Boats again

Inspired by the boat painting I did under Helen's tutorage I embarked on another. This one was of Rose Bay at sunrise.


I am on a roll at the moment. Think I will do a series on boats - maybe another one or two....

Reflections from the dam

This is the last painting started last week at the residential art school. This one I took at the CSU campus itself on one of my early morning walks (that was the only time of day the temperature was cool enough for a walk).



It's of the reflection of eucalyptus trees on the dam. Painted on canvas for portability. Of course it means I have to frame but I guess if it doesn't sell I can pop other paintings in at a later stage.

Final day and recap

While many at the art school will stay till Sat morn I have to go Fri because of S's birthday dinner. Anyway I miss my bed!

The class has been chummy and they are nice people with the exception of the odd whinger. We have developed a nice collegial relationship. I haven't learnt an awful lot but I did learn how to mix black and burnt sienna. The best part is that I managed to complete one diptych and produce 4 other works. No way I could achieve this with a week at home!

Asked if I would do another Bathurst, I would say unlikely. The trains are inconvenient, the rooms are student quarters and the heat pretty draining. Having said that, if Helen were to run a watercolour workshop, I might be tempted to see my way around these obstacles.

Demo and auction

This watercolour painting was done live in an hour in a demo last night by Joseph Zbukvic and Herman Pekel. Both are tutors here and have been for decades. This was larger than a whiteboard in size.



It was auctioned off but as I didn't stay till the end I've no idea how much money it fetched.
These two artists are fab but my favourite water colourist aside from Helen is Alvaro Castagnet. His works are ethereal.

Day 4 Bathurst

It's hump day and everybody is feeling tired and washed out. It doesn't help that it's so hot in Bathurst - I'm sure it was 40d. At first I thought I'd paint cows but decided not to. Got a photo printed on campus (so cheap! $1.10 for an A3 colour print!) from
the iPhone and decided on a panoramic format. Unfortunately could not purchase a stretched canvas in strip format so ended up with unstretched canvas which will have to be framed.


Eventually I got going and here is the view from Kilcare beach in Central Coast. Lovely isn't it? Tomorrow I shall put in a few figures and that's finished. Not sure if I want to do much tomorrow as I'm going home - hurrah for home comforts!!!

Day 3 Bathurst

Helen showed us her watercolours and truly she is an amazing water colourist. I think it's really her medium so it beats me why she is teaching acrylics. Unanimous decision today to paint boats but the groans and moans indicates the difficulty. For a change I am following the pack.


My boats are relatively scatty but I don't care. More interested in the water effect than the boats. Also completed a sea scape. These A3 paper are so simple to fill in.


I believe these rocks are on the south coast but can't be 100% sure.

Day 2 of residential art

After months of neglect, I'm posting every day! While I was silent before I was not totally quiet on the art front. Several pieces were in progress and subsequently completed in time for the exhibition at Bondi Pavilion in March 2014. When I get home I shall post photos of these.

Meantime in class Helen decided to demo poppies. I must say that this subject filled me with fear and loathing. The way she paints flowers is similar to those prints sold at $2 shops and Ikea. She's much better if course but my efforts will look exactly like it. I painted this cottage that falling down next to Currawong. Roger took the photo with his new camera at sunset and it looks a treat.

Residential art school at Bathurst

With some apprehension, I set off to Bathurst for the week long art residential program. Not wanting to drive up here I opted for the train which left at an inconveniently early hour and then had to rationalise my clothes plus art material. It took me ages to decide what to bring and what I could do without.

The journey and its attendant adventures are best left out of this blog. Suffice to say I arrived at the CSU on a stinking hot day and found diggings very like the ones I left behind about 25 years ago.
Today I attended Helen Cottle's acrylic painting course. Helen is from Victoria and a blonde petite woman who looks younger than she is; which I gather is about 50 - she became a grandmother recently. There is a demo and most of the class opted to copy her picture.

I was tempted but decided that I'd better get cracking on my diptych. This is of the view from Tiverton Rd at Gerry and Brad's farm in Harden. I had started it in Sydney but didn't get the time and undivided attention to get any further.


Helen is a good instructor - this is evident from
the number of students who are repeating her course. Her groupies speak highly of her. The art residential has 250 students; mainly females and aged over 40. I guess it's hard to find anyone who can afford the tuition plus accommodation and time out. I'm sure many are retired.
We are over fed numerous times a day. Food is good - the best part is that I don't have to cook it! I'm really enjoying the time to immerse myself in painting.