Rosemary (Rosie) Helmis, a dedicated member of the Club, has showcased her work at the Joondalup Festival in 2025.  Her tireless efforts to slip cast taps and disposable cups, positioned amongst lovingly hand-crafted sea shells, urchins, gum leaves, nuts and other local flora is a testament to her skill and determination to get her message across. 

Here is Rosey’s artists’ statement about her work ‘Flat White’ which won the Artist in Focus Award from the Community Art exhibition 2023’

“My current practice explores the ecological impact of single use objects on the environment. Single use objects are embedded into our contemporary living practices. They are time saving throw away items that function well for the purpose of convenience. But the sheer volume of these objects impacts on the ecological well-being of the planet. 

These undervalued discarded objects from our domestic life are part of our identity and by recreating them in clay they take on a new narrative.

The mundane object removed from its environment and decontextualised becomes an object of art.

Our natural habitat presents repetitious forms and elements that evoke clarity and beauty. There is an intrinsic connection between the quality of clay forms and the living environment. They are both durable but also incredibly fragile. Clay is a natural earthbound material that can create an inherent connection between the forms and elements in nature. Australia’s wild environment presents us with reoccurring themes of repetitious patterns and structural forms that can demonstrate chaos and order.

My work aims to be a study of the impact of decay and destruction overtime. It’s about natures resistance and resilience toward the human impact on living forms and the beauty that surrounds us. Yet there is beauty and fragility in these decaying structures creating a paradox requiring us to question how the future will be navigated.

 “Flat White” 2023 presented the audience with 120 bent, twisted and broken clay single use coffee cups and lids. Taken from their contextual environment,repurposed, and placed in a gallery they become objects of art. Appropriating these objects en mass I hope to initially attract and surprise and amuse the to consider the volume of waste we are producing.”