blueBanksia art directory lists art short courses and events

An invigorating and challenging course for you, the artist, to gain a greater insight into the diversity and vitality of this great medium. Ross’s vast experience and reputation as a teacher will enable each participant to not only produce an array of varied works, but also to obtain simplified understanding of procedure. Each stage will be suitably covered and explained methodically, backed up with appropriate demonstrations of technique.

Take watercolour to the edge and find out what it is “really” capable of doing. Go beyond the prosaic and create visual poetry in watercolour. What should I paint? How do I interpret the scene? How do I simplify the subject? How do I work from a photo? My photo is not as I remembered the scene-what shall I do? How can I take a better photo as reference? Can my computer help me with my painting? Find the answer to these questions and more. Learn how to create a work of Art from a photo rather than merely doing a painting of a photo.

Develop a personal style with watercolour. Mix glowing colours, use expressive brushstrokes and learn to experiment. No need for experience, just an adventurous spirit! Two days of gaining control of the medium and a day of fun using Yupo paper, see how watercolour behaves when allowed to mix and mingle. This workshop offers a boost to your confidence or an introduction to the beauty of fresh, free, impressionistic watercolour painting.

Barbara will begin the workshop with still life, as preparation, and used as setups for life studies of model. Covered will be both short & long poses. Learning the techniques for painting costumed models will also be a focus. Depending on weather conditions you will either be taken to do Plein Air painting or taught to paint from photographs, with instruction on how to avoid “unpainterly effects from photos. A time for critique will be available on completion.

“Have fun finding different ways to express your individual creativity” Do things you’ve never done before! Find ways to tap into your new ideas and create these creative ideas as fine art using mixed media. Use this workshop to expand your chosen medium by freeing up your approach to creative expression.

Learn to create the soft and ‘touchable’ qualities of fur as well as show the form of the animal underneath. Contrasted on the sharp and ‘jagged’ texture of bark on a tree, this will make an interesting and absorbing workshop. Detail, reality and abstract pattern, three wonderful elements in combination. Janet combines demonstrating her process step by step as well as personal continuous guidance.

This workshop is for people who have mastered the basics and wish to move onto new levels. Areas covered will be tone, temperature, colour mixing, composition, atmosphere, reflected lights, reflections and other subtleties unique to the Australian landscape. The session will begin with a short theory session and a tonal landscape, followed by step to step demonstrations of paintings including landscape, river and gum tree study.

Each participant with clay, Feeney's Buff Raku, will make a large ceramic sculptural form. This could be animal or human shape. You may bring sketches or ideas; you will be shown examples of simple and beautiful forms made through the ages in various countries. Each day you will be taken thru the process culmination in a white slip and under glaze being painted onto the surface of the form.