Painting Workshops and Events Calendar for 2024
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scam alert!!!
Really sadly, i mean… REALLY SADLY 😖 I am seeing cases of ‘people’ trying to sell FAKE workshop tickets to my events at a discounted rate. THESE ARE SCAMMERS. DO NOT CONTACT THEM. Tickets are ONLY sold through event agents noted for each event and will never be onsold in this way, so please take care there, and in general. Im sorry to have to start with this note, but I do not want to see any of you scammed, and its everywhere! Its a barrage of absolutely constant bullshit out there and its really blowing my mind lately…. here at least, youll always find the real deal. I look forward to working with you soon 
You can always find my workshop calendar on the HOME PAGE of my website if you ever do need to find this information again
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Wow, can you believe were already wrapping up 2023s workshop opportunities and were planning for 2024? I mean, its incredible how time flies but i must say it feels good looking ahead to a year and plans that feel a lot more connected to those more normal times gone by. Year by year, workshop by workshop, balance is being better restored. These years have sure made me think how precious time is and how fast it passes us by more than ever, and there is no time like now to start reaching for those goals you keep putting on the shelf! With this in mind, perhaps 2024 is YOUR time, YOUR year to prioritise your creative pursuits and get those juices flowing! I hope so. If so, why not join me in one of my botanical, bird, natural history, watercolour painting workshops or even join me on a wonderful retreat to get into your creative gear aligned and flowing? Its going to be fun and Im excited to kick off this workshop events blog post for the coming 12 months with you here 😁
so whats on for 2024?
Well its early days in the years planning, but first up comes something very exciting indeed… we are putting the final details together for our first very retreat which is locked in for February. For many months now Gillian at Artable has been working on an incredible new art space, artists hub and retreat/workshop venue, restoring a lovely old pub in the magical north east of Tasmania and its ready to roll. We know everything Gillian does comes with a special kind of energy and attention to detail and I am very confident that the pub will be no different! Actually Ive seen it with my own eyes already and i know its going to be wonderful… Theres no doubt about it.
This venue will bring tutors, students, accommodation, catering and the ridiculous beauty of Tasmania together in one cohesive bliss-bomb for us all to enjoy. I will be one of the first teachers to kick things off with a 5 day retreat, exploring everything from travel adventure to field work, drawing and painting, wine and dine, gorgeous accommodation, learning and growing, social and wilderness… and you simply cant miss out on this! We will be announcing this event very soon so stay tuned, or reach out to Artable and ask to be put on the notifications list for my events. This is definitely one to look forward to! Best still, if were keen for it, we are playing with an even MORE in depth painting experience to follow, enjoying 10 days in this creative paradise with our paint brushes. Cant wait.
So its a simple but exciting start to the years painting workshop events blog post for now but as always, i will add to this in due course, with every opportunity that arises for 2024, news and updates, information, contacts and the links needed to book each event so watch this space! Of yourse you can always reach out to me, Bienarté in Brisbane, or to Artable who I work with every year to find out whats available.
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painting workshop opportunities and information
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melbourne
‘Gouldian finch illustration – watercolour’
3 DAYs FEBRUARY 2024 – concluded
Come along to this beautiful 3 day workshop in Melbourne, exploring the colours, textures and painting techniques to capture this absolutely fabulous subject – the Gouldian Finch with me. This subject has proven to be one of my most popular, and for good reason… so Ive decided to go ahead and offer this to you all in a face to face workshop which is really exciting! Of course, its not just about Gouldian Finches, what we learn in this event will also help you along with all your bird painting challenges. We will discuss materials, work processes and strategies to het you moving forward with bird illustration and the watercolour medium. Hosted by Artable, its set to be a wonderful 3 days together. Places are limited and we expect it will book out quite quickly so jump in, grab your spot, and we look forward to seeing you there! The booking link is in the event heading and image, but you can find out all about this opportunity, and reach out to Artable to secure your place today. 💜
Our Gouldian Finch Painting Workshop was so wonderful. My students did so very well exploring this remarkable subject in watercolour, a tiny explosion of colour and wonderful painting challenge
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‘BIRDS & BUSH IN WATERCOLOUR’ – TASMANIA retreat
6 DAYS FEBRUARY 2024 – CONCLUDED
This event starts 3:30 pm Sunday 4th, concludes 9:00 am Saturday 10th February
Please note this event is now sold out & concluded 🙏🏻
I think the best way to sum this special event up is to use the Artable’s description as follows;
‘Welcome to Artable’s carefully curated Tasmanian space – a quaint 100 year old hotel in the remote north east town of Winnaleah where you enjoy your very own bedroom and bathroom at no extra charge. Everything is included except your flights and art materials and we have made sure that you get a day to travel in and out plus a FULL 5 days in workshop mode with Heidi. Your own beautiful bedroom complete with luxury linens and a plush mattress topper for the best nights sleep. A light filled studio space complete with both table and en plein air easels for your use. Transfers between Launceston (airport or city) and the venue as well as daily excursions to a variety of landscapes.
