June 2, 2023
The annual Queensland Winter Craft Festival is officially under way at the Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery!
The two-month celebration of locally made crafts – plus hands-on workshops – was officially opened on Friday night by former South Burnett mayor Keith Campbell.
The opening exhibits are a spectacular collection of woven works by the Alpaca Collective in Gallery 1, and a breathtaking (and very aromatic) display of botanical art, “Raukawa”, in Gallery 2.
The Alpaca Collective’s display, “Wild At Heart”, consists of luxury hand-crafted winter woollies made by members of the group, most of whom raise their own alpacas which are shorn yearly for their fleece.
In Gallery 2, Felicity Aitken has proven she is much more than a simple florist … her studio in Murgon is a home for “Bloom Into You” workshops and she describes herself as a designer / creative / teacher.
This is Felicity’s first gallery exhibition, but her decorative skills have been seen before in the South Burnett.
She stunned guests at last year’s Red Earth Leadership Forum with her transformation of Murgon Town Hall, and also impressed at last year’s BaconFest “Wine and Swine” event.
Originally from Sydney, Felicity has been in the South Burnett for almost seven years.
She started out selling hand-crafted soaps and candles at the Moffatdale Boutique Markets before buying the then- Murgon Florist four years ago.
Felicity quickly learned the ropes, training as a florist and then completing a Certificate IV in Complex Design.
A year ago she decided to split her business in two, offering her skills as a designer as well as running creative workshops and transformation programs.
She has been working recently with the Cherbourg Youth Advisory Group (YAG), teaching them floral skills and guiding their recent Mother’s Day project.
Felicity will be sharing her soap-making and candle-making skills during the Craft Festival workshops (see below).
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Workshop Schedule
June:
- June 10 – Artisan soap-making
- June 11 – Artisan candles
- June 17 – Mosaics
- June 22-23 – Paper tole
- June 25 – Wreath-making
- June 28 – Introduction to pastels (kids)
July:
- July 1 – Collage on canvas (with a hint of gold)
- July 7 – Kids pod creature
- July 10-12 – Japanese Shibon design and indigo dyeing
All workshops will be held in the 1913 Council Chambers in Edward Street, Kingaroy. Fees for each workshop vary. For more information, or to book a spot in a workshop, contact the Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery on 0488-793-419.
The annual Quilt Trail will be held on July 22-23.
More information about times and venues for the Quilt Trail are available from the gallery.
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At The Opening Night
