Under John Osborne’s guidance, thirteen participants eventually found their way to the Tahune Airwalk, where Ken Stronich, the proprietor, greeted us in the lovely bluestone building with tea, coffee, milk etc. There were plenty of tables both inside and out for working on. After an early lunch, everyone dispersed to explore the site, up on the airwalk, around the beautiful Huon Pine Walk, or the circular walk with the swinging bridges across the Huon and Picton Rivers. The forest is beautiful, and in spite of the scarring from the 2019 fires, so much was lush and green and inspiring. The accommodation was clean, modern and comfortable; people quickly chose rooms and then, in the evening, we enjoyed a shared meal around the fire. It was a great opportunity to share ideas and techniques and get to know each other better. The next morning, John provided a cooked breakfast, and people continued exploring or worked on sketches and ideas. All gathered at the Café for an enjoyable lunch, and then dispersed to travel home. John did a wonderful job, initially communicating with and keeping tabs on the participants, then generally organizing and facilitating the whole stay, including cooking a great breakfast! A big vote of thanks is due to him, and also to Melita Hickling, Sales and Marketing Manager, who was the contact for the project and helped to make it run so smoothly. We especially should thank Ken Stronich, the Proprietor, who was so generous in making free accommodation, free access and so much more available to us. Participants will prepare for an exhibition at the Airwalk later in the year, and it was agreed to present Ken with a collection (boxed if possible) of the prints in the exhibition.
Cath de Little