Featured artists for the month of September are – Christine O'Leary and Helen Mary Dunn

Christine O’Leary moved to the Northern Rivers 10 years ago and after years working primarily with acrylics over the years she wanted to move beyond her comfort zone to express her love of colours, different designs, combinations of materials and the unusual with acrylics. For the past 9 years she has experimented with resin; its form, texture, fluidity and the beauty that can be achieved by its combination with different colours and other mediums. Most recently she has sought the added inspiration of local surroundings, incorporating a variety of materials including timber, sand, crystals and vinyl with a melange of different paint colours. 
Christine's two art pieces are called: -
‘’Fragrant Beauty’’ – Purity of a flower’s scent and
‘’Tears of Gold’’ – Tears come to us in all stages of life, reflecting different emotions that free us to grow.’

Helen started home crafting when she was young, in Northern Queensland, influenced by the women around her. This was carried on throughout her life in mediums influenced by her surroundings, selling her work at Art & Craft markets Her many talents range from macrame, greeting cards, sewing, knitting, crocheting, jewellery and more. Helen moved to Ballina in 2010 and started experimenting with mixed media using many different materials she had collected over the years. Creating new projects gave her a great reason to unearth hidden treasures, spreading them out around her craft room. Allowing serendipity to work magic. Helen found this allowed her to abandon herself to play and delight in the process of trying new and different techniques, colour combinations and products. Geeting cards for her, take the mixed medium concept in different directions, creating unique handmade messages or a personalised ‘hello’, anyone would be thrilled to receive. Presently, Helen creates wirework suncatches and small wire sculptures with Swarovski crystals, Czech Republic glass beads, semi-precious gemstones, Japanese seed beads and special handmade local beads. Helen continues to create themed gift cards to complement her wire and bead work

You can find out more about these exhibitors HERE