a trusted my gut feeling because things did go a bit crazy and we definitely felt nice and safe in our bubble at home. Tim bought me a kitchen aid for Christmas so we had allot of fun making pasta using a special new attachment. I think from memory we made rigatoni. It was quite delicious but I think I still need time to master the dough.

Making homemade rigatoni with new pasta attachment

Simple homemade pasta with cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and fresh parmesan

After Christmas, Tim and I drove down the coast of NSW to a place called Valla Beach. This area is not too far away from Coffs Harbour and it is one of my favourite places in the world. We stayed just a few days at a family house and enjoyed reading on the deck, swimming in the ocean and just relaxing. I love the vegetation here and the lush plants.

A new little banksia etching - work in progress

Being back in the studio now, I am planning for another big year of art and design. I have been working on new concepts for etchings and getting excited for a potential solo exhibition. I say ‘potential’ because it all depends on covid and restrictions and whether I can travel safely to get to the gallery. But I will be keeping everyone posted as the year goes on and I have a bit more clarity.

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Thanks for reading!

Kate x