All kinds of amazing artisans are ready to share their creative muses and their wares with visitors.

Pictured here is Stanthorpe Town Crier Bob Townshend having his portrait painted by Dean Ford at Artworks at the Railway Precinct.

If you’ve always wanted to try out an artistic endeavour, there is a very simple and rewarding way to take the first step: make a date to get your creative juices flowing at the Granite Belt Art and Craft Trail for a fabulous three-day weekend in late October.

It’s so much more than simply exhibitions at art galleries, although naturally, they’re a part of this event on October 29, 30 and 31. This is a chance to dive a little deeper and see beyond the finished work in a kaleidoscope of artistic fields. You don’t just view pottery on a shelf. A live demonstration that takes slippery wet clay into an elegant pot shape might put you on the path to becoming a potter yourself.

You could enter the world of textures with amazing fibre artists and discover some of the techniques and magic behind their beautiful works. You might join a jewellery workshop and take home a little piece of your own making. Perhaps a foray into the craft of cheesemaking will set you up for a skill that you can use for the rest of your life.
 
This is the kind of immersive artistic wizardry that can make a single weekend a turning point in your life if that’s what you are looking for. Or it can be just a fascinating three days of enjoying the Granite Belt and all its artistic offerings. You would expect that you’d be able to buy a painting for your lounge wall or an amazing piece of pottery for your table, but you can also find a hand-forged frying pan, candles, clay sculptures and colourful knitted socks.

GBART organiser Rosy Chapman describes the three-day event as a perfect chance to come to the Granite Belt to play.
 
“You can be here in about three hours from Brisbane or the coast and it’s fun to try something new, to meet the maker, to get behind the scenes and have a go. And of course, there’s also amazing food, wine, fresh produce and the granite countryside to enjoy."

Because of COVID regulations, participants must book for everything - even the free demonstrations - but that’s easy to do with the shopping cart [coming soon] on the website at www.gbart.org.au and there’s a free booklet that shows the self-drive trail to follow to the studios of about 30 artisans. Bookings should be available on the website from next month. 
 
It’s a good idea to book your accommodation early, as the Granite Belt is a popular area in spring. And just a heads up - the opening night event on Friday, October 29 is going to be amazing. You’ll want to be there.