Bushies Studio and Scottsdale Art Gallery

Bushies Studio and Scottsdale Art Gallery….

Art Inspired by the Wild Side of Tasmania….

Scottsdale Art Gallery - Bushies Studio Glass Art — Bushies Studio – Scottsdale Art Gallery – Oil on Glass

Where Glass, Oils & Landscape Collide

Step into Bushies Studio & Scottsdale Art Gallery, where Tasmania’s landscapes come alive through a unique blend of colour, texture and impressionist style. Artist Craig Williams paints each original artwork in oils on glass, creating a luminous quality that brings the surrounding landscape to life.

Using a palette knife rather than traditional brushes, Craig builds layers of rich, expressive colour and bold texture. This technique gives each painting movement and depth, allowing the viewer to experience Tasmania’s rugged beauty, changing light, and natural character.

Inspired by local landscapes around Scottsdale and the North East, the paintings celebrate the places, seasons and scenery that make the region so special. From rolling hills and open farmland to native bushland, waterways and distant mountain ranges, each work offers an impression of the Tasmanian landscape rather than a literal reproduction.

The result is contemporary, vibrant and unmistakably local artwork. Craig creates each piece individually, using textured palette-knife marks to add character and a tactile quality to the glass surface.

At Bushies Studio & Gallery, visitors can discover original Tasmanian art that captures not just a view, but the landscape’s atmosphere, colour and feeling.

Opening Days/Hours – if the gallery flag is out, please stop by for a look or phone 0419 554 675 for opening times or to arrange a visit.

Scottsdale Art Gallery – About the Artist NED

Although known to many in the international nature-based tourism realm as Bushie, Craig Williams, known to many locals as Ned. He is a Tasmanian artist with a deep connection to Tasmania’s North East. Ned was his childhood nickname, a name that has stayed with him throughout his life. He now proudly signs his artwork with this name.

His passion for the region is at the heart of his creative work. Growing up surrounded by the rolling hills, rugged bushland, farmland, and ever-changing skies of North East Tasmania, Craig has developed a strong appreciation for the area’s landscapes and character.

Through his distinctive oil-on-glass paintings, Craig captures his interpretation of the places he knows and loves. Working with a palette knife, he creates expressive layers, bold textures, and vibrant impressions that reflect the region’s natural beauty.

For Craig, painting is more than creating an image—it is a way to celebrate the landscape, memories, and sense of place that make North East Tasmania home.

Ned is not simply a signature; it is a piece of Craig’s story.

Artist Craig 'Bushie' Williams with oil on glass artwork — Scottsdale: Things to Do – Bushie’s Studio & Gallery

What to See in Scottsdale

A visit to Bushies Studio & Scottsdale Art Gallery offers the perfect excuse to explore Scottsdale. While there discover some of the charm of Tasmania’s North East. Start your day in town with a wander through the local shops, cafes, and historic streets. Afterwards, head to the gallery to experience original oil-on-glass artworks inspired by the region’s landscapes and character.

The Scottsdale RSL Military Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the region’s military history. See the stories of those who served. Explore an impressive collection of uniforms, photographs, memorabilia and artifacts, while discovering personal stories that connect Scottsdale and North East Tasmania with Australia’s military past. It’s a worthwhile stop for history enthusiasts.

After admiring the art, explore Scottsdale’s rich agricultural heritage and surrounding countryside. The nearby forests, rolling farmland and mountain views provide plenty of inspiration for photographers, nature lovers and anyone who enjoys getting outdoors.

Take a drive along the scenic routes surrounding Scottsdale and discover peaceful country roads. Try the local produce and see the spectacular North East Tasmanian scenery. For walkers and cyclists, the region also offers opportunities to explore trails and enjoy the fresh country air.

Whether you come for the art, the scenery, the local stories or simply a relaxing day out, Scottsdale makes a wonderful base for discovering the beauty of North East Tasmania.

Scottsdale RSL Military Museum - mural and entry — Scottsdale Things To do. Scottsdale RSL Military Museum

Great personalised tour of Ben Lomond I did a personal tour of Ben Lomond National Park in early November 2022. I enjoyed my experience thoroughly. You need a certain type of vehicle to get into Ben Lomond National Park and I found it fascinating. My guide made plenty of stops along the way, I had lots of photo opportunities and the scenery is just stunning. I highly recommend. It's a great spot off the beaten track that a lot of tourists dont' think to go to. The wildlife is lovely as well as the lookouts and scenery. Very peaceful place. Even received some delicious fresh sandwiches from the award winning scottsdale bakery. Yum :) Thanks for a great half day trip.

Michelle P

25/02/2023

Tassie wildlife We did a 3 night / 2 day tour enjoying both Mt William & Ben Lomond NP our guide was informative and the meals supplied were more than sufficient The best part was watching the playful baby quolls enjoying their evening seach for food, so small, playful and moved so fast

