By Gretel Sneath
Limestone Coast artist and organic farmer, Hamish Macdonald, found nirvana a long time ago in the paddocks of his property ‘Cluain’, south of Lucindale.
Creating bright, bold canvases in his signature primary colours – paint drips, possum footprints, and all – Hamish first opened his inspirational backyard to the public six years ago for the unique exhibition Art in the Sticks.
This October long weekend, he will be swinging open the farm gates once again for the latest installment of the popular two-day event.
Creating bright, bold canvases, Hamish Macdonald opened his backyard to the public six years ago for Art in the Sticks
“It allows people to come and enjoy the place for what it is – I’ve exhibited as far away as Sarajevo and Vienna, but in the end, I realised that I had everything I needed here, and that I was happy to be here,” Hamish says.
Rustic shearer’s quarters and the banks of a dam make an incredibly unique exhibition space for sculptures, paintings, photography, jewellery, furniture, textiles, and wearable art which will be displayed by up to 15 different artists.
Up to 15 or so South Australian artists will join Hamish at Art in the Sticks this weekend
“It will be about a kilometre-long amble, by the time you take a walk through the studio, visit a couple of different gardens, the dam and various other places where you can sit and reflect or share a picnic,” Hamish says.
There will also be live music, poetry recitals, food stalls, local wines and boutique beers, with visitors also encouraged to book in for the long table lunch on Sunday, which features an eight-course paddock to plate feast of local produce within the ambience of the magnificent shearing shed.
There will be an eight-course paddock to plate feast of local produce this Sunday
Hamish, who was the 2016 winner of the John Shaw Neilson Acquisitive Art Prize at the Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, says the Art in the Sticks vibe promises to be slow and relaxed.
“We’re camping and pet-friendly, and we would love to see some road-trippers as I think it’s really good to get people out of the city; there’s nothing better than seeing a couple come down from Adelaide who end up staying for the weekend – they didn’t really bring enough clothes or anything, but they realise none of that matters,” he says.
Artwork by Art in the Sticks organiser, Hamish
“It’s all about getting out of your comfort zone, and that’s really nice as it sometimes feels like the country has become further and harder for people to visit – it’s not the end of the world; it’s a day in the car.”
Art in the Sticks is held at Cluain Farm (40km south of Lucindale on Callendale Road) this long weekend.
mapp.data.push( {“alignment”:””,”center”:{“lat”:-37.1239038,”lng”:140.2933478},”editable”:null,”filter”:null,”height”:”150″,”hideEmpty”:null,”initialOpenDirections”:null,”initialOpenInfo”:false,”layers”:null,”layout”:”inline”,”mapid”:”179″,”mapTypeId”:”roadmap”,”metaKey”:null,”minZoom”:null,”name”:”mapp1″,”poiList”:false,”postid”:”13592″,”query”:null,”title”:”Lucindale”,”width”:”100%”,”zoom”:8,”pois”:[{“address”:”Lucindale SA 5272, Australia”,”body”:”Australia”,”correctedAddress”:”Lucindale SA 5272, Australia”,”iconid”:null,”point”:{“lat”:-37.1239038,”lng”:140.2933478},”poly”:null,”postid”:null,”kml”:null,”thumbnail”:null,”title”:”Lucindale SA 5272″,”type”:null,”url”:null,”viewport”:{“sw”:{“lat”:-37.1758432,”lng”:140.25211209999998},”ne”:{“lat”:-36.8693253,”lng”:140.55109330000005}},”html”:”
“}]} );
if (typeof mapp.load != ‘undefined’) { mapp.load(); };
Like this story? Nominate a story from your region.
Click here to nominate >>
These inspiring regional stories made possible by:
Major Partner
Program Partners
Major Media Partner
