September 2017
Today Lucy finished this portrait of the family dog. Quite a character.
Well done Lucy.
Siena made a great job of painting this image. She was inspired by a series of clever photoshoped animal portraits. This one was painted in acrylic.
August 2017
Tiani used white conte chalk on black card to produce this wonderful study of a young roo. Such patience.
Another masterpiece by Ella. This time in liquid graphite.
Violet discovered how tricky cacti can be to paint. The structure is deceivingly difficult. What a brilliant job she did.
This large work was completed using acrylic on art card by the amazingly talented Tiani. Gorgeous!
July 2017
A great first study in charcoal by Ella. Superb!
Painting buildings is always a challenge. Sarah persevered with this view of Japanese buildings and bridge. She learnt a lot about perspective during this work. Well done Sarah!
Bianca's watercolour bunny
Bunnies are just too cute. This little guy was painted in acrylic by the very talented Katie.
June 2017
This is an fantastic portrait of Alanna's dog. I can't wait to see what she tackles next. Excellent work!
This is a study of Hannah's dog. There is a new white boxer puppy in the family. I am sure he will be the next candidate. Superb work Hannah.
A great work in acrylic by Ella. Several new techniques were employed in the creation of this painting. Ella is never scared of a challenge. Well done!
This work was completed by Tayissa. A very unusual composition inspired by a fellow artist. I am sure it is the first of many similar works
This black and white portrait was painted in acrylic by Hannah. She has convincingly captured the contrast in tone created by strong lighting
May 2017
WOW!!!!!!!!!
Caitlyn's amazing pencil portrait . So much talent!
Lucy's little Yorkshire Terror
A great work in sepia tinted liquid graphite
April 2017
A great pencil study by Sarah. Superb!
A very quick sketch in liquid graphite by Lucy. Awesome!
March 2017
Pink tulips by Ella. What a riot of colour.
Watercolour ballerina by Stella. Superb!
Pencil studies with pastel backgrounds by Ingrid and Louise. Great work girls
February 2017
Ella's first watercolour. Absolutely delightful!
A great watercolour exercise by our lovely Tiarni
Lana completed this friendly chook today. She used acrylic paints and a series of rigging brushes to paint the texture. What a great art work.
January 2017
Tiarni has kicked off the year with this incredible study of a young elephant. She used white conte pencil on black paper. It was a difficult work to photograph and the image does not do it justice. It is truly amazing and shows what a patient, skilful artist she is.
December 2016
November 2016
Emma depicted this happy suburban scene using acrylic paint. The use of perspective gives the composition real depth. Well painted Emma.
This little guy was drawn by Josh. An etching tool was used to create white lines for the fur. A great study Josh.
This is Brendan's first painting in acrylic. He has captured a great mood by having a bright background and silhouetted rocks. The dinosaurs are awesome. Brendan is an expert on these incredible creatures.
This drawing was completed by Quin who has demonstrated his understanding of tone. He used pencils ranging from 3H to 8B. Great work Quin!
Tyler painted this gorgeous labrador in the Pop Art style. High contrasting colours, shapes and patterns painted in acrylic are great for this type of work.
A fine watercolour study of Poseidon carrying his trident by Quin
After a visit to Yosemite National Park, Stella wanted to paint Half Dome Rock. As you can see, the sun was setting, casting its orange glow over the mountain range. You have captured a superb memory Stella. Well done!
This is Katie's painting. She has cleverly created an illusion of depth by printing colourful dots different sizes. An excellent artwork.
October 2016
Jess completed her ocean picture by populating the water. You have to look very closely to see people swimming and walking on the beach, but they are there. Great work Jess.
A portrait inspired by Steve McCurry. Painted by Josh using acrylic paint. Well done Josh.
A quick study in Poska pens by the very talented Kathleen.
This is Harrison's first acrylic painting. The Jacaranda colours are stunning.
May 2016
Kathleen always blows me away. This portrait of her and her mother is drawn freehand, then inked in using coloured fine liners. Brilliant!
April 2016
This pretty Japanese cherry blossom scene was painted by Sophie, aged 8, using acrylic on board.
March 2016
Harrison used pastels to create the third in his series of white puppies. Absolutely gorgeous! Well done Harrison.
February 2016
Emma is a very competent painter and found this acrylic study quite easy. The movement that she has captured in the water is fantastic.
This is Tyler's first study in charcoal. Awesome!
A pen and watercolour study by our lovely Sophie
Caitlyn is practicing the proportions of the human face. This is a good study in pencil.
This quirky piece was brilliantly painted by Sophie using acrylic. It's great. Whatever will she do next?
January 2016
Jasmine finished her rainbow lorikeet which she carefully and competently painted in acrylics. Excellent!
This is a study by the fantastically talented Kathleen. Black and white pastel were used on brown paper
December 2015
Bethany painted this tranquil beach scene in colourful acrylics. At the end of a busy year it is a place that we would all like to go to I am sure. Beautiful work Beth.
This endearing little fellow was painted by Emily. He is just gorgeous and only her second work in acrylic. Well done!
November 2015
This wonderful painting was created by Imogen. It is a large piece of work and was hard to do because of its scale added to the complexity of portrait work. Well done Immi!
Caitlyn completed this pencil study which has recently been published in a book of poetry. Congratulations!
Georgia photographed 'The Rock' on a recent trip to Alice Springs. This brilliant acrylic painting of Uluru certainly captured the eerie qualities of this iconic place.
October 2015
Tiarni bravely undertook a portrait study of this happy couple as a commission. This fantastic result was achieved in watercolour. Such a difficult medium.
This captivating study of a tiger cub was created by Tiarni, using black and white charcoal
This is Emily's first painting in acrylic. She used cling-wrap to achieve the textured background and then painted the rooster using the broken colour technique. What a great result.
Emma finished this acrylic painting of an Italian farmhouse. It taught her a lot about perspective which is essential if the viewer is to fully explore the work by visually travelling inside the open door and through the shutters to the bedrooms. Well done Emma. Such amazing perseverance.
This unusual composition was completed by Sarah as a gift for her mum. I would be delighted to receive such a wonderful present. Excellent work Sarah.
September 2015
Caitlyn chose pastels to produce this image. It is a mesmerizing piece and one that transports the viewer to a cold, snowy environment. This was her first work with pastels. What a terrific result!
Zahara finished her acrylic painting of a ballerina. What a charming work. Well done!
A great little pastel study by Imogen. Superb!
A pencil study by Sam. So unusual!
Ambitious as ever, Sam wanted to paint this salt lake. It became quite surreal. What a creative individual he is, certainly not afraid of a challenge.
Zoe's first acrylic painting. Well done!
A great zentangle by the very patient Chloe. Wonderfully detailed work.
August 2015
This stunning pair of eyes were painted in watercolour by Tiarni.
Tiarni allowed the paint to run but focused sharply in on the eyes themselves by using watercolour pencils. Excellent!
July 2015
Harrison, aged 8, used acrylic paints to create this image of a Holden. This is his first real painting. What an awesome result!
Ayla completed this pastel study of a kookaburra - a great first painting in pastels. Well done!
A wonderful little pen and ink study by Jasmin.
This is Sophie's pop art pup. Isn't it great? Completed in acrylics and poska pens. Sophie really enjoyed applying the decorations.
June 2015
Tiarni chose pastel to capture this image of whirling flamenco dancers. This is one of her favourite subjects and it shows in the work. The beautiful colours and textures of the fabrics and the movement of the figures make this work very dramatic.
Though this painting looks small, it is about 1200 mm wide. Emma was commissioned to paint it by a client of her fathers who noticed her work on the wall of his office. Emma used photographs of this amazing landscape to complete the work in acrylic. The final piece was very dramatic. I am sure the client would have been thrilled with it.
Caitlyn drew this stag with Derwent pencils. They are my favourite make of pencil as the lead is so soft and blendable. Caitlyn made excellent use of them for this study.
