Airspace Oatlands

05/05/2026

Please welcome our new Artist in Residence, Linda Hookey.
The residency provides an opportunity to explore marks, prints and colours that can be coaxed from foraged and gathered locally flora and gifted onto cloth, yarn, thread and paper. The techniques employed fall under the umbrella terms of eco printing and natural dyeing.
Working intuitively and in a respectful manner as not to create waste, the substrates used (which would include upcycles garments and fabric remnants) for sampling would inspire, guide, direct and evolve into wearable art pieces. The aim is for the pieces to be layered together, thereby creating a vignette - representing an embodiment of the essence of place.
Samples created would also be utilised and incorporated into a wall hanging, which would represent the journey travelled during the residency, capturing the layers of memories created by place and time. A variety of techniques including hand and machine stitching and embroidery, knitting and felting may come into play during this exploration.
Alongside these pieces, Linda proposes a community venture. In the spirit of caring for the environment through embracing the concept of zero waste; a scroll type piece of art work would be created with the community; thereby further utilising the eco printed fabrics and threads made during the residency. Community members and visitors are invited to engage in stitching together; using textile art as a medium to connect people - to themselves; to each other and to the local environment.
Linda is open most days in the Airspace studio, check for the open sign and pop in.

19/04/2026

An invitation from our Artists’ Steve & Mary Kay…
Good morning Oatlands community. Mary Kay and I are entering the final week of our Arts Residency at 79 High Street. Once again we just want to share how welcoming the town has been to us. So many of you have dropped in for a chat, a cuppa and to have a look at our work, a combination of found object and found words visual art and poetry. We our opening the space this Friday 24th to host an Open Mic. Anyone who wants to drop in between 6-8pm, we would love you to bring a poem or a song, or a joke along to share with us all, or just to come and partake in a drink and a chat.

08/04/2026

Hi Oatlands community! Steve and Mary Kay here. We are the new artists in residence and just want to say we have received a very warm welcome and lots of visitors since we arrived. We had a great time yesterday. Some boys popped into the space and spent some time making their own Cyanotype prints, and even brought some friends back later to also make some. The photo below is one of the boys prints during expsoure to the sun. Whenever we are in the studio we are up for a visit, chat, make you a cuppa, so we would love see you. Thanks again from both of us for the welcome.

06/03/2026

Please welcome Michelle Ball to Airspace Oatlands.
Michelle Ball is an Australian contemporary artist known for her paintings based on themes of history and care for the Australian bush.
Drawing & painting plein air will be her daily activity with a focus on endangered flora and fauna of an area.
Michelle has only just arrived so if you see the sign out the front of the studio, pop in to say hello & check out the progress of works from her daily adventures.

20/02/2026

Hello! I'm Glenda Underhill. My husband Mike Oates and I have been in Oatlands as the Artists in Residence at Air Space for the past couple of weeks. Many of you will already know this, as quite a few of you have come to visit; which has been lovely. We are writers and folk musicians. Mike writes poetry, and I write historical fiction. We sing a bit, and the instruments we play are harp, concertina, harmonica and whistle. The undertaking that we've been working on in Air Space is to write a set of poems based on historical figures of Oatlands past, and compose music to accompany these, and to reflect some of the prominent landmarks. We're heading off on the 26th but before we leave we are giving two free concerts. One of our general music as our thank you for the lovely time we've had here, and the other, although still raw, to share the pieces we've been working on in Air Space. Both concerts are free and will be at the Courthouse. The first one next Monday 23rd at 2pm will be a sharing of our general music and songs, and then on Wednesday 25th at 2pm, we'll share our Oatlands work. We hope you'll come to either, or better still, both of our offerings.
Glenda & Mike

11/02/2026

We have new Artists’ at Airspace. Please welcome Mike Oates & Glenda Underhill. They are musicians, writers & storytellers.
Their work reflects their interests in history, and its impacts on past and current life. They have been working together for more than 20years, each bringing individual skills to the creative process of weaving together, words and music.
Their art practice is in response to events and/or experiences, people they meet, or places they encounter and is given life through instrumental music, songs, stories or poetry.
They will be creating a suite of music, poetry and /or a story during their stay.
The sign is out most days so pop in and catch up.
They are busy planning a few performances at the end of the month. If you would like to host them, please pop in & see them at Airspace.

09/01/2026

Welcome to Airspace Oatlands 2026.

The new Artist for January is Valerie Clark from Queensland.
She says “I am an abstract artist who enjoys working in acrylic paint and mixed media. I work intuitively, so I start my paintings with only a vague intention to express an idea or feeling, and then let the materials lead the way, which brings with it an element of excitement and surprise.The paintings I make could be described as lively, joyous, a celebration of life perhaps, and sometimes they are wild or whimsical.
My love of travel, and lived experiences influence my work, sometimes out loud, and sometimes in the quiet whispers of memory. Creating freely, with no rules, and just paying attention to a few basic principles encourages my inner rebel to play while the perfectionist is given time out. The result is a clear reflection of my heart and soul.”

Valerie will have the studio open every Friday - Monday, 9am-3pm.

21/11/2025

Our November Artist, Deidre Robb from WA has been busy in the studio.

Deidre is a Textile Artist who uses traditional textile repair techniques such as patching, darning & needle weaving in several of her art works to express thoughts about damage and healing.

Deidre is continuing with this theme by examining cracks in old buildings & structures. She says..
“the idea behind my works is that everything is flawed, but there is hope and joy in recognising, appreciating and treasuring what we have. These works are a metaphor for care and repair in many aspects of our lives, including mental and physical health, relationships, and our environment”.

Deidre has the sign out & the studio open most days so pop in for a chat & to view her work. She is with us until the 30th November.

16/10/2025

15/10/2025

Please wlcome Neil Williams to Airspace.
His practice has developed over the last 30+ years. Initially, he majored as a sculptor in the UK, but since immigrating to Australia, he has focussed on painting and printmaking.
Early works explored identity and a sense of place through his iconic bovine artworks; concurrently, the
landscape has always been an underlying interest, the romantic ideal of rural living, and the notion
of simpler times. Recent works explore post-colonial history using historical references and
exploration; architectural remnants feature as not just structures but vessels of memories, stories
waiting to be unravelled. These paintings almost act as a portal to the past, challenging us to reflect on the impermanence of life and of those that once inhabited the buildings, perhaps once bearing witness to joys of celebrations or standing resilient in the face of life’s inevitable storms.
After a 20-year stint as creative director behind the scenes of the Montalto Sculpture Prize, Neil is
rekindling his passion for being on the other side and developing new sculptural works that follow
on from his 2D practice.
Neil will have the open sign out when he is working in the studio so you can drop in for a chat.

21/08/2025

There is still time to come along this weekend to meet our August Artist in Residence, Carol-Ann Morrison.

Carol-Ann (Cam) is a Tasmanian Felt & Fibre Artist specialising in heritage breed wool from her own flock.

She is supported by L*z Palfreyman & Jude Maslin - Ceramic Artists.

You can meet the Artists & check out their work Friday afternoon, Saturday from 10-4 or Sunday 10-2.