about us
Lovely to Meet You
A mysterious accent spoke from behind to ask, “May I buy you a coffee?” With barely a hesitation, the answer came – “Actually, I don’t drink coffee, but a plane ticket would be nice if you’re offering.”
Lots of bits in between…
And now they live on an island at the bottom of the world.
The End… and Beginning.
(That sounds far too formal!) Gary and Amy Dewhurst are the organisers of furry and feathered chaos at Pugglebrook. Gary is an engineer, and Amy is a human ecologist. They live and work near Hobart, Tasmania.
Pugglebrook is the joint creative venture of two mostly humans, two sausage dogs, two fugitive kookaburras, three wish-list mini donkeys, four echidnas, an extended family of fairy wrens, a dozen hungry possums, and most of the local pademelon population.
The name Pugglebrook takes inspiration from Australia’s amazing monotremes (egg-laying mammals), the echidna and platypus. The concept began to bubble whilst watching echidnas and puggles on our property and pining away for sightings of platypus in the waterways. Monotremes remind us of the creative potential in embracing the unexpected. Their seemingly unrelated bits and pieces make a delightfully fetching and functional combination.
Thus the dream of Pugglebrook as a studio, teaching/learning environment, and gallery was hatched: an inviting and comfortable, sort of quirky, unexpectedly beautiful and deeply inspiring approach to art and purposeful creativity. A focus on nature and how art can be practical and functional is key. Hero photos are off the to-do list, but unlocking the creative potential in the unexpected is right at the top. Who cares if your project flopped or laid an egg? Many masterpieces began in just such a way, and so did many notable humans and movements for that matter.
Central to the vision of Pugglebrook is finding a physical meeting/making/teaching space with access to both community and nature. We are in the process of nest building – refining the vision, identifying needs, and remaining curious and flexible as we look for a home for Pugglebrook. Until then, you are warmly invited to the virtual studio whilst Amy hobbies away at her first creative love of writing.