Art Classes - Hamilton Road Studio 2019

It’s the beginning of a new year which is a good time to start a new challenge. Perhaps it’s time to learn a new skill or develop a talent that has been left on the back burner for too long.
If you have always wanted to learn to draw and paint, there’s no time like the present. 

I have been teaching in my Studio on Hamilton Road, McDowall for the last eight years. Teaching has been so rewarding, I love seeing the people who attend my Studio grow and develop as artists. The classes are designed for both beginners and experienced artists alike. The classes are small with a maximum of six people in each class. The small size allows for individual tuition as well as the opportunity to work in the medium of your choice. 

I strongly believe that artists should follow their own direction and find personal inspiration. I encourage them to find their own voice rather than producing work that looks exactly the same as the rest of the class. I work with each artist to assist in finding what they want to paint and how to plan the design of each work.

While my methods of teaching may not suit everyone, especially if you like to be given a set plan to follow. Doing your own thing can be a little confronting - you do have to come up with your own ideas but will do so with my guidance. After a short while, the artists soon start producing unique artwork.

Weekly classes

Wednesday  6.00 pm -   9.00 pm - fully enrolled for 2019

Thursday      9.00 am - 12.00 pm - space available 

Friday           9.00 am - 12.00 pm - space available 

Saturday      8.00 am - 11.00 am - space available 

TERM DATES 2019

Term 1  Wed 23 January - Sat 6 April
Term 2  Wed. 24 April - Sat. 29 June
Term 3  Wed. 17 July - Sat. 21 September
Term 4  Wed. 9 October - Sat. 14 December

• Tuition in drawing, watercolour, acrylics and oils is offered
• During each class there will be some demonstration of technique as well as individually mentored tuition.
• Classes are small (Max 6) so each participant can work in their chosen medium and at their own pace.
• Students should preferably be prepared to enroll for a term (usually 10 weeks)
• Fees are $36.00 per class, paid at the beginning of term - single payment; or two payments during the term. Payment can be by bank transfer, cheque or cash.
• Credit card facilities are available - Surcharge applies.

There are often blocks of a few weeks at a time when regular artists take holidays.

Please contact me at info@carolleebeckx.com for Studio Terms and Conditions.

Colour - A Practical Approach Part 2

Such exciting times - the hard covered copies of my book Colour - A Practical Approach arrived today! It’s so rewarding to see the results of months of writing and re-writing, painting illustrations, selecting photographs of paintings and then editing and re-editing. Click on the link to see a preview. The book is available in both hard and soft cover and an affordable EBook. 

The book is a no-fuss practical handbook to be a companion to painting in the Studio. The colour wheel is explained and illustrated along with notes on complementary colours. I have a few colour “rules” to keep you on the right track and there are also chapters with basic tips for mixing paint.  There are suggestions for the arrangement of paint on the palette to help develop a more organised approach.

There are twenty colour exercises to work through. These cover many aspects of colour mixing. I suggest doing these in a dedicated colour sketchbook so you will have a comprehensive personal reference book at the end.

Many artists work from photographs so there is also a chapter on how to make the most of this resource. Step by step photos of my own paintings will give you some insight to my process of working form photos.

Finally, a book like this would be lacking without some explanation of the terminology of art. A comprehensive glossary sheds light on some of these mystifying terms. 

The book is available on Blurb in three different formats, Hard copy; Soft cover and Ebook. 

Nundah Village Art Show at Honda Northside Nundah

The Nundah Village Art Show opens this Saturday. It will be held at Honda Northside, 1329 Sandgate Road, Nundah. The exhibition is accompanied by the annual Nundah Village Street Festival. This show includes a wide range of high quality artwork from local artists and I’m delighted to be exhibiting four paintings. All paintings are for sale.

There are two landscapes,and both are nostalgic in that they recapture my love for the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa, rekindled by my visit in December.

Afternoon Light, Drakensberg - oil on canvas 900 mm x 900 mm

Escarpment Shadows - oil on panel 610 mm x 455 mm

Still Life with Lilies is something of a departure from my usual style, being more detailed and representational. In the end I’m very happy with the result. 

Still Life with Lilies - oil on canvas 505 mm x 505 mm

The Reader is a mixed media work, including collage, charcoal as well as watercolour. When doing Sktchy portraits I experiment a lot with different media, finding it a good way to loosen up and try new tools. I like this portrait with a matt and frame - it looks complete and takes on a new gravitas. 

The Reader - mixed media on paper 435 mm x 335 mm

Hamilton Road Studio Term 3

The winter holidays are almost over, and for once we have had winter in Brisbane with early morning temperatures dropping to 4 deg. The days are bright and sunny - it's the just the best time. 

TERM 3

Term 3 starts again this week on Wednesday. There are a couple of places available - one on Wednesday evenings (6.00 pm to 9.00 pm) and another on Saturday mornings (8.00 am to 11.00 am.) 

The Saturday class participants opted to begin an hour earlier. (Weekday classes start at 9.00 am)
Most of those attending the Saturday class work full time during the week so the early start allows everyone to make good use of the rest of the day for family and errands. 

