Be Enchanted by Skrolys-Sheridan Gallery|Dardanup
Be Enchanted by Skrolys-Sheridan Gallery | Dardanup
Tucked away at the back of Dardanup is a little oasis. Lush expanses of lawn surrounded by native bush. Tangles of creeping green, giving forth flowery bursts of colour here and there. A pool of cool green water, fed from deep within the earth, around which bees and dragonflies lazily float.
It’s a bit like paradise, cultivated not in seven days but over twenty years by the creative hands of artists Russell Sheridan and Linda Skrolys. And, every year, the Dardanup Art Trail sees them pull back the curtain to let us all inside their sanctuary, their home, and experience its magic for ourselves.
I’ve known Russell and Linda since I was a teenager, as a friend of Linda’s daughter Rhianna, I still remember the first time I ventured into their weathered, whimsical cottage for a visit. That original dwelling has evolved over the years - more rooms for family, for friends to stay (a bigger kitchen to cook for them too!) more spaces to sit and talk and watch afternoons disappear through the trees, not forgetting the gallery space - a practical addition for two of Australia’s most sought after creative talents.
Both are painters, and the walls are full of their work for your eyes own visual feast. Russell is also a sculptor and nestled into nature, a tribe of his characters live - a ballerina “en pointe”, sitting dogs, men atop fantastical mechanical creations, serene ladies holding offering bowls - ready to be discovered as you wander the property.
Even after all these years, I am still enchanted by this place.
Russell and Linda are warm, hilarious, open people - the kind of characters you take into your heart immediately. Their garden and gallery will be open throughout the week from 10am-5pm, and again for the final weekend of the Art Trail from 10am-5pm - they’re always around to chat about their beautiful work and tell the stories of how their home came to be.
You’ll find them on Twomey Road, off Crooked Brook Road, behind Dardanup.
If you come across some fearsome wooden creatures on guard, you’ll know you’ve found the right corner of the woods…
Photography and words by ACR Guest Contributor - Elle Dixon
