Art propels me out of bed in the morning, whispering me awake with purpose. It fills the pause between my in-breath and out-breath and the quiet lulls amidst other chores and responsibilities.

Nothing transforms like fire. The ancients knew it; every inch of the earth reflects it. Contemporary potters continue to use fire in an age-old process that is reverent, communal, and mysterious.

Partner, Father, Actor, Writer, Oil Artist, Singer-songwriter, Lyricist, Long-distance Runner . . . George Connell has a lot going on and has never shied away from setting impressive goals for himself.

Using simple, timeless tools such as mallet, chisel, rasp, and different grades of sandpaper, West works playfully with the stone, achieving lightness and balance, and following the kind of energy that guides meditative work.

To study these paintings is to experience simultaneously macro and micro, the planetary proportions of the scene and the careful, painstaking attention in each brush stroke, on every millimetre of the canvas.

These “crafty” works have a real dignity. They show laborious detail, restraint, an assured sense of composition, and a painstaking approach to colour.

“I had long known of Kintsugi, but until then I was not broken enough to fully understand the beauty and philosophy. When I received the message I was so broken . . . I saw a doorway towards healing.”

Newly transitioned to non-profit status, FibreWorks Studio & Gallery (est. 2006) has a fresh mission and a wonderful array of workshops lined up for 2022.

Maxwel Hohn’s award-winning mini-documentaries tell stories of wonders in the wild

“I think my creative collaborations with First Nations artists demonstrate a powerful and poignant legacy of cooperation between cultures.”