Autumn 2024 Creative Catalyst Workshops

Week 1

Monday 15th April: Anime Art Drawing & Ink

Be inspired by your favourite animations. Spend a day creating and developing your own manga drawings, using the illustrative style used in anime. inspire. Draw your own characters, costumes and stories using a range of drawing mediums such as fine markers, graphite and ink.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

  

 

 

 

                    The magic of Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro

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Tuesday 16th April: Bird Houses Ceramics

Bring all the birds to your garden with these delightful ceramic bird houses! Learn slab building techniques to make a beautiful clay bird house. Learn decorative techniques to embellish your work. We will then decorate our bird houses with ceramic colourants. Hang them from your favourite tree and wait to see who moves in… 

All work will be glazed and fired in a kiln.

Led by Artist and Educator, Ochre Bodhi (Red Ochre Studio)

 

 

 

  

 

                                                       A little house 

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 Wednesday 17th April: Ocarinas & Percussion Instruments Ceramics

Ocarinas are little clay whistles from Mesoamerica. They are ancient musical instruments that often take the form of animals or people. They can be highly decorated and ornamented or very simple and smooth. This class will teach you how to make whistles out of a lovely smooth chocolate coloured clay, they will be painted in slips and fired in the kiln, 

 

Led by Artist and Educator, Ochre Bodhi (Red Ochre Studio)

 

 

 

  

 

  

         Charm your family and friends with a set of homemade ocarinas!

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Thursday 18th April: Dragon Animalia Ceramics

The Dragon is a symbol of power across the world and 2024 happens to be the Year of the Dragon. From the fluid sky swimming dragons of China to the ravenous wyrms of Europe they have enchanted our imagination with stories of their savagery, wisdom and great hordes of wealth. Choose your dragon tradition and set out on a one day quest to create it in clay. Learn ceramic techniques to build your beast and bring it to life with colour and detail.

All work will be glazed and fired in a kiln.

Led by Artist and Educator, Ochre Bodhi (Red Ochre Studio)

 

 

 

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Friday 19th April: Autumn Mandalas Mixed Media 

A mandala is a geometric configuration of symbols commonly used in the World Religions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, just to name a few. Mandalas are also a popular way to spend time in a mindful and meditative art practice. We will be creating Autumn mandalas with a mixture of foraged leaves and drawing. Arrange your leaves in a beautiful pattern to create a mandala and fill in the gaps with patterns.

Led by Artist and Educator, Ochre Bodhi (Red Ochre Studio)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Week 2

Monday 22nd April: Mega Masks Mixed Media

Masks are a way to create impossible creatures with both animal and  human characteristics. Different cultures believe these masks give the wearer special abilities like the ability to talk to spirits or animals. Take a look at Masks from all over the World. Sketch and design your mask and then make a small model- is it Friend or Foe? Horns, teeth, scars, scales or fur? This mixed media workshop utilises paper sculpture, some paper mache, cutting, assembling. Most masks have exaggerated features which can make them quite scary to look at. Huge eyes, mouths and teeth. What features do you want to create to bring your mask to life?

 

Led by Crafter and Educator, Sophia Boag Humphries

 

 

 

 

 

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 Tuesday 23rd April: Gargoyles Ceramics 

Gargoyles are medieval monsters made to adorn the sides of important buildings. Some of them are scary, some are funny, some spit water out of their mouths. Have a look at some famous gargoyles and then learn hand building techniques to build your very own gargoyle out of clay. We will decorate it with oxides and fire it in the kiln so you can take it home and find a wall for it to live..

 

Led by Artist and Educator, Ochre Bodhi (Red Ochre Studio)

 

 

 

  

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Wednesday 24th April: Wearable Art Mixed Media

Have a go at badge making, shrinky ornaments, fabric painting and more. No need to leave your art at home ever again! Art you can wear is both decorative and expressive and can tell us something of the person doing the wearing! From a detailed art badge, hand crafted ‘shrinky’ brooch to a beautifully painted cotton bandana/scarf, this workshop offers many forms through which your art can shine. Drawing inspiration from the decorative traditions of jewellery making and fashion design, students will plan their wearable art pieces of choice, learning new skills such as badge making and fabric painting, whilst refining others such as detailed drawing, to create a variety of decorative art pieces.

Led by Artist and Educator, Ochre Bodhi (Red Ochre Studio)

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

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 Thursday 25th April: PUBLIC HOLIDAY

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 Friday 26th April: Autumn Watercolours Painting

Capture a range of delicious Autumn colours and celebrate Canberra’s best season! Students will spend the morning sketching and painting in ‘plein air’ to capture a little of Yarralumla’s deciduous trees, then head inside for an afternoon of colour mixing and painting the autumn landscape at their easels. Participants will be able to work with both acrylic and watercolours over the day and will have time to experiment with a range of approaches.

