The latest artist to feature in the Alphington Neighbourhood Gallery is Sharyn Madder. Sharyn has lived in Alphington for over 30 years and has spent countless hours wandering around the local parks and along the creeks and rivers, watching and sketching the natural environment at different times of day and in different seasons.

Over the past 18 months she has regularly shifted her attention to the human aspects of life in lockdown, attempting to entertain herself and her family and friends with slightly black-humoured illustrations.

Find out all about her here.

And then pop past any time to check out her works in the gallery on our fence. Many of the original works featured are available for purchase. Just contact us here.

You can get a sneak peek of the gallery and her works here.

Saw this yesterday on a walk … on the north west corner of Heidelberg Road and Grange Road. Fun.

National Science Week ran from 14-22 August. And we had a fabulous eco-dyeing weekend workshop on offer here at ACC with local textile artist Rose Kulak. She does the most amazing prints and we were VERY excited about it.

This week however, we came to the sad conclusion that it is unlikely that we’ll be able to go ahead with this workshop in person anytime soon, and so instead we’ve been exploring how we can offer an eco-dyeing experience at home.

Rose is helping us put together a couple of different take home kits that include all the materials and instructions you will need to undertake a project using things like eucalyptus leaves, onion skins or oxalis (sour grass that is now in bloom all over the neighbourhood).

Eco-dyeing 101 kit

a dye bath in action … looks pretty cool huh?

So if you’d like to learn a new skill and/or you are keen to explore the science of eco-dyeing and eco-printing … and to find out more about natural fibres, mordants and fixatives, the impact of pressure and heat, and pH levels … then email us here and nominate your preference for the:

1. Eco-printing 101 kit (learn how to use pressure and steam for printing) or

2. Eco-dyeing 101 kit (learn how to make a natural dye bath)

When you register we’ll get back to you re. collection times over the next few days. And then … we hope you have lots of fun … and send us a photo or two of your amazingly interesting (and fingers-crossed, beautiful) results!

Note, this activity is designed for adults, and will also be really interesting for children - but supervision is strongly recommended and actually really necessary.

Our Darebin Parklands posters have been flying out the door over the last week. Every time I go to ACC I print some more and refill the collection bin - but I can’t keep up!

So keep checking back if it was empty last time you looked.

And in addition … this week we’ve added an activity pack into the mix. We’re recycling some little plastic pencil cases and pencil packs that were donated to us. Our Darebin Parklands pack includes the map along with a find a word puzzle, an origami project (a tadpole) and the start of a bookmark (you might like to add some pizzazz and use it as a gift for Fathers Day).

Make your own adventure in Darebin Parklands!

Lee has made a beautiful black and white map of the Parklands with all the walking trails and main features on it …and on the back of the map there is a place to write 12 things.

Take your kids on a trek through the wilds of our amazing collective backyard and make your own Parklands trail. Mark all the nesting boxes, find all the old fruit trees, highlight your favourite places to play - make some notes and share the adventure with another local family …

Or perhaps you could write a 12 part story … Or devise a treasure hunt … With a little creative thinking the world is your oyster!

Collect your copy from the bin outside our front door, grab a pen, some textas or pencils from home, and head off on your next family walk to make your own adventure in our lovely neighbourhood.