Creative sparks are firing in the backyard of a suburban Palmwoods home. Sitting on a sandstone plinth in a garden planted with Australian natives is artist and sculptor Cam Crossley’s entry to the 2025 Sculpture on the Edge.
She’s called After the Swim and is forged from weathering steel, which has oxidised (or rusted). Her face, lit by the sun, is finished in 23-carat gold leaf.
Inside, Kolin the Koala is perched on a bench in Janice Pryde’s art and pottery studio, which extends from the second bedroom of the couple’s home.
Fired from clay, Kolin is Janice’s debut entry to the nine-day, large-scale outdoor and indoor sculpture exhibition, which is held late November / early December each year at a hinterland venue.
It’s curated by not-for-profit organisation Arts Connect Inc, which supports and connects artists across the Sunshine Coast and hinterland. The organisation’s mission is to help artists grow, share their work and connect with the community.
Sculpture on the Edge (2021) was Cam’s first local “outing” as a sculptor. The former architect has entered the arts event for the past four years and says it really helped make a name for himself as a sought-after sculptor. Cam also conducted portrait and figure sculpting workshops for up to 10 artists at this event in the past.
“It’s been really good because I enjoy talking the artists through the basics of anatomy and expression and gesture, which are so important when sculpting in 3D.”
He says the public finds it fascinating to watch the artists in action. Onlookers frequently ask questions of him, particularly about the process of sculpture in bronze. Cam says living with sculpture is completely different to having paintings hanging on your wall at home.
“The beauty of sculpture is its appeal constantly changes,” he tells salt.
“As the sunlight moves across a sculpture in the garden, it looks totally different in the morning to what it does late afternoon. And when we use outdoor lights to illuminate it at night, it looks totally different again.
“Sculpture on the Edge is a great way of pushing that aesthetic more into the public awareness.
“The venue at Flaxton Gardens allows a great display of both indoor and outdoor sculptures. The many indoor works make it quite different from other major sculpture festivals around Australia.
“Sculpture is not just about big public works, it’s also something we can all enrich our own homes and lives with.”
For some time, Cam worked out of the couple’s small garage while Janice painted and did drawings in the spare bedroom. Cam works with steel, so he did a “fair bit” of welding on the back patio and also made moulds from clay. But when he casts in bronze, he uses a foundry in Brisbane.
Cam’s larger public works include The Eternal Flame at Cotton Tree, the Bli Bli Cenotaph at Parklakes and the life-size bronze sculpture of WWI nurse Sister Greta Towner at Blackall in central Queensland.
Cam and Janice searched for another property to meet their creative needs, but when COVID hit and house prices went “silly”, they opted to stay put and renovate. Cam drew up the plans and he now has a dedicated workshop, which is separate to the house, and Janice has her own studio space.
The day I visited the arty couple at home, Janice told me they were hosting a life drawing session for artist friends that afternoon.
“Afterwards we encourage people to stay and talk about art, and we encourage each other in what we’re doing.”
With a hint of wry humour, Cam adds: “Every art movement started with likeminded souls getting together over a glass of wine, or absinthe!”
Janice says it’s an opportunity for everyone to talk about what art movements they’re into, what kind of art they like, what kind of art they don’t like and why.
“It’s all those things that we need to question. It’s also great to explore how 3D work influences and informs our 2D work.”
With the renovation complete, Cam and Janice want to share their art space more. Next May, they hope to be part of Open Studios Sunshine Coast, another annual event run by Arts Connect.
This self-guided art trail gives art afficionados an opportunity to visit artists on their home turf to see how and where art is created. It’s a nine-day event running over two weekends. Typically, 60 to 80 artists participate each year and it attracts 6000 visitors.
Arts Connect president Jen Braithwaite says the conversations that this forum facilitates are “really pivotal” to artists’ work because they get feedback from the people viewing their art.
“When you just put your work in a gallery or competition, you don’t really get critiques,” says Jen, who is a practising artist herself.
“But when people buy your work in your studio and they find out how you do it, they develop a relationship with you, and you learn what people like.
“It’s an evolving thing and you can see those connections being built and getting stronger because the same people come back every year.”
Jen says Arts Connect runs workshops for participating artists during the lead up to Open Studio, that are geared towards equipping emerging artists with business skills and helping them with professional development.
“We also did a member’s workshop [in 2025] with Gary Myers, a beautiful landscape painter who has his own gallery in Maleny,” she says.
“He shared stories from his career, creative insights, and practical tips for navigating the art world. For artists to hear about other artists’ journeys is just so inspiring.”
Jen serves as the president because she’s seen the transformative power of art, both for the artist and the art-lover. However, after three years in the role she is stepping down, and Arts Connect will be calling for a new president at its general meeting in early 2026.
Jen says it’s an exciting chance for someone who believes in the power of art and community to help lead the organisation forward.
“We’re also hoping to bring a few more committee members on board especially people who love art and have some business know-how under their belt.
“Maybe you’re an entrepreneur, maybe you’re retired and have some great skills to share. You don’t have to be an artist; we’d just love some extra energy and fresh perspectives to support the amazing work our artist members already do.”