Sophie had a love / hate with this drawing as it was developing. I think it's awesome. She has real character. The mediums are watercolour pencils on cartridge paper, overworked in fineliner pen.
Kathleen did this zentangled wolf in a very short space of time. She is able to draw with little or no reference. Sooooo impressive!
Sarah chose watercolour pencils to complete this charming study of a red squirrel. The bark of the tree looks really textured. A great effect Sarah.
This was a fairly quick work by Hannah. She is learning to use a variety of pencils to achieve different tones and textures. Well done, Hannah.
Jordan painted this snow dog using acrylic paint on paper. Snow dogs can survive intemperatures of minus 67 degrees celcius. No wonder they have such thick coats. Great work, Jordan.
Mica decided to paint an eagle today. He sketched it first using an acetate template for a guide, then applied acrylic paint. He made the feathers look
May 2015
Kathleen painted this charming study of a cherry tree in blossom. She is currently experimenting with different painting styles and techniques. This impressionist work required the paint to be applied thickly and was new to Kathleen. I think she has achieved an outstanding result.
Sarah painted this pineapple using expressionist brush strokes. The finished effect is striking as each dab of paint has many colours. Sarah has understood the 3D form of the fruit as well as how to apply the paint. Well done, Sarah!
April 2015
Sophie arrived at class not knowing exactly what she wanted to do. However, her recent figurative drawings led us to doing this charcoal portrait. Charcoal always achieves such drama. What a great study Sophie.
Ellyse certainly learnt a lot of technique when she tackled this huge painting. She learnt that you have to follow the direction of the coat when applying the paint, lift the brush up as you finish a stroke and describe the form underneath the fur with the careful use of tone. I enjoyed watching her get better with each lesson. Congratulations Ellyse!
Today, Imogen finished her painting of a snub-nosed monkey. This cute little guy will be sadly missed from his easel in the studio.
Sophie always arrives knowing what she wants to paint. This time it had to be a water dragon. Because Sophie is still quite young, we decided to paint the background first and then use sticks to print the 'scales' on the body. This looked incredibly effective and we were all thrilled with her result.
Jasmin wanted to paint these meerkats and we decided to use impasto gel to create the rock texture behind them. This was a great learning exercise. Well done Jasmin!
This is a very restful composition. Georgia took the shot on her way home from netball training. She painted it in acrylics, using a rigger (fine brush) to do the power lines which add depth to the work. Great job, Georgia.
March 2015
Kathleen is never scared of a challenge. Painting the face of this miner was particularly difficult as his skin was covered in coal dust. However, Kathleen worked determinedly through this exercise mixing mostly Payne's grey and skin tone to get the effect.
Sophie enjoyed using ink on canvas paper to achieve this portrait. Watching the ink run was awesome. We discovered that it's a great technique to use on textured paper.
Emma has been working on this painting for a long time. All the tiny characters tell a story and bring the work to life. It is a stunning piece and has added colour and vitality to the studio during it's creation. It reflects Emma's careful and patient nature as well as her skill as an emerging artist.
Amelia chose an eagle to draw. She used charcoal pencils on brown paper to achieve this result. Very striking!
Another great painting by our fabulous student Senna. This was created using acrylic paint on art card. Amazing work!
Zahara produced this very dramatic artwork in two quick sessions. The liquid graphite was a perfect choice for the texture of the bird's feathers. Well done!
Sophie is only seven years old but she is an incredibly hard working student. She used liquid graphite to create this image of an owl. WOW!
Sam did this study of his dog Rosie in acrylic. She is sitting on the sofa and if you look carefully, you can spot a few muddy paw prints on the suede cushion. This is a very cute painting and Sam has called it "It wasn't me". How appropriate.
February 2015
Beth painted this rainy day picture using the broken colour technique of the Impressionists. This always gives a shimmery effect and suggests movement because of the way the brush strokes are applied. Great work Beth.
Nathaniel completed this pastel drawing of the aurora in just about one and a half hours. Great work!
January 2015
A lot of time and effort went into this incredible interpretation of a Venetian canal. The techniques required taught Kathleen a lot and I could see a marked improvement in the way the paint was applied and the confidence gained. The painting was inspired by a colourful photograph found on the web. This piece was a real journey. It is a work to be proud of.
Georgia painted this tranquil seascape as a gift for her parent's wedding anniversary. I am certain this will be treasured. Beautiful work, Georgia.
Hannah celebrated the incredible firework display she saw at Brisbane's 'Riverfire' event by painting this picture. The fireworks were painted last but really added depth as they were positioned in front of the buildings. Excellent work Hannah!
Nathaniel's Potter. Despite wrestling with the paint in this humidity, Nathaniel completed his version of 'The Philosopher's Stone" book cover. What a great way to start the year. Well done, Nathaniel.
December 2014
Chloe painted this waterfall in acrylic. I do love the change in the water's colour in the foreground of the picture. It is very striking, Chloe.
This gorgeous painting by Sophie is of a bay that she is visiting this school holiday. Paradise!
A great sketch of the cast of 'How to train your dragon 2' by Senna.
This portrait was beautifully zentangled by Drew.
Feeling festive, Ellyse did this charcoal rendering of reindeer. Great for an hours work.
Imogen painted this picture of nebulae. The colours and effect of light rays make this painting spectacular. I love the addition of the stars. It gives it more depth. Well done, Immi.
November 2014
Katie found this very unusual image on the internet and decided to do her version of it. She used a japanese brush pen to ink it in and coloured pencils to add interest to the glass. Well done Katie. Good work!
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Senna chose a gigantic canvas on which to paint wildlife at a waterfall. The most staggering thing is that most of it was painted straight out of her head. I think this is a truly amazing work Senna and one that you can feel proud of for many years to come.
With the temperatures soaring, oil pastels were the go this week. Amelia drew this fruit in next to no time and got some beautiful blends.
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Lauren achieved this waterfall painting in just one session using oil pastels. An hour well spent Lauren. Well done!
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Tiarni's Triptych
With her usual flair, Tiarni created this gorgeous triptych. She used an impressionist style to blend the colours as they caught the lights and the leaves. A fabulous work, once more.
Amelia's Spoodle
Amelia chose acrylics to capture this likeness of her spoodle. She certainly learnt how to achieve texture by using 'expressive' brushstrokes. she mixed burnt sienna with pthalo blue for the shadows. Excellent work!
October 2014
Ellyse's appaloosa
Ellyse arrived one day with this large canvas. She knew exactly what she wanted to put on it and here he is. What a very striking work. Well done Ellyse.
Amelia's pastel pup
This little chap was painted in pastel by Amelia. This is her first encounter with pastels. All I can say is WOW!!!!!
Hannah's mountains
Hannah used acrylic to paint her background, then added tissue paper and binder to the foreground to give the mountains texture. The final result is just awesome.
Katie's Bathers
Katie found this image on the internet and did her own piece using card and 'Poska' pens. I love this work. It is so unusual. The features of the girls are not needed.
Drew's giant
This is a great work by Drew. She has used acrylic in a very stark way, adding black outlines to emphasize form. Very dramatic indeed.
September 2014
Georgia always amazes me with her talent. She arrived with this plump rooster already sketched onto a board, then proceeded to paint him in a series of rich colours, beautifully capturing the texture and shine of his plumage. Superb work young lady.
August 2014
Nathaniel finished this big purple dragon using watercolour pencils and pastels. The pastels were made into a powder and then brushed onto the work.
The end result was superb. The background provided a great contrast to the main subject.
Kathleen completed this portrait in the style of Del Kathryn Barton. She used felt-tip pens on plasticised paper. There are seven birds hidden in this awesome work. See if you can spot them. What a talented artist Kathleen is.
Katy did this awesome pop-art portrait with 'Poska' pens. The finished work was stunning.
Rose had good fun creating this painting of bubbles. She used a series of fabric inks and, when they had dried, put 'Poska' pens over the top to mark out the highlights and shadows
Using images found on the internet, Tiarni practiced this style of applying paint and achieved this wonderful study. Her next task is to work using a photograph from her own collection. Tiarni is a very talented young artist and I can hardly wait to see how her next piece turns out.