We have painting days with Heidi Willis to explore the local landscape, collect drawings and to record natural history in this most stunning of regions. Our theme is birds & bush so we will be looking closely at what this incredible region has to discover. At night, we dine by candlelight as our chef prepares Tasmanian fare from locally sourced produce to suit all dietary needs. There are beautiful walks surrounding the hotel to truly experience the beauty of the area before or after class or sink into the Chesterfield couches with a wine or a hot chocolate by the fire instead.
If you are keen to come on your own, don’t worry, we have many people that join us on their own. Please note that if you opt for a shared room (twin single beds) you attract a $400 discount. Some rooms are located on the upper level and include stairs, so please contact us if you have mobility issues. To join us make your $200 non refundable or transferrable deposit via the link to the right. We will be in contact in October to collect the balance. Please note that cancellation fees apply to all Artable retreats as outlined below. We look forward to welcoming you to a wonderful creative holiday’
We are really excited to be able to bring this experience to you at long last and feel so confident its going to be something beautifully memorable. The booking link is in the title above but here it is again for you. Hit the link to book directly or reach out to Artable at info@artable.com.au if you have any questions on this exciting painting event. We shall see you there!
Learn more about this event here
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gold coast
‘kingfisher illustration – watercolour’
5 DAYs march 2024 – CONCLUDED
With the Kingfisher Illustration Melbourne workshop booking out in just a day, and the same being requested on the beautiful Gold Coast, I will be running an extended painting workshop in March exploring this remarkable subject for my Queensland students, and I am super excited about this one! This time, we have 5 days to enjoy the magic that is the kingfisher, and the wonderful watercolour medium. Its all about colour, texture, timing, smart work processes, creating helpful strategy and building confidence, not just for this specific subject, but for small bird illustration, and for you your painting in general. Once again, I will be working with Artable for this workshop event. We do expect this to be a popular one so hit the link, read all about it and talk to Artable sooner than later to secure your place. Im looking forward to working with you all there. What a gorgeous subject to explore 💙
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brisbane
‘small bird illustration – watercolour’
3 DAYs JUNE 2024 – last places remaining
This is a multi day painting workshop in a friendly learning environment, exploring this wonderful medium, craft and creative skill. It’s for those who have a love of nature, watercolour, painting in general, with an eye for detail. If not… come along and learn about the beauty of this too! Don’t be overwhelmed if you’re new as I work with people of all levels so just come along, and Ill help you through the process and get you on track for your own creative journey.
What will I learn?
Using transparent watercolours, you will explore all elements of illustrating a bird subject to produce an intricate bird illustration throughout the workshop. This topic allows you to explore a wide range of critical watercolour painting techniques, dealing with texture, colour, creating low and high sheens in a subject, dealing with feather effects and developing fine details essential for bird illustration. As always, my workshops focus strongly on improving your overall watercolour techniques, with a goal of equipping you with sound knowledge, direction, confidence and strategy to tackle any subject independently following my courses.
Touching on watercolour techniques of washes, the more complex process of glazing (or layers of wash), and the intricate art of dry brushing, you will learn how to manage each of these techniques to create sound foundations to managing this medium well. Through this you will build a healthier understanding and love of watercolour and of this beautiful painting genre.
This event is hosted by Bienarté so get in touch with them or hit this link to book your spot today… Want more than 3 days? Why not stay for the whole 5 days with me in Brisbane this year, adding the coinciding 2 day BUTTERFLY ILLUSTRATION WORKSHOP to the mix.
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brisbane
‘BUTTERFLY illustration – watercolour’
2 DAYs JUNE 2024 – new opportunity!! booking fast!
From the Bienarté site – ‘This is a two day event held in Brisbane, focussing on butterfly illustration in watercolour. Butterflies are an astounding painting subject to explore and watercolour brings so many wonderful qualities to the table to capture them with. With this come the questions of ‘how do I do it though!?’ and that’s where Heidi comes in! She will walk you through the process and approaches to create a lovely butterfly painting of your own, equipping you with plenty of helpful strategies and knowledge about the subject, and watercolour medium along the way.
What will I learn?
Being such an intricate subject, Heidi will focus quite strongly on dry brushing techniques to create refined, smaller work and detail. The subject/s will be carefully selected and crafted to maximise your exposure, knowledge and learning about this fantastic medium and genre. It’s going to be fun! Butterflies bring colour, texture, symmetry and beauty to the mix, and you’ll be looking at all of these aspects over your painting days with Heidi. Learn, improve, enjoy is the name of the game for this workshop’
This event is hosted by Bienarté so get in touch with them or hit this link to book your spot today… Want more than 2 days? Why not stay for the whole 5 days with me in Brisbane this year, adding the coinciding 3 day SMALL BIRD ILLUSTRATION WORKSHOP to the mix.
