Winter school fosters a creative change

Do you every wish you could re-invent your life? Step out of your comfort zone, follow your heart and find fulfilment in something new and exciting.

Seven years ago Toowoomba artist, Andrew MacDonald, attended the McGregor Winter School as a student. This year Andrew will return as a tutor.

The former diesel mechanic now works as a demonstrator in sculpture in the Visual Arts Department at USQ on a part-time basis and as a practising artist the remainder of the time.

'I actually did my training as an aircraft mechanic, then I worked as a diesel mechanic with the mines and then I chucked it all in and became a furniture maker for a while.

'And that creativity led me to study an Honours degree in Visual Arts at USQ. That was 13 years ago and I have never left."

Many Toowoomba locals would recognise his work The Cloud Trees – the metal sculpture of trees opposite the Westpac Bank in Margaret Street.

Andrew's work has also been exhibited at the Toowoomba and Lismore Regional Galleries and Craft Queensland Gallery in Brisbane.

'I also have some commissioning work in Brisbane in West End, with Sarah Rainer, who used to work as a Lecturer at USQ.'

This July Andrew will be sharing his love for using found objects (a.k.a. junk and branches) to make furniture, when he leads the Memory Chair Workshop.

The memory chair concept was created by American rustic furniture maker, Daniel Mack, and uses items of significance to produce a piece of furniture.

'What I am hoping is that people bring along pieces from their past – things that are special to them, and they will build a piece of furniture based on that.

'For example I have seen Daniel Mack's work and he has used things like tea pots, fishing rods, old tools – anything from the personal history of that person.

'It will be rustic furniture making with a sculptural twist. It is not high-end furniture or cabinet making and should appeal to a wide range of people'.

More than 180 creative and visual artists and craftspeople will converge on Toowoomba from the 10 – 15 July this year for the 19th USQ McGregor Winter School.

High resolution photos of Andrew and his memory chair are available on request.

Media Contact: Amy Cass, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2092 or +61 412 097 326