July 2014
Rose did this great study of trees with a beautiful array of autumn leaves on them. The colours are offset by the blue sky because they are complimentary. Great work, Rose. You have achieved some great textures.
Sophie used a puffer to chase ink over the paper surface. Once it had dried, she cut butterflies out of card and glued them on to make the piece three dimensional. I love it!
Nathaniel's mum asked him to draw her a pretty picture. This was his choice. Luckily, she thought the drawing was amazing and so did I.
Rose had fun painting this abstract. Once the background had been put in, she printed the linear patterns with wooden stretchers. We liked it with the lines going vertically and horizontally.
Imogen decided to work in charcoal today. This portrait was her first attempt at working with it. Not bad, eh?
Ellyse finished this acrylic study of a bush land style garden after four sessions. She used a palette knife (for the first time) to achieve the textured leaves in the foreground. She did this brilliantly. What a delightful painting!
Imogen did some fashion drawing today. These elegant dresses are her own unique creations. Excellent work Immi.
June 2014
Lana painted this memory of her and her dad holding hands and walking through the park. The colours are just stunning Lana. Great textures too.
Katie drew this cat and rendered it in the style of Del Kathryn Barton. It turned out really well and is quite different to her previous works. I love it Katie.
Beth used watercolour pencils to produce this peacock. She was inspired by a design that was created for Moorcroft pottery. Which ever way you look at it, it is gorgeous. Well done Beth!
Amelia chose to do this peacock for her first art lesson. She painted it using acrylic onto black card and the effect was very dramatic. Well done Amelia! I think there will be many more wonderful artworks to come.
I am very proud of Lana. She finished this pastel portrait today having worked on it for four sessions. It's awesome!
In this painting Hannah has taken us to a place where we would all love to be. Imagine looking out onto this beautiful bay. This is an acrylic study and Hannah has neutralised the colours of the distant shore to contrast with the more intense colours of the foreground. This gives the work perspective. Great painting Hannah.
Sophie worked on this pastel from an original by Russel Drysdale. The composition was first drawn in one point perspective then Sophie applied a range of soft, warm tones to the work, using complementary colours for the sky and foreground. A fabulous study Sophie!
May 2014
Jordan painted this vibrant abstract. Though it was originally based on the patterns she saw in an opal, to me, the final work seems to speak of sea creatures. What does it remind you of? Jordan loved using the intense colours. Great work Jordan!
Nathaniel, 9, enjoyed painting this dragon in acrylic.He is a skilled painter and I was very impressed by the way he painted the eyes and teeth. Good work!
Emma never ceases to surprise me. This week she completed an historical study first painted in watercolour by Samuel Thomas Gill. It shows an invalids tent on the banks of a salt lagoon. Gill was part of an expedition in 1844 to the country north of the Flinders Ranges and after reading about his hardships, Emma decided to paint this image. It required a limited pallette and very subtle colour mixing. Well done Emma!
Cats seem to be very popular this week. Chloe painted this gorgeous marmalade cat and so did Rose. They are both excellent. Well done girls!
Rose's cat
Rose used pastel to achieve a very furry cat. Letting the last layer of pastel 'sit' on top of the first coat is a great way to get a textural look.
Chloe's cat
Chloe used pastel to complete this work. she has succeeded in achieving a really glassy look to the eyes. The highlights work well too.
April 2014
Bethany painted this picture of her cat. She now has a complete collection of the family's pets. Well done Beth.
Hannah painted a portrait of her grandparents dog to give them as a gift. Sadly, the little dog passed away from old age whilst Hannah was working on it. I know they will treasure this portrait and will love remembering the happy expression Hannah has captured.
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Tiarni is always willing to experiment. For this picture she used pastel on textured art board. It was quite hard to push it into the surface but Tiarni managed it beautifully. I love the fact that she achieved such distance between the foreground and background. Very well done!
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Georgia spent at least five sessions working on this magnificent painting for her father's birthday. I'm sure he was totally knocked out by it, I certainly was. What a talented young lady and so patient.
Drew was inspired by a magnified picture of pollen. She used acrylic to paint the sphere and then added coloured silk thread to suggest the surface texture. An interesting piece and one which could lead to further work,I think.
March 2014
This is another successful piece for Emma. The road is in perspective and sweeps into the painting, taking the viewer with it. I love the autumnal colours.
Jordan painted this phoenix with a bright blue background. Blue and orange are complimentary colours so the blue really sets the warm oranges and reds off. What a great choice, Jordan, and beautifully painted.
Imogen wanted to paint a Friesian horse. She rides regularly and there is a gorgeous Friesian at the stables. This is Immi's first work in acrylic - a brilliant start!
Ellyse chose to paint this moose with the Northern Lights dancing in the sky behind it. This is a very atmospheric painting and a fantastic first piece. Well done Ellyse!
This is Hannah's first completed acrylic, and what a beautiful little painting it is. She has used one point perspective to invite the viewer into the scene. Imagine walking out to the hut and enjoying this sunset. Wow!
Meet Sam, Tegan's dog. This charming little painting was done completely unaided. I am very proud of you Tegan.
This is Imogen's first fashion drawing using watercolour pencils. It's very cute and has led Imogen to want to try using acrylic next time. Let's see what she does.
Meet Jack, Lauren and Bethany's dog. He really does have yellowy-green eyes which Beth captured beautifully. I do believe the next animal study is of their cat. These pets are obviously very well loved. Well done Beth!
This is Katy's finished painting of a surreal landscape. The little boats bobbing about on the water in the foreground invite the viewer into the work. It is only then that you realise that the mountain behind them is actually a leaf. Then you see the range of mountains in the background. Well painted Katy!
Kathleen is 14 years old and this is her first charcoal drawing. I was surprised by the subject she selected as old, wrinkled skin is a challenge for the best of us. However, she is already extremely accomplished and completed this outstanding work in five sessions. Now we are all waiting for number two....
February 2014
This is Ellyse's first little water colour painting. She used water colour pencils and blended them once she had finished shading. I think this is a brilliant start Ellyse.
Levi did a great job painting his favourite superhero. This is a very dramatic piece,with the city in the background giving it a sense of scale. Well done, Levi.
Senna painted these foxes play-fighting in the snow. Their orange coats stand out against the complimentary blue background. I love the fact that we can be transported to such a cold climate during the ridiculously hot days we have been experiencing. I think the texture you have achieved is wonderful Senna.
Nathaniel finished his snake picture today. When you look at this painting you cannot help but wonder what is going through the snake's mind. Does the rat know he is there? This is exactly what a good piece of art should do. Leave one pondering. Great art Nathaniel.
This is an acrylic painting of the coast of New Zealand, which many of our guests have recognised. The main task was to achieve contrast for the viewer so that the foreground stood out from the background. Using muted colours on her palette, Emma did this beautifully. Well done!
Lana completed this study of a baby possum with her mother. Painting the fur was difficult but Lana rose to the challenge and the finished painting is lovely.
This is the second of Tiarni's flamenco dancers. For this work she used oil pastels on black paper. This medium lends itself to capturing movement and energy, if used correctly. Tiarni has done just that and has created this exceptional piece in less than two sessions. Wonderful!
Jordan is nine years old and has just started art with us. This is her first painting in acrylic. She thoroughly enjoyed applying the paint and blending the colours. What a terrific start Jordan. Well done!
Micha did this cool collage of wading birds. This young man is only six but has a definite aptitude for art and confidence by the bucket load.
Maddie finished this lovely rendition of Tinkerbel. She worked in acrylic and used the dry brush technique to do the wings and get the 'magic'effect. Excellent work from a very talented young lady.
January 2014
Georgia was looking through a book of Australian works when she found this painting of ibises by Robert Hagan. In her own meticulous way, she painted her version of the picture. This will be a wonderful present for her grandmother who, I am certain, will adore and treasure it.
