blueBanksia

‘Modern Impressionism’
Medium: Oils

Art work by Colley Whisson

In January Stephanie and I attended a week long workshop in Bathurst at the Mitchell School of Arts Summer School. The Summer School is organised by The Art Scene and Colley Whisson was our tutor.

Colley is a warm and dedicated teacher. He was well organised and always started workshops on time (which is more than can be said for myself or Stephanie; we were always a little late – especially back from morning tea!). Colley made sure that he worked with each and every person in the class every day. The physicality of the workshop left us both exhausted at the end of each day but eager to learn more every morning.

‘Abstraction and Reality’
Medium: Acrylic

by Jenie Clough

Jenie Clough

I have just returned home to Sydney after an inspiring week painting at the Summer School. My tutor was Patrick Carroll and the class title Abstraction and Reality gave scope to paint in a variety of different ways.

After arriving at Charles Sturt University and collecting keys I set off to find the classroom. Map reading was never my strong subject and after getting the number wrong - all went well and I unloaded my car of paints, canvases and easel.

By Heather Ferguson

Sonja Georgeson’s excellent standing as an art teacher in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney was something I had long heard about from various friends and colleagues so I snapped up the chance to take a collagraph workshop with her when a friend handed me the flyer. It was one of those gifts from the gods that falls into your lap at just the right time.

I then discovered that this was in fact the last workshop Sonja would be running from her studio in Manly, as she was moving up to the Queensland hinterland early in the new year! Sad for us here in Sydney – great for you further north!

WOW! Every artist should experience Kenilworth Celebrates Arts Festival at least once in their lives.

The ‘Kenilworth Experience’ is a unique experience in a tiny town in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Kenilworth Celebrates is different because Art and Fun go hand in hand.

This year there was 11 days of tremendous Art exhibitions, Dinners, Concerts; Workshops with Australia’s best Tutors and a truck load of fun for everybody.

By Stephanie Champion with thanks to all the workshop participants who so willingly shared what they had learnt.

Teresa and I were very fortunate to be able to attend a two-day workshop with Elisabeth Cummings - at the Workshop Arts Centre in Willoughby.

Elisabeth is a truly gifted artist and a master of contemporary art. It was a privilege to be able to listen to Elisabeth’s wisdom and feel her quiet and measured calmness as she approached and supported the wide range of participant’s painting styles and efforts.

As a student of TAFE NSW, I had the privilege of being able to take up a week long residential program at the Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre at Riversdale.

Our first destination is the Bundanon Homestead & Arthur Boyd’s Studio. Every wall in the Homestead displays artwork from generations of Boyds and the artistic endeavours of the Boyd family permeate the Homestead as well as the surrounding gardens which provide beautiful backdrops to the sculptures created by Arthur and his brother David.

by Sue Shaw

Bathurst in winter might seem a daunting idea for a week’s break. However, there is a certain appeal to walking around the University campus early each morning rugged up with gloves, scarves and coats seeing the frost on the trees and even coming up close and personal with a tame large grey kangaroo. The Charles Sturt University campus is an idyllic rural setting, a short walk from the town centre.

by Kari Scruby

It all started with a chat on Facebook, a friend just happened to mention that she had to go and finish the mosaic she was doing. Mosaic? I had made a mosaic table when I was 12 and remembered it very fondly as good fun.

As I'd been feeling a bit flat I thought I'd like to try my hand at mosaic again. I searched the internet and discovered there was a two day workshop that weekend which sounded great but it was already 4.30 pm on Friday afternoon. I quickly sent an email asking if I was too late.