I do realise that getting up early on the weekend might be a stretch but once you are here and working it’s really worthwhile. We also get our coffee fix early on Saturdays. 

Time to develop your creativity - Hamilton Road Studio

At this time of the year I realise that time doesn't ever stand still. In fact, if anything, the days pass by too quickly. In January I booked flights to visit my family in South Africa, thinking that the time would drag. Now there are just over ten weeks to go before my holiday. 

Studio Vacancies 

The last term of the year starts on Wednesday 4th October and ends on the 9th December. 

Wednesday evenings - places filled

Thursday - one place available
Friday mornings -  places filled

Saturday mornings - casual attendance available.

Please let me know if you would like to enroll or if you have any questions about the classes.         

Exploring Abstraction 

The artists attending the Friday classes have been investigating abstract concepts in painting. I plan to cover these topics more extensively in the first five weeks of the term with a different approach each week. These classes will be more structured than the usual Studio classes where artist work on individual projects. If abstract painting is something you have wanted to try, this is an ideal opportunity for you to experiment. Also, if you are less experienced, the more structured class will be helpful. These mini workshops can be done on the other days as well.

Tasman Story - oil, oil pastel and Cold Wax Medium on panel 405 mm x 810 mm

Art Classes Hamilton Road Studio

Terms and Conditions

Class times:

Wednesday:   6.00pm – 9.00pm  

Thursday:       9.00am – 12.00pm               

Friday:            9.00am – 12.00pm 

Saturday:        8.00am – 11.00am 

Please note that the Classes are suitable for adults

Venue:   22/960 Hamilton Road, McDowall 4053

(Please ring 22 then “Bell” at the intercom. There is usually parking inside the complex)

.

• Tuition in drawing, watercolour, acrylics and oils is offered

• During each class there will be some demonstration of technique as well as individually mentored tuition.

• Classes are small (Max 6) so each participant can work in their chosen medium and at their own pace.

• Students should be prepared to enroll for a term (usually 10 weeks). Since my Studio is small, casual classes i.e. pay per attendance cannot be offered.

Please contact me for more information or if you have any questions.

Asia Pacific Triennial - Take 2

At the weekend I joined a friend for a second visit to QuaGoma  to see APT8 again. As it was also her repeat visit, she was able to ensure that I didn't miss any of her favourites.

These are some of the photographs I took during our visit. Where possible I have listed the artist and title of the works – others will require another visit to check on the details. 

The figurative sculptures by Francis Upritchard - the lighting here was wonderful. 

Detail - Action Francis Upritchard

Uuriintuya Dagvasambuu / Path to wealth 2013 / Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

Another Realm by Min Thein Sung 

These giant horses are made from linen and hang from the ceiling like puppets. The surrounding walls are papered with comic book pages. Now I do like people but I was lucky enough to get a few photos with no people near the horses. They are really huge and dwarfed any children standing nearby.

Detail - Hit Man Gurung

The exhibit by Hit Man Gurung documents the migration of young Nepalese men to work in foreign countries. He often wears his yellow hard hat as seen in the detail. The monochromatic face with only colour in the eyes created a compelling image. 

When subject is taken out of context or when its context is altered, the subject takes on a completely new personality. So too with the galleries housing the permanent Australian Collection. 

A totally different environment has been created in the three Australian Collection Galleries. Brook Andrews’ trademark chevron markings have been applied to the original wall colours. These reference the chevron pattern that Wiradjuri people paint on their skin, or carve into trees.The red/black in the first gallery is very dramatic. I loved the portrait in the excessively ornate frame against the graphic lines of the chevrons. The juxtaposition of the different narratives - colonial, traditional and representational against the abstract, graphic (and also traditional indigenous) markings made one view the works in a new way. 

2015 - A List

A collage of watercolours from the Pecolator Exhibition

Summer 

• New Years Eve at Coolum Beach - sketching
• 4th January - my first visit to Sydney - at the Museum of Contemporary Art seeing Chuck Close was a highlight; meeting Liz Steel and the Sydney urban sketchers  IRL was another.
• Aspire Gallery - Petit Pieces Exhibition
• Brisbane Collective - my sketch in print!
• Facebook Art Challenge

Autumn 

• Discovered Sktchy app
• Deep Ripple selected as a finalist for the Moreton Bay Regional Art Award
• Pond Reflections selected for the Lethbridge 10,000
• Still selected for the Rotary Art Spectacular at Waterfront Place - Watching and Rocks 24th December 2014 selected for the online exhibition - and Watching found a new home.
• Deep Ripple selected as a finalist for the Moreton Bay Regional Art Award

Winter

• Pond Reflections selected for the Lethbridge 10,000 and Paperbark for the online exhibition. 
• A Gold Coast escape - a few days sketching
• Holiday workshops - The popular Introduction to Oils and a Painting Bootcamp

Spring

• A week away in Noosa and a Cedar Pocket - more sketching
• Nundah Village Art Exhibtion - 4 paintings on show
• cARTwheel Collabortative exhibition at Percolator Gallery with three artist friends, and quite a few paintings found new homes...
• Miniatures and ink drawings at The Good Hatt Paddington Antique Centre
• Queensland State Library - teaching at a workshop for Peace.