Led by Crafter and Educator, Sophia Boag Humphries

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Term 1

Mondays- after school 4-5.30pm

Develop painting and drawing skills.

Join artist Lauren Van der Hoek for some skilled painting direction across a range of painting and drawing mediums.

This term we will be focussing on Ancient Egyptian Art. From fine line drawings with Pictographs to beautiful inked drawings with gold leaf, this term we will be inspired by the art of the Ancient Egyptians.

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Tuesdays- after school 4-5.30pm

Mixed Media – Printmaking

Join artist Lauren Van Der Hoek for our mixed media class. This term the focus will be on printmaking.

We will be trying a range of different printing methods, from mono printing to lino printing. Develop a range of different prints & stencils over the term, be influenced by the Summer; sun, warmth and growth.

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Thursdays- after school 4-5.30

Join Sophia Boag Humphries and Teffany Thiedeman for ceramics!

Thursday clay class will be starting the term by exploring everything that lives under water. From aquatic animals and shells to lost words beneath the surface. We will be making a range of animals and treasures from the depths.

Summer 2024 Creative Catalyst Workshops

Week 1

Monday January 8th: Insect Close Ups painting & more.

Insects are the most populous animals across the Earth. They can be found in nearly every climate and are a vital part of the ecosystem. Using a magnifying glass take a close up view of these fascinating creatures, from beautiful butterflies and dragon flies to spotted and horned beetles. Learn painting techniques to reproduce the iridescent sheen of a wing, the furry bodies of Bumblebees and the shiny carapace of beetles. Observe insect anatomy in books, preserved insect bodies and living animals. We’ll also go for a walk and see what we can discover in the garden.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

See the big picture in the small subject

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Tuesday January 9th: Imagination Maps drawing and painting

Map making has a long and intriguing history forming a visual context for famous imaginary lands such as Middle Earth and Narnia. It is an excellent way to share your world with others and help explain a storyline.

Draw a map of your imaginary land using pen, pencil and a range of paints on a large strong piece of paper. Learn how to use scale and create a key representing the terrain of your landscape.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

 

Map your world 

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Wednesday January 10th: Skulls drawing

Work from a replica human skull, a found animal skull or piece of bone like a tooth or jawbone, to practise your drawing. Learn how to use tone and play with light and dark to build up an image on nice art paper.

Try pencil marks on white paper and then white pencil on black paper and see how you can bring your bony model to life on the paper.

Try shading, smudging, rubbing and crosshatching techniques to give your drawing depth and three dimensionality.

 

 

 

 

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

 

A classic drawing exercise. Sketch by Leonardo Da Vinci

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Thursday January 11th: Dinner on a Plate ceramics

Don’t play with your food! Unless you make it yourself…What do you want to make for dinner? Spag bol? Brussel Sprouts and chips? Chicken curry and rice?

Try a range of ceramic tools. From little extruders to stamps, to make the food items you have chosen. Your dinner sculpture can be as realistic or fantastical as you decide. All clay work will be painted with ceramic stains and underglazes to make your food look as realistic as possible.

We will fire your own clay creations onto ceramic plates in a kiln to make a delicious permanent dinner.

Pick up finished clay pieces next Open Day

 

 

 

Make a meal that will never go off!

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Friday January 12th: Animal Pop Up Tiles ceramics

Spend the day with clay.

Animals have inspired people working with clay forever.

Use a combination of slab and coiling to build original, small, relief tiles of animals in clay. Look at styles of decoration from around the world and try different ways to create lively and attractive ceramic pieces.

All work will be fired in a kiln and ready for pick up on the next Open Day

Led by Artist and Educator, Teffany Thiedeman

 

 

 

stylised ceramic animal tiles

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Week 2

Monday January 15th: Patterns in Nature drawing

Take an investigative look around you at the natural world and see the patterns that surround us and are part of us.

From fingerprints to spiralling sprouts, the micro to the macro, we can often predict how patterns will appear and sometimes mathematically model them. In this drawing workshop we will be using these natural patterns to inspire and inform our work using a number of approaches and materials.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

  

Spirals, tessellations and more.

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Tuesday January 16th: Rockpools painting

Rockpools are a window into the wonders of the ocean. Each little pool can contain an incredible diversity of plant and animal life. From the elusive and dangerous blue ringed octopus, to squirtie polyps and tiny fish. Rockpools are an underwater garden, full of life and colour!

Spend the day at the beach creating a rock pool using watercolours with salty water, watercolor pencils and more.

 

 

 

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

Spend your day at the beach in the art room.

