October, 2026
Letters from the Studio…
Dear Friends,
I write this with blank printing ink staining my thumb nail, white paint spattered over my fingers and half-finished patchwork flung over the TV. It’s been a creative time of experimenting, resting and musing. This newsletter contains …..
the monthly happenings (and some recommendations), reflections on Flannel Flowers and an Artwork in Focus.
Read on!
Latest News
ART CARDS - NOW AVAILABLE AT THE VILLAGE FLOWER MAN!
My Art Cards are now available at the excellent new florist in Artarmon The Village Flower Man! Kye sells a range of beautiful flowers, plants and gifts and creates a gorgeous display on the street outside the shop too - much to the delight of passersby! Do drop in sometime. I have already had to restock the Banksia Sky cards - this is appropriate as the inspiration for the artwork was also located in Artarmon!
FLANNEL FLOWER NEWS
I was happy to receive a message from Carolyn who contacted me after buying the Flannel Flower artwork during the Incognito Art Show. It was lovely to connect with one of my buyers - that is truly one of the joys of art!
Did you know that the Flannel Flower was recently voted Australia’s ‘Most Amazing Wildflower’ in the ABC’s National Science Week poll for 2026? It certainly got my vote. Another of my Flannel Flower mixed media works is available as an Art Card too.
THIS MONTH…
This month I have been:
READING: Slow down or die, The Economics of Degrowth by Timothee Parrique
REWATCHING: Joe Wright’s film Atonement - wrecks me everytime.
VISITING: The Arthur Boyd St Francis tapestries exhibition and Lindy Lee’s Ouroboros at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra
REVISITING: James Turrell’s Within Without Skyspace also at the NGA. It’s a favourite destination in Canberra but this time it was different - there was rain and reflections of the sky in the inner chamber.
SWIMMING: I’ve achieved my goal of at least one swim per month over a year with no wetsuit in natural water! Should be easy from here on in as the weather warms up again.
EXPERIMENTING: with printing - I finally set up my teeny printer and did some teeny printing using the tetrapack intaglio technique.
DREAMING: of returning to Mexico (nearly a year ago I went on a wonderful trip there).
Seasonal Noticing
Spring continues and from my window I can see the orange blooms of Grevillea Robusta and scarlet bottlebrush. Jacaranda trees are producing buds ready for their mauve dazzle later this month. But the biggest event of all this season has to be - the return of the Bogong Moth!
Do you remember the
The last few weeks have seen a natural phenomenon worth celebrating - the Bogong Moth migration. Eastern Australia has been inundated with Bogong Moths as they navigate by the stars to fly thousands of kilometres from inland Queensland and Northern New South Wales to the Alpine Area of the Snowy Mountains. Some were blown off course by wild winds, ending up on the coast. We haven’t seen many for the last few years so it is really wonderful to see this endangered species seeming to be thriving again.
This brought back memories of these large brown moths Yvonne Kenny wearing an unexpected visitor at the Closing Ceremony Sydney Olympics.
Artwork in Focus - Flower Grid
This artwork combines two of my favourite things - flowers and a grid! Over the years, I have relished creating artworks in this format, it is a way of organizing lots of different elements and creating cohesion. There is somethings so satisfying about a grid! I made this artwork as part of an Instagram challenge for October Florafest. It was so great to take time throughout the month to focus on these flowers and really examine them very closely. It really is a celebration of some of our most unique flowers. I’ve recently enjoyed displaying a bunch of Geraldton Wax flowers in my apartment - reminding me of a bush that used to grow in my childhood home. Now my apartment garden includes Banksia and Kangaroo Paws. So many flowers to enjoy!
If you would like your own copy of this artwork, it is available as a Limited Edition Giclee print complete with Certificate of Authenticity.
That’s all for this edition of Letters from the Studio. Please feel free to pass it on to others who you think might enjoy it.
Until next time.
xx Ella