This is a 4 week course, running on Thursday mornings.

My work is usually inspired by photos I have taken in my local environment. I am particularly interested with finding the beautiful and interesting in what is before me. Painting what is local or familiar can be immensely enjoyable, and makes me appreciate the wonderful in the everyday. My preferred medium is oils. Painting interiors can be about really seeing what might be an unremarkable but well-loved view. In this course I will help students compose an interesting painting from photos they have. Discussion around the elements of good composition will be part of this. Decisions are made on what to include and what to leave out. I have taught painting to children and adults for over 25 years and have exhibited my work in cafes, wineries,
and various solo and group art exhibitions. I have been a finalist in several art prize exhibitions, including the 2024 The Fleurieu Art Prize, and the West Torrens Art Prize.

What to bring:
1. Photos you have taken of interior spaces. Eg, the familiar views of your world such as the kitchen sink, the passage, the living room or bedroom and bathroom. Anywhere interior. Look for passages of light, and different tonal shapes. A coloured image on your phone is fine as a backup only but as this format is too small to work from well. Please print A4 black and white images. Bring at least three images to choose from. Not every good photo makes a good painting. I will bring some images you may work from if you need them.
2. Drawing pencils, sketch paper. Drawing is an excellent way to focus your observations as well as nut out your composition.
3. Painting kit and canvas
– Painting surface, eg stretched canvas, canvas board or canvas sheet. Perhaps no smaller than 25×30 and no bigger than 50 x 60, so that the work can be completed in the course of the workshop. If you complete the painting earlier of course you may begin another.
– Ideally your paints should include a warm and cool red, yellow and blue,

Paint kit example
Cadmium red, alizarin crimson
Cadmium yellow and lemon yellow
Ultramarine blue and cerulean blue
White
Burnt umber or black
But bring whatever you have.

4. Painting medium, odourless solvent, brushes, rags etc

Course Plan
1. Discussion re limited palette and reading tone. Block in big shapes and tones, review and edit.
2. Basics of composition and perspective, PowerPoint of interior paintings, sketching to work out compositions, underpainting if time permits.
3. Mentored painting time.
4. Continue to complete works and group discussion of final works.