This project began life with the idea that the rural artists we interviewed would have a strong attachment to place. The ‘place' we had in mind was a rural landscape, something which has played such an important role in the construction of our cultural identity. Love of place is not just about geographical location. It is about the enduring links we forge in it over time. This takes in family, friends, community, work, adversity and the weather! This emotional response to place has found its way into the work of the featured artists, but like artists everywhere they also draw on ideas and inspiration from wherever they can find them, not only from their own backyards – however big they may be. It is true to say that most of the visual artists interviewed work ‘en plein air' and complete their artwork in a studio. Accordingly their work is often imbued with a physicality and authenticity born from the dual experiences of really knowing a place and capturing its essence ‘in-situ'. Their work, however, often moves beyond the representational to tell a bigger story.

What connects them as visual and textile artists and potters, I discovered, is not so much the theme of ‘place' as the commitment to the making of their art and craft and rural isolation is a factor in much of the work that is created. This isolation can be an advantage as Michelle Savoye points out in her interview, "People say we are isolated but isolation is a plus for us. We develop our own style and we don't have so many distractions." To contrast this view of isolation with another, Josephine Forster said, "Working alone has its drawbacks, I miss the contact with other artists. It can be done if you're single-minded and work 10 times harder than the normal person, but you have to give up a lot…"

Flying Arts has created opportunities for rural and regional artists to meet with their peers, to gain from the experience of tutors, and to feel that they are not alone in their pursuit of individual excellence. Whether their theme is ‘place' or ‘isolation' or something else, most of the featured artists work because they are passionate about it. For some, such as Janis Sommerville, this passion has moved them far from rural Queensland and the place where it all began. However, it is this commitment that shines in their stories.