MUM RUN in bloom at Newstead

By Jing Yeo Wan

Artist Molly Stephenson has celebrated her local run club, MUM RUN, by painting a traffic signal box outside Newstead House.

Ms Stephenson sees a connection between Newstead House and MUM RUN, originally founded by Ascot local Tilli Conias in Newstead.

“Newstead House was such a social hub back in the 1800s, and (Newstead) has been a social hub for the MUM RUN group too,” she said.

“In the 1950s, it was also where the Queensland Women’s Historical Association was founded, and it’s all about celebrating women and shaping Queensland. That just really rang true with me and the MUM RUN group.

“There are a lot of business owners and women who are shaping Queensland today in the group,” Ms Stephenson said.

Ms Stephenson has been working on a floral series as an oil painting artist.

“I decided to work with the flowers of the grounds of Newstead House as a representative of women of all colours, shapes and sizes.

“It felt really nice to come up with a design based on flowers, keeping that tradition and going with my practice,” she said.

This medium has been an interesting challenge for Ms Stephenson.

“Normally, I do traditional still life painting or urban landscapes. It was the first time doing this big box, I was up on my tippy toes to paint the top.”

For more, follow @mollykstephenson or @weare_mumrun on Instagram.

Photo caption: Molly Stephenson with the finished artwork