Grafton Workshop April 2018

I spent the most enjoyable week in Grafton teaching a group of lovely ladies how to paint their chosen subject. The workshop was Plants & Pollinators: the Birds and the Bees.

There are several reasons I do this and not have every student paint the same subject.

• They can paint a subject they are passionate about
• They are not forced to paint a subject with no relevance to their preferences
• They receive absolute individual tuition so all necessary techniques and methods are clearly understood and demonstrated
• They gain confidence as to how to complete their own paintings once they return home
• They understand the workshop is not about producing a finished painting, but learning HOW to correctly complete a finished painting

Here are a few photos from the workshop of some of the student's paintings. 

Krysia's  painting

Felicity's eucalyptus - nearly finished

Grace's finished Strelitzia reginae - Bird of Paradise

The class enjoying morning tea. I am third from bottom left.

Hilary's painting of an Eastern Spinebill bird on a banksia. Almost finished

Janet painting her New Holland Honeyeater on a banksia. 

Jenny's first washes finished. 

The Coldstream Gallery at Ulmarra held a tutors exhibition during the week. There was wonderful response from the locals as well as tutors and students. A great opening night.

I am second from left, with Hilary, Jude and Janet.

I will be back in Grafton in 2020, and look forward to another rewarding week.

First New Year Post

As promised, I will be doing more blog posts this year. Here is the first.

The subject is a Grevillea Victoriae. While staying with a friend in Uralla, 23 kms south west of Armidale in the Northern Tablelands, I discovered she had this beautiful grevillea growing. Its habitat is the New South Wales rocky mountains, dry or wet sclerophyll forest and snow gum woodland. It thrives in the cold environment and can also be found in the NSW New England region.

I brought home numerous branches to study and paint. They kept beautifully in the bottom of the fridge with a damp paper towel on the bottom of the stem, a spray of water, then secured in a plastic bag. 

A few of the branches I used for reference

The colours were glorious! Deep and soft pinks, almost iridescent oranges and deep reds

Colour study

 

Initial washes

I wanted to show the

I wanted to show the actual habit this plant grew in, which makes the painting a story.

Was pleased when I finally completed it, as I could not achieve continuity in the painting. It was stop and start most of the way as I was had other commitments in between painting spells.

With delight I finally took it to have it scanned just before Christmas, only to be told the shop was closing down for holidays until the end of January. Oh well, it is tucked away in the drawer and I look forward to the scan where it can be produced in all its glory.