By Jane Gardner<\/p>\n
At 18-years of age, Gordon resident Nathan Borg is already a skilled craftsman. Nathan began his artistic journey by taking on an apprenticeship in the maintenance department at Sovereign Hill. From there, he decided to leave high school altogether (in year 10) to further develop his skill and craft. Over time, Nathan went on to become a demonstrator as a Sovereign Hill wheelwright (crafting wagon wheels) where he continues to learn from master craftsmen.
\nIn order to extend his skills at home and to further explore his love of medieval and ancient crafts, Nathan recently turned a section of his family\u2019s outdoor shed into a small forge. From there, it was a logical step to get involved in the recent \u2018Open Studios\u2019 hosted by artists\u2019 collective \u2018MAGnet\u2019 (under Wombat Regional Art Network) across Ballan, Gordon and Mt Egerton.
\nOver a weekend in April, artists, sculptors, potters and craftspeople of all ages and abilities (Nathan being the youngest) opened their homes, studios, garages and sheds to visitors \u2013 some coming from as far as Melbourne \u2013 so they could share their creative passions with the public.
\n\u201cIt was a great weekend,\u201d says Nathan. \u201cI probably had about 30 to 40 people come through each day.\u201d
\nThe Open Studio event included works, exhibits and demonstrations from about 30 local artists. From glazed pottery bowls, timber sculptures (including an intricately-detailed replica of the Star Wars Millennium Falcon) oils, pastels, textiles and stone; through to Nathan\u2019s metalwork, all manner of mediums were represented.
\nBy all accounts, MAGnet\u2019s Open Studios was a great success. Some visitors drove between the towns, while others strolled between the studios on foot, chatting to the exhibitors and learning more about their craft.
\nNathan even met another young local person, who shares his love of the forge. So, it seems the Open Studio weekend brought not just visitors out of the (sculptured) woodwork, but like-minded artists as well. And that\u2019s surely a great result.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Jane Gardner At 18-years of age, Gordon resident Nathan Borg is already a skilled craftsman. Nathan began his artistic journey by taking on an apprenticeship in the maintenance department at Sovereign Hill. From there, he decided to leave high school altogether (in year 10) to further develop his skill and craft. Over time, Nathan […]<\/p>\n