Bethany finished this little study of water lilies today. She is learning the technique of painting water. Very effective Bethany. Well done!
Lauren also completed her water study. It is, of course, inspired by Escher. The highlights on the water and the reflections of the trees look really good Lauren.
December
Tiarni painted this atmospheric image of L'Arc de Triumph' The road is obviously wet and the car headlights and street lights are causing these wonderful reflections, which she has captured perfectly. Clever!
Luca painted this grizzly with pastels. I love everything Luca does.
November
This is Georgia's second parkscape. She has achieved a great feeling of depth with this work. The people are the immediate focus but then the eye wanders past them to the distant trees. Fantastic work Georgia!
Meet Nathaniel's dalmatian. This is a great study showing the dogs expression. It was also a good exercise in painting fur - all very tricky but completed with patience and care. Terrific work Nathaniel.
In her usual free style, Lana painted these clouds. Her love of colour is evident in all her work, though this one is really intense. Beautiful Lana!
Sarah chose to do this figurative work in a very stylized fashion. I love the clean lines she has achieved and the patterning on the clothes and hair. A very interesting study Sarah.
This is Hannah's tiger playing in the snow, a small acrylic painting which has captured the young animals wistful expression. Well done Hannah. A lovely work to display on your wall.
October
Lilly finished her white lion today. This majestic creature does not look real but he does actually exist. However, he needs to be cared for in captivity as he would not survive in the wild. Fabulous work Lilly!
True to his usual style, Cam painted this enchanting picture of a waterfall.
We are all very proud of his efforts. What beautiful work Cam!
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September
This stunning work was completed by Senna in a holiday workshop. This young leopard is gazing wistfully off into the distance, probably thinking of where her next meal will be coming from. For the moment, she looks fairly relaxed but alert. Senna did a fantastic job capturing her expression. Brilliant work, Senna!
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Today Lana finished this painting of some of her favorite Disney characters. This is a deceptively small work and one of the biggest challenges was the fine brushwork. The only way Lana could tackle it was to break away and do something large, colourful and abstract in between the sessions of intense concentration. I think she ended up with a charming work and one which will always remind her (and me) of her stoicism and determination.
Harriet painted this Parisian street view. She captured a couple strolling along at night in the city of romance. The perspective is great Harriet and the complimentary colours just awesome. Well done!
This is Georgia's Paris. It's raining and this means reflections in the shiny, wet street. The colours are fabulous - a real celebration. Superb!
Emma was taken with Rene Magritte's surreal painting. In Magritte's composition there was a black sphere in the doorway. In Emma's there is a blueberry muffin - and why not. A beautifully executed work Emma. I love the fact that your sense of humour is captured in your painting.
This is Tegan's amazing painting. She is such a talented artist and a student who is willing to listen to advice. In this work Tegan learnt to achieve more texture. The bark of the tree branches and the wolf's coat are very different but both are successfully applied. Great work Tegan!
Bella wanted to paint a beautiful white Brumby stallion galloping through the desert. I think she did amazingly well.
Lauren drew this dragon with the intention of improving her rendering skills. She wanted to make a flat drawing three dimensional, so we focused on imagining the animal was lit from the left hand side and put the shadows on the opposite side. A difficult thing to grasp. Well done Lauren!
Kathleen painted this charming study of a cherry tree in blossom. She is currently experimenting with different painting styles and techniques. This impressionist work required the paint to be applied thickly and was new to Kathleen. I think she has achieved an outstanding result.
Sarah painted this pineapple using expressionist brush strokes. The finished effect is striking as each dab of paint has many colours. Sarah has understood the 3D form of the fruit as well as how to apply the paint. Well done, Sarah!
April 2015
Sophie arrived at class not knowing exactly what she wanted to do. However, her recent figurative drawings led us to doing this charcoal portrait. Charcoal always achieves such drama. What a great study Sophie.
Ellyse certainly learnt a lot of technique when she tackled this huge painting. She learnt that you have to follow the direction of the coat when applying the paint, lift the brush up as you finish a stroke and describe the form underneath the fur with the careful use of tone. I enjoyed watching her get better with each lesson. Congratulations Ellyse!
Today, Imogen finished her painting of a snub-nosed monkey. This cute little guy will be sadly missed from his easel in the studio.
Sophie always arrives knowing what she wants to paint. This time it had to be a water dragon. Because Sophie is still quite young, we decided to paint the background first and then use sticks to print the 'scales' on the body. This looked incredibly effective and we were all thrilled with her result.
Jasmin wanted to paint these meerkats and we decided to use impasto gel to create the rock texture behind them. This was a great learning exercise. Well done Jasmin!
This is a very restful composition. Georgia took the shot on her way home from netball training. She painted it in acrylics, using a rigger (fine brush) to do the power lines which add depth to the work. Great job, Georgia.
March 2015
Kathleen is never scared of a challenge. Painting the face of this miner was particularly difficult as his skin was covered in coal dust. However, Kathleen worked determinedly through this exercise mixing mostly Payne's grey and skin tone to get the effect.
Sophie enjoyed using ink on canvas paper to achieve this portrait. Watching the ink run was awesome. We discovered that it's a great technique to use on textured paper.
Emma has been working on this painting for a long time. All the tiny characters tell a story and bring the work to life. It is a stunning piece and has added colour and vitality to the studio during it's creation. It reflects Emma's careful and patient nature as well as her skill as an emerging artist.
Amelia chose an eagle to draw. She used charcoal pencils on brown paper to achieve this result. Very striking!
Another great painting by our fabulous student Senna. This was created using acrylic paint on art card. Amazing work!
Zahara produced this very dramatic artwork in two quick sessions. The liquid graphite was a perfect choice for the texture of the bird's feathers. Well done!
Sophie is only seven years old but she is an incredibly hard working student. She used liquid graphite to create this image of an owl. WOW!
Sam did this study of his dog Rosie in acrylic. She is sitting on the sofa and if you look carefully, you can spot a few muddy paw prints on the suede cushion. This is a very cute painting and Sam has called it "It wasn't me". How appropriate.
February 2015
Nathaniel completed this pastel drawing of the aurora in just about one and a half hours. Great work!
January 2015
A lot of time and effort went into this incredible interpretation of a Venetian canal. The techniques required taught Kathleen a lot and I could see a marked improvement in the way the paint was applied and the confidence gained. The painting was inspired by a colourful photograph found on the web. This piece was a real journey. It is a work to be proud of.
Georgia painted this tranquil seascape as a gift for her parent's wedding anniversary. I am certain this will be treasured. Beautiful work, Georgia.
Hannah celebrated the incredible firework display she saw at Brisbane's 'Riverfire' event by painting this picture. The fireworks were painted last but really added depth as they were positioned in front of the buildings. Excellent work Hannah!
Nathaniel's Potter. Despite wrestling with the paint in this humidity, Nathaniel completed his version of 'The Philosopher's Stone" book cover. What a great way to start the year. Well done, Nathaniel.
December 2014
Chloe painted this waterfall in acrylic. I do love the change in the water's colour in the foreground of the picture. It is very striking, Chloe.
This gorgeous painting by Sophie is of a bay that she is visiting this school holiday. Paradise!
A great sketch of the cast of 'How to train your dragon 2' by Senna.
This portrait was beautifully zentangled by Drew.
Feeling festive, Ellyse did this charcoal rendering of reindeer. Great for an hours work.
Imogen painted this picture of nebulae. The colours and effect of light rays make this painting spectacular. I love the addition of the stars. It gives it more depth. Well done, Immi.
November 2014
Katie found this very unusual image on the internet and decided to do her version of it. She used a japanese brush pen to ink it in and coloured pencils to add interest to the glass. Well done Katie. Good work!
Senna chose a gigantic canvas on which to paint wildlife at a waterfall. The most staggering thing is that most of it was painted straight out of her head. I think this is a truly amazing work Senna and one that you can feel proud of for many years to come.
