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by Cindy Goode Milman
 Five art friends disembarked Sydney for a trip to Cambewarra (near Berry, NSW) to experience an art retreat with artist Roxanne Taylor. The bed and breakfast was divine, not at all what we expected, a private cottage for two with three in the main house.
Our art class started with a morning Saturday lesson on using mediums – covering 300gsm water colour sheets with impasto (very thick and patterned), gel medium and sand (artist grade) as well as acid free tissue paper spilling inks and acrylic down the front, creating patterns of colour.
These were set aside for drying and we ventured off to lunch enjoying the most divine meal of spinach and cheese frittata with fresh (out of the garden) salad, sneaking in home-made slices (lemon and a cherry cake) for morning and afternoon tea.
An old fry pan sat heating up wax upon our return to the shed and we loosely drew out flowers with wax batik pens then layering a light sheen of acrylic colour over top going back to the batik to draw some more and devise another layer (ideally up to three). We then shaded in light and dark areas around the areas moving to the table afterwards to take butcher paper and an iron to iron off the wax, melting it away to reveal stark white lines. The finishing touches of oil pastel and crayon or chalk were then applied. Gorgeous results (see Jo Berry above right).
At the end of this session we retrieved our dried watercolour papers and painted the impasto and binder sheets in a preferred colour scheme and then retired for the evening making our way to the river side area for a lovely seafood dinner.
Sunday morning came and we arose to cooked breakfast and a fresh warm day. With prepared canvasses (background colour) we were then asked to think of a landscape or grab one of the many National Geographic’s Roxanne had available to percolate our imagination.
It then started with a ripping of the tissue paper, the impasto painted papers and the gel medium paper which were adhered to the canvas with binder or heavier glue if needed. Amazing landscapes and abstracts emerged (see Ros Tebble work above).
A wonderful retreat to relax, eat great food and create fantastic art results by all.
More information about Arcadia Bed and Breakfast Art Retreat
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