Recent Community Arts Projects

The Bentley Community Garden

Since July 2011 I have been working with the residents of Brownlie Towers Bentley to develop art works for the new Bentley Community Garden.

The garden had been the dream of the residents of Brownlie Towers since 2009. A temporary site was established at the Love Bentley Community Centre run by the Full Gospel Assembly, at Brownlie Towers, early in 2011. A more permanent site was established at Nyamup Way in September 2011. On land owned by the City of Canning.

A number of arts projects were undertaken for the the new site. Using recycled scrap wood and metal sheeting.

 The first project was to make a sign for the garden. This was made out of scrap wood which was cut into rectangles, sanded and the edges routed. Both sides were painted by the group.  each piece on its own is not particularly outstanding, but when all the pieces are put together the form a beautiful work , just as the pieces of a patchwork quilt may be insignificant individually but as a whole become a thing of beauty.

Two of my regular artists are Erica and Ben, they both enjoy painting and are very creative, this picture show the painting one of two large works on scrap sheet metal. These paintings have added colour and vibrancy to the garden.

The garden was officially launched on 19th November 2011. I designed an art project for the day which would offer the attendees the opportunity to be involved in the creation of a communal artwork for the Garden.  The project was inspired by the beautiful work of my dear cousin Ann Stephen, a very talented mosaic artist. it again involved the use of scrap wood cut into triangles to make wooden bunting, this was painted by participants on Launch Day the pieces were later varnished and strung along the fencing in the garden.

Following the Garden launch the group set to work designing some garden furniture, with the plan to submit for inclusion in the Rockingham Castaways Sculpture on the Beach Award. the first chair was completed in February, work will start on the second chair soon.