We have a bias at MHCS.  Art that is inspired by and incorporates aspects of nature gets preference, perhaps as you’d expect.

In Quilting gem uncovered on road trip, (The Senior, April 2021) Maureen Lucas relates her delight at coming across a wonderful art work of the quilting kind, that speaks of the creative thinking involved in the design and the intricate detail of the finished work. 

Writes Maureen: At the village of Redesdale, around half an hour south of Bendigo, we stopped for lunch at Cafe Budburst, which is split into a tearoom and art gallery.

What caught my eye in the gallery was a triptych patchwork quilt on the wall. I am a former patchwork teacher so was particularly interested in the beauty, techniques and uniqueness of the piece.

The quilt was created with three panels: the first made by the ladies of the nearby Mia Mia township, the second by students of the local school and the third by the ladies of Redesdale.

It was to celebrate the sesquicentenary of the Redesdale Bridge, built to cross the Campaspe River 150 years ago. Since Australia has such a short European history, this was quite a significant event.

The quilt was created with a colour wash background with various fabric images of things important to the community appliqued on top.

Maureen goes on the say: Being a horticulturalist, what caught my eye were the wonderful depictions of trees, particularly that of a “marker tree” on the first panel.

These trees celebrate the ones marked by Indigenous Australians as they made their journeys from one place to another throughout Australia and hold great significance to them. Some were used to give directions, others were scarred because bark was taken from them to make canoes, shields or bowls.

The second panel showed a “tree of life”, the leaves created by representations of the school students’ hands.

The third panel included representations of river red gums prevalent in the area.

Read more about what Triptych is at this link: Triptych patchwork quilt

Acknowledgements: This story by Maureen Lucas first appeared in the The Senior newspaper, April 03, 2021.  Our thanks to Cheryl Field, Editor.  Picture: Paul Lucas.