Toowoomba Studio Art Trail open through September
Elise Heather’s taxidermy-inspired creations are an acquired taste but they highlight the breadth of talented artists who call Toowoomba home. Through September their studios will be open to the public.
The microscopic world of insects and arachnids has been brought to life in colourful and reclaimed fabrics by Wilsonton sculptor Elise Heather.
From rhinoceros beetles to mosquitoes, spiders and moths, her work draws inspiration from taxidermy and entomology cataloguing.
“Covid happened and I broke my ankle, I could not do anything for nine weeks, so I sat here and started embroidering little bugs,” Ms Heather said.
“I got obsessed from there.”
Ms Heather is one of 16 artists and makers who have opened their homes through September as part of the Toowoomba Studio Art Trail.
Now in its third year, the trail coincides with the Carnival of Flowers and brings art lovers into the spaces where makers make their work. They can discuss their process, talk about what inspires them and hopefully make a few sales.
Ms Heather said she was thrilled with the response in previous years.
“I like seeing people surprised by what they see,” she said.
“When people bring their kids in they get all excited about the bugs.
“I had a little boy last year come in and he knew what everything was, named them all by their scientific names, it was just amazing.
“My stuff’s a little bit more different, so you either really love it or you don’t or you don’t want it in your home.”
Dozens of bugs, spiders and sea creatures adorn the shed at the back of Ms Heather’s Wilsonton home.
They are intricately made with a variety of odd materials, beckoning the viewer to step forward for a closer look.
“I use a lot of reclaimed and recycled material, like old upholstery fabric, lace curtains, tissues paper and off cuts from work, and my kids’ old clothes,” she said.
“I find bugs interesting, they have these little worlds and habits and they just get on with life.
“They’re not worried about human society and the way we operate with all these unwritten rules in place.
“I connected it with being neurodivergent and being treated differently, and I had a few exhibitions around that idea this year.”
The artists’ studio will be open every weekend this month, and on Wednesday, September 17.
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Originally published as Toowoomba Studio Art Trail open through September
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