With the temperatures soaring, oil pastels were the go this week. Amelia drew this fruit in next to no time and got some beautiful blends.
Lauren achieved this waterfall painting in just one session using oil pastels. An hour well spent Lauren. Well done!
Tiarni's Triptych
With her usual flair, Tiarni created this gorgeous triptych. She used an impressionist style to blend the colours as they caught the lights and the leaves. A fabulous work, once more.
Amelia's Spoodle
Amelia chose acrylics to capture this likeness of her spoodle. She certainly learnt how to achieve texture by using 'expressive' brushstrokes. she mixed burnt sienna with pthalo blue for the shadows. Excellent work!
October 2014
Ellyse's appaloosa
Ellyse arrived one day with this large canvas. She knew exactly what she wanted to put on it and here he is. What a very striking work. Well done Ellyse.
Amelia's pastel pup
This little chap was painted in pastel by Amelia. This is her first encounter with pastels. All I can say is WOW!!!!!
Hannah's mountains
Hannah used acrylic to paint her background, then added tissue paper and binder to the foreground to give the mountains texture. The final result is just awesome.
Katie's Bathers
Katie found this image on the internet and did her own piece using card and 'Poska' pens. I love this work. It is so unusual. The features of the girls are not needed.
Drew's giant
This is a great work by Drew. She has used acrylic in a very stark way, adding black outlines to emphasize form. Very dramatic indeed.
September 2014
Georgia always amazes me with her talent. She arrived with this plump rooster already sketched onto a board, then proceeded to paint him in a series of rich colours, beautifully capturing the texture and shine of his plumage. Superb work young lady.
August 2014
Nathaniel finished this big purple dragon using watercolour pencils and pastels. The pastels were made into a powder and then brushed onto the work.
The end result was superb. The background provided a great contrast to the main subject.
Kathleen completed this portrait in the style of Del Kathryn Barton. She used felt-tip pens on plasticised paper. There are seven birds hidden in this awesome work. See if you can spot them. What a talented artist Kathleen is.
Katy did this awesome pop-art portrait with 'Poska' pens. The finished work was stunning.
Rose had good fun creating this painting of bubbles. She used a series of fabric inks and, when they had dried, put 'Poska' pens over the top to mark out the highlights and shadows
Using images found on the internet, Tiarni practiced this style of applying paint and achieved this wonderful study. Her next task is to work using a photograph from her own collection. Tiarni is a very talented young artist and I can hardly wait to see how her next piece turns out.
July 2014
Rose did this great study of trees with a beautiful array of autumn leaves on them. The colours are offset by the blue sky because they are complimentary. Great work, Rose. You have achieved some great textures.
Sophie used a puffer to chase ink over the paper surface. Once it had dried, she cut butterflies out of card and glued them on to make the piece three dimensional. I love it!
Nathaniel's mum asked him to draw her a pretty picture. This was his choice. Luckily, she thought the drawing was amazing and so did I.
Rose had fun painting this abstract. Once the background had been put in, she printed the linear patterns with wooden stretchers. We liked it with the lines going vertically and horizontally.
Imogen decided to work in charcoal today. This portrait was her first attempt at working with it. Not bad, eh?
Ellyse finished this acrylic study of a bush land style garden after four sessions. She used a palette knife (for the first time) to achieve the textured leaves in the foreground. She did this brilliantly. What a delightful painting!
Imogen did some fashion drawing today. These elegant dresses are her own unique creations. Excellent work Immi.
June 2014
Lana painted this memory of her and her dad holding hands and walking through the park. The colours are just stunning Lana. Great textures too.
Katie drew this cat and rendered it in the style of Del Kathryn Barton. It turned out really well and is quite different to her previous works. I love it Katie.
Beth used watercolour pencils to produce this peacock. She was inspired by a design that was created for Moorcroft pottery. Which ever way you look at it, it is gorgeous. Well done Beth!
Amelia chose to do this peacock for her first art lesson. She painted it using acrylic onto black card and the effect was very dramatic. Well done Amelia! I think there will be many more wonderful artworks to come.
I am very proud of Lana. She finished this pastel portrait today having worked on it for four sessions. It's awesome!
In this painting Hannah has taken us to a place where we would all love to be. Imagine looking out onto this beautiful bay. This is an acrylic study and Hannah has neutralised the colours of the distant shore to contrast with the more intense colours of the foreground. This gives the work perspective. Great painting Hannah.
Sophie worked on this pastel from an original by Russel Drysdale. The composition was first drawn in one point perspective then Sophie applied a range of soft, warm tones to the work, using complementary colours for the sky and foreground. A fabulous study Sophie!
May 2014
Jordan painted this vibrant abstract. Though it was originally based on the patterns she saw in an opal, to me, the final work seems to speak of sea creatures. What does it remind you of? Jordan loved using the intense colours. Great work Jordan!
Nathaniel, 9, enjoyed painting this dragon in acrylic.He is a skilled painter and I was very impressed by the way he painted the eyes and teeth. Good work!
Emma never ceases to surprise me. This week she completed an historical study first painted in watercolour by Samuel Thomas Gill. It shows an invalids tent on the banks of a salt lagoon. Gill was part of an expedition in 1844 to the country north of the Flinders Ranges and after reading about his hardships, Emma decided to paint this image. It required a limited pallette and very subtle colour mixing. Well done Emma!
Cats seem to be very popular this week. Chloe painted this gorgeous marmalade cat and so did Rose. They are both excellent. Well done girls!
Rose's cat
Rose used pastel to achieve a very furry cat. Letting the last layer of pastel 'sit' on top of the first coat is a great way to get a textural look.
Chloe's cat
Chloe used pastel to complete this work. she has succeeded in achieving a really glassy look to the eyes. The highlights work well too.
April 2014
Bethany painted this picture of her cat. She now has a complete collection of the family's pets. Well done Beth.
Hannah painted a portrait of her grandparents dog to give them as a gift. Sadly, the little dog passed away from old age whilst Hannah was working on it. I know they will treasure this portrait and will love remembering the happy expression Hannah has captured.
Tiarni is always willing to experiment. For this picture she used pastel on textured art board. It was quite hard to push it into the surface but Tiarni managed it beautifully. I love the fact that she achieved such distance between the foreground and background. Very well done!
Georgia spent at least five sessions working on this magnificent painting for her father's birthday. I'm sure he was totally knocked out by it, I certainly was. What a talented young lady and so patient.
Drew was inspired by a magnified picture of pollen. She used acrylic to paint the sphere and then added coloured silk thread to suggest the surface texture. An interesting piece and one which could lead to further work,I think.
March 2014
This is another successful piece for Emma. The road is in perspective and sweeps into the painting, taking the viewer with it. I love the autumnal colours.
Jordan painted this phoenix with a bright blue background. Blue and orange are complimentary colours so the blue really sets the warm oranges and reds off. What a great choice, Jordan, and beautifully painted.
Imogen wanted to paint a Friesian horse. She rides regularly and there is a gorgeous Friesian at the stables. This is Immi's first work in acrylic - a brilliant start!
Ellyse chose to paint this moose with the Northern Lights dancing in the sky behind it. This is a very atmospheric painting and a fantastic first piece. Well done Ellyse!
This is Hannah's first completed acrylic, and what a beautiful little painting it is. She has used one point perspective to invite the viewer into the scene. Imagine walking out to the hut and enjoying this sunset. Wow!
Meet Sam, Tegan's dog. This charming little painting was done completely unaided. I am very proud of you Tegan.
This is Imogen's first fashion drawing using watercolour pencils. It's very cute and has led Imogen to want to try using acrylic next time. Let's see what she does.
Meet Jack, Lauren and Bethany's dog. He really does have yellowy-green eyes which Beth captured beautifully. I do believe the next animal study is of their cat. These pets are obviously very well loved. Well done Beth!
