Art reaches new heights for Art with Altitude event

Mother and daughter artists enjoy the slow pace of making beautiful ceramics in this misty mountainside community. They’re creating Art with Altitude.

Cleo and Venus Ganis are the artists behind Leaf & Co. Picture: Dominika Lis

If Venus Ganis is seeking inspiration, she simply gazes out her window to the mist-shrouded rainforest.

The Mount Glorious ceramist is one-third of the Leaf & Co mother-daughters business, creating beautiful pottery and ceramics from her home studio.

Venus and her daughter Cleo have been creating the ceramic free-form pieces together for four years and she says they enjoy the shared creativity. While her other daughter Ria is the photographer and website designer behind the scenes.

Venus wanders the hills around her home nestled in lush rainforest and finds inspiration in the way a leaf curls, or the simplicity of a bare branch. She studied pottery throwing decades ago but only recently fired up the pottery wheel again to flex her creative muscles alongside Cleo.

“It’s good therapy,” Venus says.

“The landscape, the quiet … it’s just glorious. If we need inspiration for our work, we just look out the window.”

Leaf & Co will exhibit at Mt Glorious' Art with Altitude. Picture: Dominika Lis

Leaf & Co is among more than 20 mountain artists who will exhibit at the upcoming Art with Altitude event.

And while there’s an abundance of birdlife and beautiful natural environment, there’s also a depth of artistic talent on the mountain.

Art With Altitude organiser Rose Cuthbertson says the art exhibition is in its fifth year and continues to grow from its small beginnings.

“This year we’ve got 21 artists involved,” Rose says.

“I guess a lot of artists like being in a natural environment, it’s inspiring … up here you’ve got the space to create and the inspiration from the world around you.”

While Venus has had an established career in the arts and a home kiln and studio, she says it’s a great experience to have her daughter to bounce ideas off.

“You don’t want to take the creativity out of it. It’s wonderful to be spending most weekends in the studio together.”

Cleo has always been creating art but says she is enjoying the tactile nature and slow pace of the creative process with ceramics.

Leaf & Co will exhibit at Mt Glorious' Art with Altitude. Picture: Dominika Lis

“Each piece is unique and becomes more like an art piece. We make a few mistakes along the way, but it’s just part of the learning process for us,” she says.

“Art with Altitude is our biggest event, we spend much of the year getting ready for it. It all started from making Christmas presents and we enjoyed the process so much we thought we should make a business out of it.

“It’s very much about the enjoyment of making it and experimentation together.

“But it always comes back to Mount Glorious, its landscape, looking at the mountains and the sky.”

Rose says Art with Altitude was borne out of a desire to showcase both the mountain and its artists.

“A lot of the artists up here don’t have other outlets, so Art with Altitude is a terrific way for them to get their work out there.

“There will also be markets, food, coffee and music in an outdoor setting. A lot of people come up here with families for a day trip. It’s good for the local businesses as well.”

The artworks for sale will include paintings, ceramics, glassware, sculpture, and woodwork. Rose says they are expecting about 1200 people to venture up the mountain.