Tutor feature: Stan Overington - Genesis Portrait Artist

Art has always played a part in my life - sometimes all consuming, sometimes pushed aside because of other commitments.

Born in Kojonup, a town in Western Australia's south west, the only child of parents who operated a bakery and tea rooms, much of my childhood was spent finding things to occupy myself.

I have always loved drawing and we were fortunate enough to have a “resident artist", Mr. Battie, who (I suspect as a favour to my mother) agreed to give me lessons. His classes were for adults and as I was about seven at the time I received much assistance from the others in the group. Read more >

Workshop focus: Tasmanian Creative Arts Summer School 2010

2010 SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM HEATS UP

The fourth-annual Tasmanian Creative Arts Summer School will again be offered this 13 – 22 January in Launceston, with a selection of dynamic new creative arts workshops to choose from.

“We would like to invite existing University students, college students, teachers and members of the general public to join us in summer for a very special and rewarding experience. Interstate university students wishing to attend the Summer School are encouraged to seek cross-institutional recognition from their home institutions.” Read more >

Calendar of Events

Explore SIX months of workshops in our calendar of events, so that you can join in and be creative. The variety of tutors and organisers is a smorgasbord for artists - beginners to advanced alike.

View calendar for November 2009 :: December 2009 :: January 2010

February 2010 :: March 2010 :: April 2010

Workshop review: Pushing the Boundaries with Elisabeth Cummings

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.

Elisabeth set up a still life for those who needed a starting point, or didn’t have anything to work with. Read more >

Latest Tips and Tricks

• Top 10 Art Myths

  1. You have to be born with a natural talent to create art

  This has got to be the laziest excuse I have ever heard for not becoming an artist. Let me be perfectly clear. People are not born with natural artistic talents above anyone else. The reality is that as we grow we develop interests in other things and we focus our learning on those things. Read more >

• Bernard Leach - A Potter's World

  This is a lovely short black and white video of Bernard Leach - one of the great figures of 20th century art, Bernard Leach played a crucial pioneering role in creating an identity for artist potters in Britain and around the world. View here >

Chit Chat

Well what a busy, sad and exciting time I've had over the past 4 weeks.

Many endings and many beginnings. Death of two friends, birth of a grand nephew, a final goodbye to my 20 year old Burmese cat Timba and after 13 years living on 500 acres of remote wilderness bushland, our time has come to move closer to a town with the comforts that that affords us...takeaway meals!!!! 

On top of that Stephanie and I have survived our first year of blueBanksia.

It's blueBanksia's first birthday!

What a journey that has been!  We have overcome many obstacles to keep going when perhaps other faint hearted mere mortals would have given up!  Breaking both bones in my lower leg just before our launch last year was a bit daunting but the blood of a pioneering migrant family won out! 

If you didn't know already Stephanie and I are sisters. And of Sicilian heritage to boot.  But even so there were times when one or the other of us would have paid handsomely to call in the Mafiosi to "take the other one out"!

We hope you have enjoyed this first year of blueBanksia as we certainly have - the challenges, the laughs and the great people we have met at the wonderful workshops that we have attended. Now that I am back on my feet, we plan to go further abroad and attend even more workshops.

Join us on our journey!
Teresa

Yes, I agree it's certainly been full-on this year and we have already met many wonderful people though I feel the best is yet to come. In 2010 Teresa and I plan to attend many more workshops and meet many more inspiring artists. And by that I mean YOU!

It's marvellous to be painting with groups of like minded people - all who want to further their own art yet, are willing to help each other on their artistic journey - just as Elisabeth Cummings so generously did in our workshop. That's what this is all about! The friendships, the community, the comraderie - thank you all for being part of this wonderful adventure.
Stephanie