Flowers in bloom at The Toowoomba Gallery

The buzz around Toowoomba’s Carnival of Flowers has reached canvases as a local gallery fights to get the town onto art scene

Toowoomba’s blooming flowers have garnered a reputation fit for a canvas as a Garden City gallery embarks on a mission to cement its place in the art world.

The Toowoomba Gallery has enlisted the help of travelling Brisbane artists Emily Day and Kate Quinn who brought their ‘Bloom’ still life workshop to the town for the month-long carnival.

Guest artists Helen McCullagh and Sophie Twidale at the Bloom Art Experiences workshop. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Last week, art enthusiasts took to the paintbrush to showcase their flourish for oil and acrylic painting while enjoying food and champagne.

Co-owner Rebecca Statton said the event’s timing was perfect and she hopes to host the workshop again next year.

“At the Thursday workshop they got to have a beautiful picnic in floral Bank Park which is really lovely because they got to sit among the flowers,” Ms Statton said.

Bloom Art Experiences teacher Emily Day will take the workshop with Kate Quinn to New South Wales next. Picture: Nev Madsen.

As the gallery celebrates a successful first year in operation, the co-owner is foraging ahead to get Toowoomba on people’s radar.

“(Art) is a selling point for the towns that make people go to places and visit … they’re starting to recognise that rural towns have lots of really fantastic things to offer like great food and galleries.” Ms Statton said.