Arts and crafts at the Forest Gallery

NESTLED in the Wellsford Forest, fifteen minutes from the CBD, lies the Forest Gallery.

Owned and operated by Michelle Kent and her partner Terry Jarvis, the gallery features watercolour landscapes, handmade crafts, a garden for picnics, as well as a menagerie of animals.

Ms Kent said the rustic gallery, which opened last year, is a charming addition to their 30-acre property.

“I’ve lived here in the Wellsford Forest for 30 years and established the gardens over that time,” she said.

“Terry and I decided to add a gallery on to our mudbrick house and we opened the gallery in February last year just at the start of COVID.”

“We have the gallery with all of Terry’s watercolour and lots of other cottagecore things like vintage gloves and glassware.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Jarvis would travel the world painting and teaching watercolour workshops.

“Wherever we go Terry loves to paint,” Ms Kent said. “He’s always painting out in the forest. There are so many aspects, the forest changes throughout the year.”

Ms Kent’s passion lies with arts and craft and her own creations are on display in the gallery.

“I really love doing craft, I make birds’ nests out of vines and wreaths out of things in the garden and decorate them,” she said.

This Saturday from 10am to 1pm, Ms Kent is holding an Easter workshop for people to make wreaths, nests, decorate eggs and enjoy morning tea in the garden.

“I thought it would be a nice thing to do because a lot of people want to get back into nature and do creative things,” she said.

“You don’t have to be an artist to do that but it’s something nice that people can create either for themselves or for a gift for Easter.”

“It’s relaxing as well, it’s beautiful out here in the forest.”

To book a spot at the workshop call the Forest Gallery on 5448 4733.