With interiors trending towards bold layering and contrasting prints, highly regarded textile designer Sally Campbell is in her element.
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Her eclectic collection of handcrafted textiles has enjoyed national acclaim since its inception in 2005, and now the Moree community is lucky enough to welcome Sally and her wares during a special exhibition at The Moree Gallery this month.
Collaborating with regional Indian artisans, all pieces are either hand-dyed, hand-stitched, hand-woven or hand block-printed, adding to their unique appeal.
“Different areas in India specialise in different crafts. I work with women who create exquisite applique work in the desert near Pakistan, natural dye block printers in Rajasthan, village weavers in Bengal and Hyderabad, and women who do intricate hand embroidery in Lucknow,” Sally said.
Sally will gain even further regional inspiration as she brings her stunning new range of quilts, throws, table linen, scarves and cushions to the district.
“I am so inspired by nature and the colours of rural Australia – I love anything rustic and old – from rusty corrugated iron to old hay stacks, beauty is all around,” she said.
This is Sally’s first trip to Moree, but having exhibited her collections at The Moree Gallery for a number of years, she is very excited to meet the community.
“I think it’s so important to build a relationship with customers, many I’ve found develop into beautiful friendships, which is a wonderful guide when working on my range,” she said.
Carbon neutral and eco friendly, Sally’s collection instils a strong appreciation towards the slow processes involved in the production of textiles using genuine ancient crafts and provide a contrast to what she describes as the ‘manic rush to modernise’.
The raw and thoughtful landscapes of Adelaide artist Sarah McDonald will also be a feature of The Moree Gallery’s next exhibition, with this also Sarah’s first visit to the region.
“I find rural Australia so inspirational, recently I visited my husband’s family sheep station, Pitcairn Station, in northern South Australia and found myself desperate to get back into my studio to paint the unique colour and light of the outback,” Sarah said.
“The first painting I did when I got home just poured out of me onto the canvas and it was just recently selected as a finalist painting in the Pro Hart Broken Hill Outback Art Prize, which I was very excited about.”
Like buildings eroded by the weather of passing years, Sarah’s paintings describe a history of time and the transformations of derelict constructions.
In thick layers of oil paint, built up and scratched away by brushes and palette knives, McDonald creates richly textured works inspired by urban and natural environments – the decaying architecture and dilapidated corners and crevices of our industrial landscapes.
Sarah uses oils to create her work, layer by layer, reproducing colours, patterns and textures while balancing lines, shapes and composition.
Sally Campbell’s textile extravaganza runs from Thursday, July 20 through to Saturday, July 22, with Sarah McDonald’s exhibition opening Friday, July 21 through to August, 18 at The Moree Gallery, Heber Street, Moree.
For more information please see www.moreegallery.com.au
