SECRET GARDEN

Octopus and Queen, Tarnagulla

Frances Clarke, Lynda Vater, Yvonne Wells

20 minutes west out of Marong along the Wimmera Highway brings you to Tarnagulla, once a goldrush tent-town that boasted many hotels and shops. In one of those historic buildings, you’ll find Octopus and Queen’s vintagy and fabulous treasures, which turns into a secret garden of art, whimsy and discovery for Arts Trail. Through the door, into the kitsch-and-colour of Frances’ collection, you’ll find whimsical little works by Yvonne Wells, framed to be hung on a wall or displayed on a shelf. Then on to the wonderland garden, where you’ll see all kinds of surprises, fresh from the imaginations of Frances and Dunolly artist Lynda Vater.

Frances Clarke has used her garden as her canvas for over 30 years. An empty paddock when purchased has blossomed into a curated art space that is shared with the world during LVAT. Trees, Plants, planted junk, bright colors and found objects are used to create joyful spaces for play and enjoyment for people of all ages.

Lynda Vater is a Dunolly artist, who works in the medium of mosaics using recycled & gifted glass. Enter the Secret Garden, a whimsical collection of past, present & future art works nestled in a quiet reflective space in the garden.

Yvonne Wells has mostly worked with large canvases and framed drawings in a variety of mediums and subject matter and has exhibited in many venues both in Victoria and interstate. Her current series ,"Evie ART" focuses on bringing the little things to life on paper or canvas. Yvonne says: " Working on small images is often more difficult to do than painting a sweeping expanse of canvas. It’s a challenge to bring the small, the tiny to life with limited space, but the versatility of the final piece is wonderful. These little pieces look amazing in groups."