From Clay to Canvas, Regional Talent Takes Centre Stage at Watervale’s Sollys Shed this SALA Festival
Clay, paint and local talent will come together in Watervale this month as Solly’s Shed presents Where Earth Becomes Art as part of the 2026 South Australian Living Artists Festival.
Running from August 14 to 23, the exhibition brings together the work of Peter Hughes, Susan Hull and Tony Jeffrey, with all three artists creating on site throughout the exhibition.
But the SALA exhibition is only part of the story.
Founded by Susan Hull, Solly’s Shed has become a place where experienced artists and complete beginners feel equally at home, filling a gap Susan first noticed after moving to the Clare Valley five years ago.
From Shearing Shed To Solly’s Shed
As Susan got to know artists across the region, she began to see the need for a place where people could gather, share ideas and access supplies and services.
“I could see there were so many artists in the region, but there wasn’t really a space for people to gather, practise their art, share ideas and access the things they needed,” Susan said.
After hosting a successful SALA exhibition with local artists at the Watervale Hall in 2024, the idea kept brewing.
Sitting on the property Susan and her husband bought in 2021 was an old shearing shed, and eventually she began to see it a little differently.
There was only one problem. Susan had no renovation experience and wasn’t exactly handy with a drill or saw.
So she did what we all do in a crisis. She YouTubed it.
Little by little, with determination, a few bungles and a growing YouTube search history, the old shearing shed became the Solly’s Shed of today.
Now, at the centre of the room sits a large gathering table, perhaps the simplest explanation of what Susan wanted to create.
“My vision is to provide a space where people can create art, show art in all its forms, learn and gather together,” she said.
Where Earth Becomes Art
This month’s SALA exhibition explores what happens when clay, paintbrushes and a good dose of creativity land in the hands of an artist.
Peter Hughes has spent more than four decades making and teaching art across painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. He’s also the pottery teacher at Solly’s Shed, guiding everyone from complete beginners to those who know their way around a pottery wheel.
Susan is happiest hand building with clay, experimenting with different techniques and occasionally breaking the rules.
Who needs rules in art, she reckons.
Completing the trio is recently retired visual arts teacher Tony Jeffrey, a painter, potter and sculptor whose work draws on colour, texture and the natural environment.
All three will spend time creating at Solly’s Shed during the exhibition, giving visitors a firsthand look at the artists in action and the chance to chat about their work.
Susan hopes people leave appreciating art in all its forms and, most importantly, having a few “oh wow” moments along the way.
More Than An Art Gallery
SALA might be the focus this month, but Solly’s Shed keeps busy throughout the year with three major themed exhibitions, pottery classes and one-day workshops, workspaces for hire, firing services, pottery supplies and artwork available to buy.
And you certainly don’t need an art degree to walk through the door.
Whether you’re an experienced artist or simply curious enough to give pottery a go, Solly’s Shed encourages you to roll up your sleeves.
You might arrive never having touched clay before and leave with a new hobby… and a slightly wonky mug!
As for Susan, her favourite days at the Shed remain pretty simple.
Apron on, music playing, and her hands in clay.
Sometimes that’s all you need.
WHERE EARTH BECOMES ART
WHEN: August 14 to 23, 2026
WHERE: Sollys Shed, 104 Sollys Hill Road, Watervale
OPEN: Thurs-Sun, 11am – 4pm
Find out more about Sollys Shed and upcoming workshops, exhibitions and classes at sollys-shed.com.au