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sunshine coast
‘kingfisher illustration – watercolour’
3 DAYs JUNE 2024 – last places!! booking fast!
This 3 Day watercolour painting event comes by popular demand as my Melbourne and Gold Coast Kingfisher painting workshops book out in record time. Bringing the lesson and this beautiful focal subject to the Sunshine Coast now, we have a new opportunity to come along and explore this exciting challenge once more. If youve already joined me in the first kingfisher events thats no problem at all as we will be deep diving into a completely new kingfisher with completely new learning so if you love this subject and want to learn more, dont miss this event.
What Will I Learn? Its all about colour, texture, timing, smart work processes, creating helpful strategy and building confidence, not just for this specific subject, but for small bird illustration, and for you your painting in general. Hosted by Bienarté once more, im looking forward to a return to the gorgeous Sunshine Coast and working with you all, so hit the link, grab your place and ill see you there before you know it.
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gold coast
‘NATURE IN watercolour’
5 DAYs OCTOBER 2024 – JUST ANNOUNCED!!!
Great news everyone… With my Gold Coast event for 2024 booking out super fast, weve locked in a new painting workshop for the first week in October. This exciting event is over 5 days, deep diving into a multitude of watercolour painting techniques and gorgeous natural history subjects. The specific subjects are yet to be determined, but Im thinking we will cover 2 days of botanicals, 2 days on a small bird and 1 day on a butterfly study, giving you a fantastic cross section of creative challenges and practical learning. I know a lot of students have been asking me to cover botanicals again, so Im really looking forward to this gathering! This workshop delves into all things realistic watercolour and nature, with an aim of improving your painting skills, knowledge, building your confidence and creating practical strategies forward towards improved independent painting.
I believe we will be returning to the same beautiful venue at the Sculptors Society on the Gold Coast which was a fabulous, cozy place to hold our last painting workshop, so Im keen to return again in October. If youd like to jump in on this event, brush up on your existing painting skills, learn something new from scratch, meet likeminded creative people and enjoy a little exhale in your busy schedule playing with the brushes in a beautiful space, let us know – info@artable.com.au or hit this link to read more about this painting event and to book your place
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‘nature STUDIES IN WATERCOLOUR’ – TASMANIA retreat
7 DAYS FEBRUARY 2024 – booking fast!
15th – 21st September inclusive
I think the best way to sum this special event up is to use the Artable’s description as follows, ‘Calling all nature lovers! Deep in the hills of remote North East Tasmania lies a tiny farming community with a 100 year old hotel that is now Artable’s Australian retreat base. Nature is well and truly begging to be captured in paint down here and you will be combining field trips in nature for inspiration with studio work. Unique lichens and moss grow next to crystal clear streams amidst giant eucalypts and tiny wildflowers known only to this region. Giant eagles soar in the skies whilst little finches dart around the forest floor. This part of Tasmania will speak to every artist on every level. The hotel has been lovingly restored and curated by Artable founder Gillian who has brought together a decade of retreat experience to offer artists their own non-sharing rooms at no extra charge, a huge light filled art studio, a comfortable group lounge complete with Chesterfields and fireplace, daily excursions to visit carefully selected locations to capture the very best natural history paintings. Paired with one of Australia’s most renowned watercolour and natural history artists Heidi Willis, this retreat is not to be missed – join us for an experience like no other’
Back by request after the first retreat concludes, we are really excited to be able to bring this experience to you and feel so confident its going to be something beautifully memorable together. We will spend our days relaxing, connecting, learning. Come and go to the studio as you please, there will be plenty to keep you thinking, exploring, growing and practicing all about natural history drawing, painting and the watercolour medium. If youd like to take a peek into the last retreat, check out this little clip on my YouTube Channel to learn more.
The booking link is in the title above but here it is again for you. Hit the link to book directly or reach out to Artable at info@artable.com.au if you have any questions on this exciting painting event. We shall see you there!
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So it has been a wonderful start to the year with plenty of painting fun and learning on offer. With fully booked events so far, im excited to announce these three new opportunities in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Ill be planning some new ones for later in the year, likely Melbourne again… Ill certainly post any updates or new events that come up as soon as I can so stay tuned, get in touch (follow the links provided in each event listing) and if one event feels like a good fit for you, come and join us in the fun!
Want to know other ways to stay in touch and her the news first? Join my Instagram Broadcast Channel or my Patreon Community to stay ahead of the game. Of course, you can always reach out to Artable or Bienarté and ask to be put on the notifications list for my events, or you can reach out to me any time if you have questions too… Ill see you there ⭐️
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CANT MAKE A FACE TO FACE EVENT? DONT FORGET MY ONLINE PAINTING TUTORIALS
ONLINE PAINTING TUTORIALS ARE AVAILABLE
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want monthly painting lessons with me…? come and join my Patreon community and get started!
Thats right, you can join my Patreon Community to learn more now too. Its a mutually positive learning community where I will offer a natural history painting lesson (large and small) every month to keep you learning. I also share news there first, reference you can paint from, behind the scenes information, and greater insights into my own work. Its new, but growing and the more it grows, the better I can make it for you. I look forward to meeting you there!