This is Katy's finished painting of a surreal landscape. The little boats bobbing about on the water in the foreground invite the viewer into the work. It is only then that you realise that the mountain behind them is actually a leaf. Then you see the range of mountains in the background. Well painted Katy!
Kathleen is 14 years old and this is her first charcoal drawing. I was surprised by the subject she selected as old, wrinkled skin is a challenge for the best of us. However, she is already extremely accomplished and completed this outstanding work in five sessions. Now we are all waiting for number two....
February 2014
This is Ellyse's first little water colour painting. She used water colour pencils and blended them once she had finished shading. I think this is a brilliant start Ellyse.
Levi did a great job painting his favourite superhero. This is a very dramatic piece,with the city in the background giving it a sense of scale. Well done, Levi.
Senna painted these foxes play-fighting in the snow. Their orange coats stand out against the complimentary blue background. I love the fact that we can be transported to such a cold climate during the ridiculously hot days we have been experiencing. I think the texture you have achieved is wonderful Senna.
Nathaniel finished his snake picture today. When you look at this painting you cannot help but wonder what is going through the snake's mind. Does the rat know he is there? This is exactly what a good piece of art should do. Leave one pondering. Great art Nathaniel.
This is an acrylic painting of the coast of New Zealand, which many of our guests have recognised. The main task was to achieve contrast for the viewer so that the foreground stood out from the background. Using muted colours on her palette, Emma did this beautifully. Well done!
Lana completed this study of a baby possum with her mother. Painting the fur was difficult but Lana rose to the challenge and the finished painting is lovely.
This is the second of Tiarni's flamenco dancers. For this work she used oil pastels on black paper. This medium lends itself to capturing movement and energy, if used correctly. Tiarni has done just that and has created this exceptional piece in less than two sessions. Wonderful!
Jordan is nine years old and has just started art with us. This is her first painting in acrylic. She thoroughly enjoyed applying the paint and blending the colours. What a terrific start Jordan. Well done!
Micha did this cool collage of wading birds. This young man is only six but has a definite aptitude for art and confidence by the bucket load.
Maddie finished this lovely rendition of Tinkerbel. She worked in acrylic and used the dry brush technique to do the wings and get the 'magic'effect. Excellent work from a very talented young lady.
January 2014
December
Tiarni painted this atmospheric image of L'Arc de Triumph' The road is obviously wet and the car headlights and street lights are causing these wonderful reflections, which she has captured perfectly. Clever!
Luca painted this grizzly with pastels. I love everything Luca does.
November
This is Georgia's second parkscape. She has achieved a great feeling of depth with this work. The people are the immediate focus but then the eye wanders past them to the distant trees. Fantastic work Georgia!
Meet Nathaniel's dalmatian. This is a great study showing the dogs expression. It was also a good exercise in painting fur - all very tricky but completed with patience and care. Terrific work Nathaniel.
In her usual free style, Lana painted these clouds. Her love of colour is evident in all her work, though this one is really intense. Beautiful Lana!
Sarah chose to do this figurative work in a very stylized fashion. I love the clean lines she has achieved and the patterning on the clothes and hair. A very interesting study Sarah.
This is Hannah's tiger playing in the snow, a small acrylic painting which has captured the young animals wistful expression. Well done Hannah. A lovely work to display on your wall.
October
Lilly finished her white lion today. This majestic creature does not look real but he does actually exist. However, he needs to be cared for in captivity as he would not survive in the wild. Fabulous work Lilly!
True to his usual style, Cam painted this enchanting picture of a waterfall.
We are all very proud of his efforts. What beautiful work Cam!
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September
This stunning work was completed by Senna in a holiday workshop. This young leopard is gazing wistfully off into the distance, probably thinking of where her next meal will be coming from. For the moment, she looks fairly relaxed but alert. Senna did a fantastic job capturing her expression. Brilliant work, Senna!
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Today Lana finished this painting of some of her favorite Disney characters. This is a deceptively small work and one of the biggest challenges was the fine brushwork. The only way Lana could tackle it was to break away and do something large, colourful and abstract in between the sessions of intense concentration. I think she ended up with a charming work and one which will always remind her (and me) of her stoicism and determination.
Harriet painted this Parisian street view. She captured a couple strolling along at night in the city of romance. The perspective is great Harriet and the complimentary colours just awesome. Well done!
This is Georgia's Paris. It's raining and this means reflections in the shiny, wet street. The colours are fabulous - a real celebration. Superb!
Emma was taken with Rene Magritte's surreal painting. In Magritte's composition there was a black sphere in the doorway. In Emma's there is a blueberry muffin - and why not. A beautifully executed work Emma. I love the fact that your sense of humour is captured in your painting.
This is Tegan's amazing painting. She is such a talented artist and a student who is willing to listen to advice. In this work Tegan learnt to achieve more texture. The bark of the tree branches and the wolf's coat are very different but both are successfully applied. Great work Tegan!
Bella wanted to paint a beautiful white Brumby stallion galloping through the desert. I think she did amazingly well.
Lauren drew this dragon with the intention of improving her rendering skills. She wanted to make a flat drawing three dimensional, so we focused on imagining the animal was lit from the left hand side and put the shadows on the opposite side. A difficult thing to grasp. Well done Lauren!
This is Georgia's first painting with our group. She has shown herself to be a truly dedicated young artist with a thirst for knowledge - an absolute pleasure to teach. This is a beautiful work with so much depth. I am very proud of her achievement.
Tiarni did another fantastic pastel portrait of a flamenco dancer. Her application of pastel has captured the feeling of the swishing fabric. It has real immediacy. Excellent work Tiarni!
Believe it or not, this was Sophie's first acrylic painting. She has captured the pup's expression perfectly. What a terrific start!
Sarah collaged a background of 'The Smiths' onto canvas then used a fluorescent yellow wash over the top. Finally, she painted a black image of the singer on top. Love your work Sarah!
Luca did this dramatic picture of Ned Kelly. We had to photograph his hand in order to get the detail right. The foreshortening of the arm and gun barrel were tricky, but Luca has immense concentration and stoicism for one so young and saw it through. You are truly amazing Luca.
When Levi first said that he wanted to paint lanterns, I wasn't sure how the painting would turn out. I guess I should learn to trust Levi a little more as this is how it ended up. Brilliant!
Dylan made a bat out of recycled aluminium cut from a soft drink can. He glued it onto a peg and attached a wire to the wings and then onto the back of the peg so that when it was opened, the wings would move. Unfortunately, they didn't move much. However, the idea was excellent and just needed a little tweaking.
Drew found some iconic images of Vegemite, the Aussie dollar and Utes she collaged them onto a canvas and then put a wash of paint over them. For the final layer, she painted a red Ute on an imaginary road. What a creative young lady!
Connor created this abstract as a gift. She used tissue paper and binder medium to secure it to the canvas in order to make the work three dimensional. Connor had great fun dribbling ink over the surface and then working in some areas with acrylic paint. We like the finished effect. We hope the recipient does too.
August
This cheeky little kitten was painted by Lauren, aged eight. It's a brilliant little painting and captures the kittens contented expression. Can't wait to see what you do next Lauren.
This colourful study of a rainbow lorikeet was done by Bethany who is learning to paint texture. The sheen on the beak and the feathers around the eye work really well. It is great to see Bethany working with much more confidence and independence these days. Excellent!
This is Emma's kitchen. It is drawn and painted in one point perspective. This is the first piece of work that Emma has completed here. It is quite an ambitious choice and presented some real challenges, especially as it is only a small piece. However, Emma overcame each and every one of them with good humour and perseverance. Well done Emma!
Dylan produced this painted design of an eagle which is very unusual in its composition. He drew the bird from a photograph and positioned it so that the body was off-centre, the wing dominating two thirds of the picture. Most children squash the image onto the paper but Dylan has done just the opposite . A very bold design Dylan. Well done!
We are very proud of Tiarni for completing this stunning portrait of Audrey Hepburn. She looks so glamorous yet the little cat on her shoulder adds a touch of humour. A fabulous piece!
