Jo Fernandez is a landscape artist living on the outskirts of the historic village of Millthorpe, in the NSW Central Tablelands. Her work draws deep inspiration from the region’s expansive skies, open land, and the shifting light and colour brought by its distinct seasons. Rooted in a landscape that is personal and close to home, Jo’s paintings begin with an emotional response to her surroundings. She seeks out elements that resonate deeply, using colour, tone, and atmosphere to distil their essence. Her technique of glazing—applying transparent layers of oil paint—brings a luminous depth to her works.

Exhibiting Artists: Pippita Bennett, Lea Durie, Christina McLean and Karlie Simring

Four artists, each rooted in the mediums of ceramics and textiles, unite in an exploration of materiality. This exhibition invites the audience on a sensory journey of earth and fiber. Through their distinct yet interconnected practices, the artists celebrate the tactile essence of these ancient materials, revealing stories of tradition, innovation, and the profound relationship between maker and medium.

Learn how to make your very own textile landscape artwork with artist Pippita Bennett. You will create your own canvas mounted stitched landscape using naturally dyed and thrifted fabric. You will also learn different embroidery stitches and experience the meditative and restorative quality of working with textiles. You will enjoy a light antipasto platter and bubbles on the Sunday, and afternoon tea on the Saturday. It’s about connecting, chatting and playing with stitch with an intimate group of people in the beautiful space of The Corner Store Gallery.

Pippita Bennett creates stitched landscapes of places lived in and visited. Her home on Dharug and Gundungurra country is the source of her practice; she uses leaves, bark and flowers from her surrounds and the wild places she travels to dye the threads and textiles she works with, gathering extra inspiration from thrifted materials. Her dyed fabrics are soaked with the memory of the place they were dyed; similarly thrifted fabric holds memory of its past use.