Current Art Workshops
In This Place & Season
art | nature | seasonal calendar
We will explore our local micro seasons, appreciate the exquisite details in the nature around us, create our own seasonal calendar, compare notes, and learn to see like an artist – with fundamental drawing and composition skills. You don’t need to be an artist. You do need to be curious about the natural world around you. It’s a little bit nature journalling and a lot of immersing yourself in your local place.
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A delightful, informative, contemplative tuning in to where we are in the world.
Learn to see nature through the eyes of an artist. Deepen your connection to right here, right now.
Combining observation, foundational drawing exercises, seasonal discoveries, local awareness, and shared perceptions, we will spend the day immersed in being sensitive to this local place and this particular microseason.
Through artistic enquiry, we will be anchoring into the outside world that is so often a generalised passing background to our schedules and inner monologues. By slowing down and seeing the exquisite details and marvels of our everyday natural world, we give ourselves the gift of presence in, and appreciation of, the here and now – the place where we live.
For artists and total beginners.
Tea, coffee, nibbles, all art materials supplied.
Small groups – limited to a maximum of 12 places only
Bring: phone camera. You are welcome to bring your lunch (and an esky if required). Please consider sensible shoes, sunscreen, hat and a water bottle for the outside times. You may like to bring an art apron.
All art materials supplied and you are welcome to bring any paper, pens or paints that you like to draw/paint with.
Workshop refunds and media consent plus the rest of the t&c’s are on the Terms and Conditions page. I endeavour to be as reasonable as possible.
Based on a seasonal journal drawing practice –
In This Place & Time
For two years while I wasn’t really well enough to do much of anything, I decided I could track the seasonal changes around me. I’m irritated by the dominance of Euro centric seasons that do not and have never fitted this continent on the other side of the planet. It’s 230+ years on. We can do better. So what are the seasons here? When do the plants and animals who are now local, both native and introduced, arrive and depart as the seasons turn? It’s been fascinating and rewarding to begin to trace this web of interrelationships.
Every few days I’d make observational notes against the date. Chickweed appearing and heralding the cooling season. The first fire lit for warmth. Cool season brassicas in their happy place. Loquat fruiting way too soon. Jasmine in bloom announcing the warm season has arrived. Python on the verandah. The winds of change blowing through. A feisty winged visitor. Ginger sending up shoots. Bowerbird chaos in the bean patch. And so on.
Then I sketch-painted the observations in watercolour and ink. I called the project ‘In This Place & Time’.
In This Place & Time Aug 2020 - Jul 2021
Workshop dates
On the Coffs Coast NSW from December 2024, from Port Macquarie to Woolgoolga. Further afield welcome by appointment.
Please join the art newsletter to be advised of upcoming dates and details.
Boambee
Date TBC 2025
10am – 4pm
Vitality Bloom Nursery
19 Lindsays Rd, Boambee NSW
Gumbaynggirr country
Introductory price $150
Past Workshops
Any of these workshops are available by appointment for small groups. Just ask.
Participants: up to 20
Length: can be varied from 1.5 to 3 hours (half day) to suit
Love Letters to Trees
Everyone has a story about a favourite tree.
Trees have been revered by human cultures throughout time for good reason. They are majestic and serene. They give so much. Without trees we don’t have oxygen to breathe, and so much more.
We will go for a walk among the trees. Along the way we’ll listen to odes to trees and recite some together. We’ll share our stories of trees. We will admire the trees we meet. You’ll be asked to choose your favourite and write some words of appreciation, your own or someone else’s. Then we’ll publicly display these Love Letters so that passersby will also be inclined to notice, slow down and appreciate the trees.
Stop and marvel. Share the love.
A gathering to express and spread appreciation for trees.
Bring: yourself, sensible shoes and perhaps a raincoat. This workshop seems to induce rain!
Participants: up to 10
Length: can be varied from 1.5 to 3 hours (half day) to suit
Nature, Awe & Artist
Slow down. Reconnect with nature and your own creativity.
Beginning with a series of meditative exercises, we will first slow down to be present, and then open our eyes to the awe inspiring details of the nature around us. We will explore different ways of perceiving and appreciating the natural world through artistic ways of seeing. You will be guided through a series of gentle experimenting with mark making and drawing techniques. There is no pressure to create a ‘finished’ artwork. The doing is the destination.
Learn to see nature through the eyes of an artist. No artistic talent required.
Paper, ink and brushes are supplied. You are also welcome to bring any paper, pens, paints or materials you like to draw or paint with.
Bring: 3 things from nature that have caught your eye to contribute to the pool of objects for artistic exploration.
Participants: up to 10
Length: can be varied from 3 hours (half day) to a full day, to suit
Please note this is a workshop for adults. Yes, really! Kids don’t need a helping hand with noticing nature and letting their imagination out to play.
Found Creatures Environmental Art
Think you’re not creative? This workshop is made for you.
Based on my creation of The Found Creatures collection, I would like to invite you to a hands on day of reconnecting with your innate creativity. We’ll make art from nature. It will be playful and fun!
You will be gently guided through a series of warm up exercises, designed to ease you into lateral thinking and noticing the natural bounty all around to work with. We will fossick the garden for textures, shapes and colours and learn by sharing how we see. This is such a relaxing, meditative experience of slowing down in nature, too often pushed aside in our busy lives.
Before you know it, your inner child will be out and about, leading the way to your imagination. We’ll build your confidence in your creativity with evolutions of creatures. By the end of the day you’ll be off making your very own Found Creatures using materials and locations found on site. Nothing gets harmed; no rubbish is left lying around; your art will biodegrade. You only need to bring a digital camera, open eyes and be ready to be quietly, experimentally, playful.
Bring: a digital camera/phone camera. Take only photos & leave only footprints!