Tara has been working on this portrait for a while now. Capturing the expression was tricky as the woman is looking down and to her left. However, I do think Tara finally achieved it. Well done for sticking with it through the tough times. Some paintings really test us but the main thing is to see them through and learn from the process.
Lily has been studying 'The Man From Snowy River' at school so she wanted to paint a scene from it. She chose to do it in silhouette, a method which always lends drama to a piece. Beautifully painted Lily.
Drew did this tonal study of herself, which I think is great. She chose an unusual picture which depicts her with an expression of uncertainty, I think.
Well done Drew. This was fairly challenging but it is unmistakably you. Good use of 4B - 3H pencils.
Bella painted this picture of a Labrador puppy over four weeks. I think she has captured his 'smile' beautifully. It is always important to pay attention to the sparkle in the eyes of pets and humans as it adds to their expression. This is another very successful painting Bella. Well done!
July
This is Levi's garden. It is a great little picture and an unusual choice. Levi has taken it home to live with for a while. He is then going to add something to the garden to help the viewer focus on where the path leads and what is through the door - and maybe add a few more roses? Well done, Levi!
Tegan painted 'Wonder Woman' in acrylic and guache. This young lady is a very accurate painter. She has amazing control of her brush and applies paint with great care. The results are always stunning Tegan.
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Lana loves colour. Today she just wanted to have fun blending acrylic paint. At first she worked vertically but when the painting dried, we all agreed that she should turn it 90 degrees. The result reminds me of colours in water or oil. It is very calming to look at. I love it, Lana. |
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Nathaniel decided to paint his own action hero. He achieved some great effects on the glasses and hair. Nathaniel is working on blending the paint to achieve contrasting tones. Excellent work!
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Harriet painted this gorgeous picture of rainbow lorikeets flying through mist enveloped trees. We often observe these bejewelled birds in The Gap. They always fly in squadrons and are really fast. Brilliant subject, brilliant pupil!
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This is Chloe's first painting in acrylic. She was inspired by photographs of nebulae on the internet. Once she had painted her own version, the picture looked a little empty so she cleverly added the dove. What an amazing start. Well done Chloe!
This is Sarah's portrait of a model that she likes. Sarah has completed studies of this person in different mediums. This is the last one, I think, which is done in acrylic. You have created an interesting body of work Sarah.
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Our art group love Banksy so Katy decided to replicate one of his works. It turned out really well, so well that I am going to display it in the window of the studio. Thanks Katy. I hope that everyone that comes in does actually smile.
I have thoroughly enjoyed watching this painting emerge. Luca elected to do a small study of this silver back gorilla. He learnt how to blend acrylic paint successfully and also to dry brush areas to achieve a softer blend. His skills improved dramatically with this piece. I love the gorilla's intense stare. Excellent work Luca!
This is Hannah's painting of a woodland. I think we all agree how much depth she achieved with the path. When you look at this picture you can easily imagine yourself strolling up the path, through the beautiful autumn trees.
What a superb job you made of this Hannah!
June
Bethany painted her rearing unicorn in acrylic. She learnt how to add tone to her work to make it look three dimensional. Bethany also used the fan brush to get texture into the grass and an old hog hair brush to achieve the blossom on the tree. Well done Bethany. This is a very successful piece because of its strong composition and confident painting!
Levi painted this scene in the style of Van Gogh. He really enjoyed creating the village and especially the paths which let to it over the hills. I think he did a great job of painting the tiny houses and showed great skill in putting in the windows. Well done Levi!
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This is Bella's first ever acrylic painting. She picked a perfect image to work from. This charming woodland scene invites you in by including a one point perspective winding path. The colours celebrate the changing seasons - the beginning of autumn. Bella learnt a lot about applying paint and creating depth with careful use of colour and tone. Beautiful!
Luca made an excellent job of this Lichtenstein. We love 'pop art' in this house. You did a brilliant job Luca!
We decided to do a sand sculpture in the local primary school's sand pit. Here is Emily's dragon. It was such great fun.
Cam tried his hand at using water based coloured pencils for this study of a Ray leaping out of the ocean. Very striking Cam. Well done!
Maddie finished this beautiful portrait of a German Shepherd. It is to be a wedding present and I can't wait to hear how much the happy couple like it. I love your work Maddie!
Tiarni painted an acrylic base for this portrait, then went over it in oil to achieve a softer blend for the skin tones. Considering this is your first attempt at painting in oils Tiarni, you have done amazingly well. However, knowing you, I wouldn't expect anything else.
Sarah had fun painting this fantasy landscape. Her inspiration was from the movie Avatar. The colours and forms are spot on Sarah and the strange pool in the mid-ground draws the viewer's eye into and around the piece. Very clever. Well done!
Tara painted this view of the beach for her Grandfather, who is in hospital. He used to be a surf lifesaver, so I am certain that this painting will evoke fond memories and strong emotions. I am sure he will love it, Tara. I do.
Drew finished this clever collage tonight. The expression on the woman's face is quite enigmatic - a modern day Mona Lisa? Is she anxious, pensive, sultry?
Great work Drew! (you showed real commitment with this piece).
Hannah has been working on this painting of Aslan for four sessions, (about 5 hours). I think the result is stunning. I love the lions's eyes and I am pleased with the way that Hannah painted the texture of the mane. Brilliant work Hannah!
Cam painted this spaceship with tremendous enthusiasm and patience over three sessions. Today he added the final touches of green which really balance the composition and give the piece and eerie glow. Cam is eight years old and an incredible little artist.
Nathaniel is Cam's buddy and fellow competitor as far as art is concerned. He demonstrates the same patience and enthusiasm. This work is very dramatic and Nathaniel had to master some new techniques when painting it. Fabulous work Nathaniel!
What a great piece of work considering it was Bethany's first acrylic painting.
Lauren worked in the same style as her sister. Both girls learnt how to blend acrylic and flood-fill shapes. I love the fact that Lauren's flowers are in perspective. Superb work!
May
Tegan really got into using tissue paper and binder to create the texture for this lady's pretty dress. Once finished she used acrylic paint to apply colour and tone so that her body began to look more 3D. Tegan learnt about painting hair with this work as well. She displayed enormous patience and care with this piece. Well done!
Genevieve painted this angel fish for her aunt. I am sure she will be thrilled to have this bright and happy picture. What a lovely idea!
Meet Harriet's dalmatian. What a spectacular portrait, in charcoal, of course. Harriet used both willow charcoal and compressed charcoal to vary the tones in her work. What great expression she has achieved in this dogs eyes.
This is Levi's first acrylic painting of Rex the Robot. Levi learnt how to control paint with his brush. Fantastic!
Tiarni has amazed us again with her charcoal study of an ant. She used a combination of willow charcoal, compressed charcoal and chalk to achieve this highly three dimensional image. The blue shadow 'lifted' the ant off the page. You are brilliant young lady!
April
Maddie completed this underwater study of a turtle swimming. Today she added a ray of light filtering through the water, just catching the turtles back. This is a great piece of work Maddie. You should feel very proud of your achievement. I certainly do.
Amy painted this watercolour triptych with a Japanese theme. My favourite bit is the cherry blossom which I think she painted brilliantly. It would make a pretty tile Amy.
This is Cam's second artwork. It is of a spaniel which looks like his own puppy, who is called PJ. This is Cam's first charcoal study. WOW! Excellent!
We are all very proud of Cam, aged 8, for finishing this acrylic painting, his first. Cam only spent three sessions on this great little painting. I think the main thing he learnt was that you only need small amounts of paint on your brush if you want to stay 'in control'. A difficult subject to paint but you pulled it off Cam. Well done!
March
Nathaniel is only 7 years old and has amazing patience for one so young. He decided he would like to copy this serene view of the river, originally painted by an Australian artist in the early 19th century. This one is painted in acrylic and Nathaniel used a series of brushes, including the fan brush, to achieve the foliage. What will this talented young man do next? I can hardly wait to see. Such potential!