Summer

• 10th December - An Anniversary - five wonderful years in Brisbane
• Still busy with Sktchy
• a few watercolour commissions
• And we've rolled around to the beginning and it's summer holidays again!
• Happy New Year to all of you - stay safe - stay creative.

I've added some links (in pink!) so you can re-visit my year.

Peace and Quiet at the State Library Queensland

On Saturday I was one of the tutors helping at a painting workshop held at the State Library Queensland. The activities during the afternoon were part of the final days of  Distant Lines: Queensland voices of the First World War.

Members of the public were able to create a painting depicting their concept of peace. Canvasses, paint and brushes were provided. We used tubs of Mont Martre Dimension acrylic paint in wonderful vibrant colours. All the materials used during the workshop can be purchased at  Art Shed Brisbane.

Peace and Quiet
There are opportunities for artists who are invited to contribute an artwork of a peaceful landscape to be displayed in SLQ Gallery as part of the exhibition. This can be a painting, drawing, print, photograph or stitchery, and must be a figurative or semi-figurative work (ie. not abstract).

Some wonderful paintings were created – here are a few of them. I had a business card with the artists’ details which unfortunately went into the wash – never to be the same again so unfortunately they must remain anonymous!
A selection of the paintings will be exhibited with the exhibition from 28 November 2015 – 14 February 2016.

 Nature's Bonsai by Maureen Young 

( I took a  photo of the reverse of this canvas so I can credit the artist)

Another activity was to make a badge for peace – I couldn’t resist using some paint to make my own. Here's my badge on the  SL T-Shirt. 

When we were packing up there was a lot of paint left over so while emptying the palettes I created my own “painting” – just a pity it was on newspaper and not on a canvas!

A reminder that the text within the post in colour is a link to the relevant website.

Holiday fun for kids

Exhibition News

The  Redcliffe Art Society holds an annual exhibition in the Redcliffe Art Gallery. It is a selected Members’ exhibition, with each member submitting two paintings. Both my paintings, one in the Still life category and another an Abstract were selected.

The official opening was on Friday evening. The day was miserable - cold and wet - and the thought of a slow trip in the Friday evening traffic was not appealing. However, I’m so glad I went. The work was of a high standard. Entries were hung in specific categories - landscape; still life & interiors; portraits and abstract among categories.

 Bark II - oil on canvas - 610mm x 915mm Carol Lee Beckx © 2012

 It was an honour to receive both Commended for Still Life with citrus and First Prize for Bark II - a reward for venturing out on a cold rainy evening. The gift voucher for art materials from  ArtHouse Northside in Deagan is most welcome.

Bark II is another painting in the series done with trees as the kick-off point.  An ink drawing of a strangler fig was the inspiration. 

The painting started off in a conventional way - with the tree standing upright as all good trees should - then the blue on either side seemed superfluous and out it went.

 Once the sky was banished I was free to rotate the image 180 degrees…

Connecting with buyers

The artist painting in the studio is removed from life outside - we bring our external experiences back into the studio and translate these feelings into paint. Then we take our work outside again and exhibit it - either in a gallery or online on our blog, website or on social media platforms.

Then a work is sold and moves to the buyer’s home and the artist’s connection with the work is broken. The artist needs to sell work to survive, but it’s often hard to say goodbye to a special piece. If a work is specially commissioned then there's a close relationship between the artist and the buyer. I have been fortunate to have had inspiring and enjoyable commissions recently. The painting below was so difficult to photograph - the extreme light areas are silver leaf and proved beyond my photographic ability to capture exactly.

Grey, silver black -  Oil on canvas 1000mm x 1000mm ©2012 Carol Lee Beckx

Collection Transform Hair

When the painting is sold at an exhibition frequently the artist will not know who the buyer was. Sometimes the gallery wants to keep their client list private and won't disclose the buyer's name. If  it’s group show there would be too much admin for the organisers to let each artist know who bought what.

Sometimes you find out years later who bought the painting. Recently I received an email from someone I hadn’t heard from for more than ten years. He had been looking at my website, discovered I had moved to Australia and wanted to let me know that he owned three of my paintings. It was so good that he took the trouble to write to tell me and send images of the paintings. These two paintings are from the time when I did many miniature paintings, quite a change of scale compared to some of my recent work!

Waterfront Cape Town - watercolour on paper est. 50mm x 80mm ©2012 Carol Lee Beckx

Fishing Boats Cape Town - watercolour on paper - est. 50mm x 80m ©2012 Carol Lee Beckx 

Occasionally the artist has a chance to connect directly with the buyer of a painting. Recently I spent a morning painting in a gallery where my work was being exhibited. I had a chance to talk to someone who had bought a painting of mine. There was a wonderful opportunity to talk about the creative process and my inspiration for the painting.

Then this week I received this email:

                  Every day when I come into the office it's the first thing I see and it's the last thing I  see as I'm closing the door to leave. I can't think of a more wonderful way to start or finish my working day - a beautiful image to carry me through the day and one that reminds me that no matter how arduous my day has been there is always something good about it.

An artist can ask for no more than this.