Margaret River Region Open Studios: 2024 must-visits

Private Properties have been taking our guests behind the front door of unique, West Australian homes for the past 30 years, so, naturally, we’re attracted to similar behind-the-scenes experiences.

Since 2014, we’ve supported Margaret River Region Open Studios – a 16-day, award-winning event that sees artists throw open their studio doors and invite the public in for a “fly on the wall” look at their artistic process – and this year, we’ve come on board as the event’s official Presentation Partner.

A rare opportunity to glimpse inside the studios, art spaces and, by extension, the minds of 144 West Australian artists, Margaret River Region Open Studios is the perfect conduit between art lover and art creator.

From connecting art collectors directly to the source, to introducing the next generation to a world of creativity, Australia’s largest Open Studios, held from September 7-22 this year, has left a distinct – albeit fittingly artistic – mark on visitors and locals alike.

Thirty Years, Thirty Artists

Coincidently, as Private Properties celebrates its 30^th birthday, Margaret River Region Open Studios celebrates 30 new artists joining its diverse, vibrant lineup.

Let’s learn a little about these creatives, and why you should add them to your must-visit list in 2024.

India Armstrong

India is an emerging Aboriginal artist influenced by her family and culture. Her painting, sketching and digital art is inspired by Aboriginal history and the issues surrounding Aboriginal people.

Mark Sinclair

A self- taught artist who is inspired by his observation of colour and aesthetics, Mark’s love of the ocean, human form and nature are often the muses of his vibrant paintings.

Mark Sinclair

Melanie Hume

Melanie is a Noongar woman who has lived in Busselton for the majority of her life. She creates traditional dot paintings that tell stories inspired by the ocean – from its beautiful animals to its flowing currents.

Gonzalo Marinone

A self-taught jeweller, craftsman and photographer, Gonzalo’s artistic journey is deeply rooted in nature and travel. In the past decade, his work has evolved into a captivating exploration of memory and beauty, with each piece serving as a tangible tribute to the experiences and landscapes that have shaped his artistic vision.

Narelle Kuppers

Narelle’s passion for sustainability shines through her purposeful artworks, made using recycled lids and designed to ignite beauty, education, community and creativity around a greener, better world.

Poppy Garbin

Renowned for her sculptural lamps, Poppy infuses magic into any space she touches. Collaborating closely with partner Scotty, she merges form and function together, leaving an indelible mark on contemporary design.

Poppy Garbin

Genoveva Figliolia

Genoveva is an Argentine silversmith whose creations intertwine silver with the timeless allure of seashells, opals, and wood. Each piece she crafts is a fusion of natural beauty and craftsmanship, inviting wearers to embrace the elegance of nature.

Sue Churack

Sue Churack’s captivating artworks celebrate the untamed beauty of Australia. Blending nature’s palette with canvas, Sue is the embodiment of boundless inspiration and the power of creativity.

Emma Lees

Born in the UK, Emma studied professional photography in London before moving to the South West 13 years ago and having three sons. Whilst in the chaos of motherhood, Emma started drawing animals and plants using ink pen. You’ll find Emma creating her artworks from her recently renovated railway carriage-turned-art studio.

Emma Lees

Zac Zoric

Zac’s aesthetic reflects the dark, the dreamy, and the abstract; his artworks hand carved and set into sterling silver.

Anthony Barugh

Painting in a traditional manner, Anthony uses oils to create a story that – in most instances – reflect his life and the journey he’s taken to get to where he is today.

Misty Cannings

With a passion for exploring art creation through various techniques and media, Misty creates a wide variety of vibrant art pieces of different styles and themes including abstract, portraiture and underwater life.

Misty Cannings

Alexandra Butler

Exploring the nuances of the female form in clay, Alexandra’s sculptures reflect the beauty, vulnerability, and power of womanhood. Her functional ceramic pieces embody femininity and resilience for everyday appreciation and use. True collector’s items worthy of the gallery or mantel.

Lesley Curtis

Lesley is an award- winning artist who specialises in the use of watercolour, Gouache, coloured pencil and acrylic mediums. Lesley’s inspiration is ignited by the colourful world of wildlife.

Jill Jardine

Jill’s artistry, influenced by joyful personal experiences, is a fusion of various disciplines that highlight her artistic versatility. Embracing experimentation with different methods and concepts, she seeks to imbue her creations with fluidity, motion and liveliness.

Jill Jardine

Patrick Bloomer

Pat’s approach to art echoes his approach to life. Whether he’s designing a garden, building a studio, painting or drawing, he is constantly seeking creative opportunity. His life’s work is captured in these fleeting moments of artistic expression.

Jennifer Goodall

Jennifer loves that mosaics allow for expression in many different forms, and that she can create something new, or better, from other people’s castaways. Using a variety of techniques and materials, she produces artworks that are heartfelt and meaningful.

Christine Elston

I love creating art by cutting and fusing my beautiful glass and shape elegant pieces that capture light & colour, each piece tells a story and brings and brings beauty into everyday life.

Louise Collier

As a lover of the great outdoors, Louise uses oils, acrylics, pastels and watercolour bring pieces of the beautiful outdoors, inside.

Louise Collier

Kirsty Watkins

A widely known seascape artist, Kirsty produces photo-realistic ocean landscape artworks from diverse perspectives. A visit to her studio will not only showcase her stunning coastal vistas, but the beauty of rural Yallingup too.

Cath Miller

Inspired by nature, the tartans from her old country Scotland, and the colours of her new home, Australia, Cath creates unique handwoven textiles with a mixture of hand-spun and commercial yarns.

Toni Salmon

A self-taught, small batch potter, Toni uses slab building and carving techniques to handcraft functional ceramic pieces and rustic jewellery. Completely besotted with mark making, Toni’s style is rustic, textured and inspired by nature and the ocean.

Toni Salmon

Heloise Roberts and Moira Fearby

Heloise and Moira combine the detailed mark-making of drawing with the gestural marks of paint into collaborative large-scale portraits and landscapes, which emerge as a fusion of detail and depth; evoking memories and a sense of nostalgia.

Kim Kiosses

Kim Kiosses is an Aboriginal artist who uses intricate dots, lines, symbols and textures to reflect on culture, country, and her identity as a Noongar Banyjima Nyiyarpali person.

Kim Kiosses

Emma Cotton

Emma is a local jewellery artist crafting her bespoke and one-of-a-kind pieces from her home studio. Emma’s jewellery are wearable pieces of art inspired by her love of her environment and the raw materials she works with.

Gina Denford

Gina has lived and worked in the Margaret River Region since 1986. Her seascape and landscape paintings are realistic and give a slightly unique perspective of our beautiful region.

Gina Denford

Shelley McNab

Shelley’s small-batch pottery is where you’ll find hand-crafted wares inspired by Margaret River’s ocean, forest and river. Shelley’s hope: that you can take a little bit of Margaret River home in ceramic form.

Marina Saker

Marina’s journey with jewellery design began when she started silversmithing classes and fell in love with the craft. She carefully sources the gemstones that feature in her work – predominately solid Australian opals and turquoise.

Brian Borshoff

Working in both cold bronze (resin) and metal (oxidised copper), Brian creates pieces that are hand-made, unique and full of personality.

Embrace the best of South West art and hospitality this September, by booking your Private Properties stay and planning your Margaret River Region Open Studios’ itinerary.