February
Georgia had fun producing an abstract background for her silhouetted elephant. The hot colours represent the African savannah. Great work Georgia. You are accumulating an excellent portfolio.
Georgia used charcoal to capture this giraffe. I think she looks nonchalant, like she's not bothered about anything the day has to offer. I'm sure I look the same sometimes. Well done Georgia!
Adele chose Wonder Woman for her subject in this painting. She worked in acrylic and produced a very accurate rendering of this super-hero. I wondered about the colour choices at first, but Adele made them work.. She had a clear vision of what she wanted to achieve and successfully managed it. I love the face on this painting Adele.
I love this cow Drew. she was done using compressed charcoal, chalk and willow charcoal. The easel really looked like a fence that she's peering over so we decided to leave it in the picture. Excellent work!
This is Tara's teddy - a great study in pastel, observing from life. He is gorgeous Tara. Well done!
January 2013
Lily was inspired by an image she had seen of a cat-like face. She had a go at doing her own version and with a bit of help, came up with this. During the process of doing this work, Lily learnt a lot about putting texture on a surface and also blending paint to get gradual tonal change.
She's a little scary Lily.
December
These two rainbow lorikeets were painted in one session by Hannah and her friend Senna. These two girls just blew me away with their patience and concentration.
Tara completed this study of a ballerina just in time for Christmas. Isn't it gorgeous. Well done Tara!
This is Drew's guinea pig munching on clover - one of his favourite past times. Great dry brush work on the clouds Drew.
This painting of Tiarni's cat captures his 'relaxed' pose beautifully.
30th November
This is Robbie's latest creation. He has called it 'Samurai on the Beach' and it is to be sent to his family in Japan for Christmas. I'm sure they will love it Robbie. I certainly do.
10th November
Tiarni was inspired when she saw some images of fantasy landscapes and created this one in just two sessions. I love the 'hills'. They are so three dimensional. Well done!
3rd November
Sarah made this creepy Halloween box. The skull and bones were modelled in paper clay and the window cut out with a scalpel and faced with wood. I think Sarah painted this beautifully.
Adele loves Assassin's Creed and this painting pays homage to that. I think she has achieved a very three dimensional effect by using tissue paper and binder as a base and then painting the background with vertical streaks with a sharply focused figure on top. Great work Adele!
29th October
Georgia worked really hard tonight to create this spooky box for Halloween. The hand is made from paper clay, a great modelling medium which can be painted straight away. The box is full of lollies but, as the message clearly states, only take one if you dare......................................
Such a fun session Georgia and your work is fantastic.
27th October
Whilst in New York, Tiarni saw an image of this girl on the side of a bus and decided to photograph it on her phone. Back in Brisbane, she reproduced it in charcoal. This is a very brave composition and the scale is huge. There really is no stopping you Tiarni. Well done!!!!!
This is Nathaniel's first completed drawing. He is 7 years old.
What an amazing start to your art lessons Nathaniel. You have such great concentration and impressive talent for one so young.
23rd October
This three dimensional model of a city was such fun to do and Georgia loved hiding items in it for people to find. There were ten things in all including two paper clips, a thumb tack, staples, a rubber band, a matchstick, a bottle cap and a mapping pin. Just brilliant!
22d September
Wow Tara! We love this little seascape. The water is just amazing. The mixture of smooth horizontal brush strokes for the still water and the stippled ones on top for the rolling waves really works. Well done you!
15th September
Lana, this is your very first drawing on the blog and what a great one to start with. Very accomplished!
1st September
Amy, you finally finished your blue angel today. You have really mastered the dry brushing technique and this has been admired by my adult students and children alike.
I will miss seeing this painting around. When artwork goes home it is sometimes like saying farewell to an old friend. If you come across these works in the future, you remember every line and brush stroke.
24th August
Rheanna took two sessions to complete this watercolour and ink painting. She has a delicate touch and infininte patience. Lovely work!
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11th August
All I can say is it was well worth the wait.
Fantastic!
She insists he looks angry but I think he is just missing mum.
Love your work Tara!
3rd August
Robbie completed his painting of guitar hero ' Slash ' this arvo. It took about four lessons and was a great exercise in obseration. Well done Robbie!
21st JulyTiarni has spent only two sessions working on this oil pastel rendering of a flamenco dancer. The movement that she has achieved in this study is amazing. I love the pose of the dancer and the way that Tiarni has tackled the foreshortened arms. Just excellent!
Katy worked with ink today. She applied patterns to this owl with a selection of pens. I love the contrast of the patterned and unpatterned areas. She is contemplating adding colour with watercolour pencils or inks. We'll see.
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14th JulyHere is Lily busy at work with some oil pastels creating her study of a bear.
I think it has real character and it was wonderful to watch it emerge from the hands of this talented eight year old.
9th July
Georgia, aged 9, decided to put two sea gulls in her work. They are thieving chips from the newspaper packet on the beach towel, whilst the owner is off having a swim.
Harriet, 7, included Kitty enjoying a bowl of strawberries on the beach.
Your work is so impressive girls. Love it!
6th July
Tiarni always amazes us with her work. This study was completed in pastels and took just two sessions. Incredible!
Rheanna finished this scene today, which she painted with very little help. Every time I look at it I am transported to the beach and I am staring past the colourful kayaks to the water. It really draws the viewer in, despite the simplicity of the composition.
12th June
Connor tried her hand at using pastels today. She began to achieve the affect of depth that we wanted by working the pastels in the direction of the flower's centre and by darkening the tones a little. well done Connor!
9th June
Here is another eye from Sarah. This time she used guache on black paper. Inside the pupil you can see the San Fracisco Golden Gate Bridge with some skyscrapers either side. You are so creative Sarah. Your next idea is really original but pretty difficult. I know you can pull it off though. Watch this space everybody.
It did not take Tara long to paint these fruits in acrylic. She was lerning how to mix complimentary colours to achieve the shadows and how to dry paint the highlights on the skins. I think the fruits have real volume Tara and I like the closeness of the composition. Great work!
2nd June
From the talented hand of Tiarni, this sweet study of a kitten was completed today. It was painted in watercolour over a period of three weeks. Charming!11th May
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30th April
28th April
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Tiarni worked from an A4 print to produce this huge charcoal study. From the very start this work just flowed. Tiarni used shaved charcoal dust with a paintbrush to render the tones under the chin and cheekbones. Fantastic!
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21st April
Camile's beautiful snow scene.
Camile worked in the style of impressionist Alfred Sisley. Strong one point perspective and lively brushstrokes make this painting an absolute gem.
Using two recycled aluminium drinks cans, Ava created this face. She learnt that by deforming the metal with rollers and a series of blunt tools, it actually changed how hard it was. It is a process called work hardening and can be very useful when sculpting thin sheet metals.Happy Birthday for Thursday Ava!
2nd April
Tara put the finishing touches on this beautiful rose picture today. It had to be completed today as it is to travel to Scotland soon to be given as a wedding present.
Tara you worked so hard on this picture, I am really proud of you. It proved hard at times but it taught you how to blend.
I'm sure it will be thoroughly appreciated.
Tiarni completed this adorable Chihuahua puppy after four one and a half hour sessions. Tiarni is mastering acrylics. The human hands probably posed the biggest challenge in this picture as skin colour is so difficult to mix, especially when there are so many higlights and shadows to consider. Well done Tiarni!
31st March
Connor painted this day lilly 'alle prima' (all in one go). She had a lovely selection of rose madder, turquoise and ultramarine blue on her pallette..
24th March
This beautiful litle design was completed by Anna today. She used coloured pencils to map out and render the head and neck of the peacock first and then worked on the tail feathers.
17th March
Sarah added this lizard's eye to her collection. She used chalk pastels on black paper to achieve this dramatic effect.2nd March
Robbie completed this painting after three sessions. It is painted in acrylic and is a gift for his mum. Excellent Robbie! She'll love it.
