Hellbent on handmade

A bevy of nature’s own makers are springing up again in Bemboka with SCPA’s third Working with Nature workshop coming up in May.

The weekend in the woods with a bushman, a basket maker and a spoonsmith has some new additions to keep participants as warm as they are dirty.

Workshop organiser, Massi Guerrisi, said the line-up for the May workshop includes wood kiln potter, Yuri Wiedenhofer, who will invite students to plunge their hands into the soil and join him in making an earth kiln on site.

“This will be a serious weekend of hands on fun in the woods,” he said. “All of our workshops have this beautiful feeling of unwinding by taking time out to see what you can achieve with a perfect mix of hands, mind and nature. “Participants can freely wander from workshop to workshop, where nestled in the woods they will discover kiln building, traditional basket making, spoon carving, and new to this workshop the curious art of steam-bending.

“Richard Jermyn, our resident green woodworking and bushcraft expert will take students through the process of shaping timber with simple hand tools and then bending it into impossible shapes using just the power of wood fire and steam.

“And if after a spot of kiln building and steam-bending you feel like kicking back and relaxing, we have workshop regulars Di and Jeff returning to guide you through the traditional arts of basket making and spoon carving.

“Di and Jeff’s workshops were a hit with students from the workshop in November and the great thing is you get to take home what you make. We even had people carving a spoon ready for the Saturday night feast!”

“And talking of food, our outdoor bush kitchen will be pumping out delicious local and home grown organic foods for tucking into around the all-day campfire.

“At the end of the weekend you will walk away with an amazing sense of satisfaction knowing that the spoons and baskets packed neatly in your bag were made with your hands, using simple tools and the wood and plants around you.”

The Working with Nature weekend workshop will take place on Saturday 2 May and Sunday 3 May 2015 at Gaia Range Farm in Bemboka, NSW.

Tickets cost $190 or $170 for full SCPA members and include access to all workshops where tools, materials, meals and bush camping are provided. For information and to book a limited place contact Massi on 0423 786 488 or [email protected]