MAW

09/12/2022

Lifelong memories My wife and I had booked the Canopy Capers’ excursion with ‘Pepperbush Adventures’ as part of our road trip in Tasmania. Ben came promptly at 5 pm and we were taken to a nearby irrigation pond to look for platypuses. Whilst there were a few glimpses it was very difficult to see as it was quite windy so the water was quite rippled. We left there and drove to an area of private land where there was a small cabin overlooking a lake. There were some kookaburras, and we saw some pademelons and some possums. Ben prepared a meal for us to eat - there was an appetiser tray of smoked wallaby and smoked chicken, salmon, grapes and strawberries. After that he cooked steaks on the barbecue which we had a with some beans, new potatoes and salad. We finished off with some cheesecake and fruit. There was wine and soft drinks to accompany our meal - pre-arranged with the company. We stayed until it got dark. Although the animal sightings were rather scant, this was offset by the passionate and educational input from Ben. He is the consummate host / guide and we greatly enjoyed learning so much about the flora and fauna of the area. The next day we enjoyed a full day out with Ben on another excursion - aptly named ‘The Quoll Patrol’. Ben arrived just before 11 am as arranged. We had another look for platypuses but again the sightings were fleeting even though it was much less windy. We then had a long drive into Ben Lomond National Park in the extreme north-east of Tasmania. We had periodic stops, whenever there was a wildlife sighting or a point of interest. We had a stop at a lookout where we had lunch - rolls and sandwiches bought from the cottage bakery back in Scottsdale. We drove further up to reach Ben Lomond village - it was only 5 degrees there. We stopped to look at the interesting geological formations - 300 metre tall dolorite columns with huge areas of rocky boulders beneath. Ben dropped us at the village - we did a short trail for about 20 minutes where we met up with him again waiting for us in the car. We drove back down from the National Park and again made a number of stops, smelling and tasting some of the roadside plants. We reached our final destination, a cabin surrounded by pasture. Ben set the fire and we were able to view and feed the kangaroos which lived there - it was an unofficial nature reserve of about 100 acres. The original kangaroos had come from Bonorong and now numbered about 40. It was a very engaging experience watching the kangaroos as we had our first course - a range of appetisers similar to the previous day. Ben then prepared wallaby meatballs with onions and courgettes. We thought this was the main course but later we were given some salmon and salad - my wife couldn’t eat any more as she was full already. The dessert course was chocolate fudge cake served with raspberries and blackberries. During the evening we sat beside the fire, watching the Eastern Quolls appearing, followed by the pademelons and finally the possums. As it got dark there was a long drive back to Scottsdale. We were exhausted at the end of the day but felt utterly thrilled by the experiences we had. As a guide Ben is truly fantastic. His personable nature, coupled with his commitment to the natural world, will remain in our memories. We thoroughly enjoyed his company - such a kind and generous spirited man. PS. We went to the irrigation pond on our last day as we were leaving Scottsdale and guess what - we saw two platypuses at the surface of the water. We managed to bag some quality photos - result! Thanks again, Ben. You’re a top guy. Good luck with your new hobby of crafting in metalwork.

Owen Thesaints

07/12/2022

A fantastic wildlife experience The 2 days we spent with Craig was the highlight for us of a month travelling around Tasmania and a fantastic opportunity to see wildlife, especially the nocturnal creatures you don't usually get to meet. Craig has a wealth of knowledge and experience of living in the bush, so we learned alot about the flora and fauna of the north-east part of Tasmania and saw platypus on several occasions, along with wallabies, echidnas , kangaroos and, padmelons during the day. The Canopy Capers and Quoll Patrol experiences are both amazing. After a great meal in the open air, we watched as the wildlife drew near at dusk - possums, quolls, wombats. It's an incredible, magical experience, I can't recommend enough.

Island Sue

10/04/2020

A great wildlife experience A great day with Bushy seeing visiting Ben Lomond, learning so much about the flora and fauna of Tasmania, topped off by a delicious bush meal, sharing the site with possums, quolls, wombats and more

D H

31/03/2020

A Wonderful Backwoods Experience With Bushy The Ben Lomand and Quoll Patrol adventure was fantastic. We drove up Jacob's ladder at Ben Lomand and Bushy took us into the forest for exploring. Dinner at the cabin and the night adventure with the Kangaroos, Wallabies, Paddymellons and Quolls was a highlight. You can't believe the wildlife here.

Laura R

24/03/2020

Marvellous Some good walks and opportunity for wildlife viewing. The evening barbecue with kangaroos, wallabies and quolls was magical. A very good insight into local life - the farming and cheese making. Fabulous scenery all around.

Sally G

11/03/2020

Amazing We had a 1 day tour with Craig and it was truly amazing. Started with a sighting of a platypus and then an echidna. A great scenic drive up Ben Lomond via Jacob's ladder and then sightings of some iconic wildlife including wombats, quolls, tawny frogmouths and wallaby's and kangaroos. The bush supper with quality wines was a great success. We loved the whole experience.

LondonWelshboyo

07/02/2020

Outstanding bush experience, some of the best wildlife viewing in Tasmania We thought we had already had some amazing wildlife experiences in Tasmania, but Ben's Quoll Patrol with us was truly over the top. Lots of wildlife, including a number of elusive quolls. You have to see it all to believe it! Kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons, bushy-tailed opossums, eastern quolls, short-snouted echidna, come to mind. Meeting his mob of kangaroos is an experience not to be missed. And on top of it all, Ben cooked us an excellent meal out there in the bush. All in all, a very memorable experience.

LafayetteJohn

Outstanding experience in the Tasmanian bush We spent 9 hours with Craig who took us to the Ben Lomond National Park and its surroundings, watching for a wide variety of Tasmanian wildlife. This ended with an excellent and copious dinner he cooked around a fire in the open surrounded by Kangaroos, Wallabies, Wombats, Pademelon, Possums....and even sighting a platypus and a quoll. We are amazed by the extent of Craig's knowledge of the bush, its flora and fauna and his ability to communicate his passion for them to us. He enabled us to experience at first hand many examples of the plants and animals unique to Tasmania. An amazing and unforgettable experience.

Peter B

26/01/2020

Meet the Team

Bushies Studio and Scottsdale Art Gallery