Adrian Elliot

Notes from artist in residence @

Lorne Community Connect Art Precinct

Work in progress-working with the idea of habitat restoration and coastal ti tree  to activate  community with art

Adrian Elliot is a wild wood craftsman and boat builder by trade.

He has worked and lived for more than 25 years at the famed historical Babington’s Mill up on the Benwarren/Mount Sabine Track, just out of Lorne. 

Adrian holding a copy of a portrait of him and his dogs, ozzie and oi that I did in the late 90’s

Seeking out Aido seemed like a logical connection to re-make when a loose idea to experiment cutting woodblocks from the fallen timbers from the Lorne Habitat Restoration led by Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority GORCPA came into Simone Fulton’s possession.

Aido using the drop saw to cut the coast ti tree

Adrian cut the Ti-tree into thin disks with a drop saw, he cut some square to the grain and some on a slight angle, stretching the grain and profile. The profile has mesmerising butterfly rings of gnarly twist and curvy turn.

quick experimental hand carving a thin disk of coast ti tree in preparation for woodblock printing

I used some little carving chisels and made some quick marks, mainly to see how hard the surface was. The cross sections shapes of the tea tree trunk impress. They are un-assumably haphazard and elegant, expanding everyone who comes in contact with them.