We sadly and respectfully acknowledge the death of Neil Thorne, one of our long-term members who was an integral part of the Burnie Arts Council Inc family. 8-12-1936 - 19-8-2021.
Neil was husband of 62 years to Burnie Arts Council Inc Secretary, Life Member, and Design Eye Creative ‘paper on skin’ Concept Originator, Pam Thorne. He was father to Vice President and current ‘paper on skin’ Coordinator, Lyndal Thorne. He is also survived by three other children - Tony, Stuart and Kelly, and four grandchildren.
Neil was a maker and handmade paper expert in his own right. He constructed molds and deckles, the frames used for making paper. It brings us joy to know that his handiwork is being used in studios throughout the country to create bespoke batches of this exceptional material so deeply embedded in Burnie’s cultural and industrial heritage.
Throughout the life of any project, Neil was a stalwart who showed up and did what had to be done to make things run smoothly. In keeping with the low-impact, DIY and sustainable approach with which he and his family approached life, Neil was cared for at home by his family before and after death, and laid to rest in accordance with natural burial principles in his home-town cemetery on the edge of the Tarkine
Top image: Neil in his workshop (picture: Lyndal Thorne). Below images: Neil participating in Design Eye Creative ‘paper on skin’ 2020 - Grant Wells Photo