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Wednesday January 17th: Marsupials painting & drawing

Australia is home to many unique animals. We will be exploring those that fall into the classification of Marsupial- animals with pouches. The rich diversity of Australia’s marsupial wildlife ranges from tiny hopping mice to fierce carnivores like the Tasmanian Devil.

Learn how to draw marsupial animals using pencils of different hardness, ink and watercolours. Learn techniques to create furry texture, shiny eyes and more

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

 

Explore nature with a pencil

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Thursday January 18th: Stained Glass Windows painting & mixed media

Be inspired by beautiful stained glass windows through the centuries and put your imagination to work coming up with a design for your own version. Transfer your design using a light box and a strong black border.

Working on acetate, use a combination of permanent ink and translucent colour washes to build up your image. You will finish with a vibrant and glowing painting which can be mounted on a window to capture the sun and then spread the coloured light throughout the room.

Choose to work from a range of sizes from palm sized to A3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light up your world

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Friday January 19th: Prehistoric Pots ceramics

The oldest pots in the world were built around 15 000 years ago. Humans have been making pots, ornaments and instruments out of clay for a very long time. This is your chance to join in the tradition and coil a huge pot and decorate it with earth coloured slips. We will look at images of pots from the ancient past from all over the world and design our own decorations based on these.

Handprints and animal shapes are some of the most popular motifs. Spend the day making the best pot you can, after all, it might be discovered by someone 15 000 years from now!

All pots will be fired in a kiln.

Pick up finished clay pieces at the next Open day

Led by Artist and Educator, Teffany Thiedeman

 

 

 

 

Flame pot from Japan, 3000BCE.

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Week 3

Monday January 22nd: Animal Portraits painting & drawing

We share the world with other animals. Sometimes as tame pets, as livestock and more rarely as wild creatures. We will imagine a well loved pet (or wild animal) turned into a human and dress it accordingly. This attribution of human behaviour and personality to animals is called anthropomorphism. If we make our portraits kind of funny they can become caricatures- where we exaggerate certain qualities- the stylishness of the fox, the clumsiness of the bulldog, the show off cockatoo.

Use markers and ink pens to make your creations. Anyone who loves drawing (and animals) will enjoy this workshop.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

Express the personality of an animal

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Tuesday January 23rd: Magic Dioramas mixed materials

Build a world in a box!

Dioramas are miniature scenes contained in a space, in our case a cardboard box. Create your favourite magical environment, a scene from a book or a 3D snapshot of a moment. Use a huge variety of tools and materials to construct the diorama.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

Create a world in a box!

 

 

 

 

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Wednesday January 24th: Beastie Banks ceramics

Collecting your coins is a great way to save up for something you really want. Maybe if you build a ceramic Beastie Bank based on your favourite animal you’ll save more money?! It’s worth a try…

Get your pinch potting ready to go as you learn how to construct your chosen animal piece by piece to make a generous bodied animal, ready to store your treasure.

Use ceramic colourants to finish your bank which will be fired in a kiln for and ready for pick up at our next Open Day.

Led by Artist and Educator, Teffany Thiedeman

 

 

 

Save in style!

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Thursday January 25th: Mad Hatters Tea Party mixed materials

Enjoy Tea Time with a twist as you design and construct your very own sculptural Hat.

This is a wearable art workshop and we encourage you to let your imagination fly! From clock top hats to Bowling Hats with a swimming pool in them, here is your chance to make the zaniest hat you can conceive…

Our hats will be constructed from a base of firm foam and then we will use an immense range of materials to make the most original hats ever…

In the afternoon we will all have a very special afternoon tea/performance in our wonderful hats.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

 

More is More in the Mad Hatters Workshop!

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Friday 26th January: PUBLIC HOLIDAY

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Term 4

Mondays- after school 4-5.30pm

Join artist Lauren Van der Hoek and Teffany Thiedeman for ceramics! Monday clay class will be putting together clay trees, animals and little houses to create a diorama. Later we’ll make some wind chimes and hanging decorations with plenty of free time clay in between. We will be glazing and testing a range of different surface treatments.

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Tuesdays- after school 4-5.30pm

Develop painting and drawing skills.

Join artist Lauren Van Der Hoek for some skilled painting direction across a range of painting and drawing mediums. This term we will focus on  acrylics and pencil work.  Animals will be our main inspiration and children will choose the animals they wish to explore with a library of images to work from.

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Thursdays- after school 4-5.30

A mixed materials art class with Bethany-Ann Barclay. Thursday is dedicated to Christmas (and other celebratory) Crafts. This relaxing class will be sampling traditional crafts from around the world. From metal embossing, paper crafts, candle holders and more.

Spring 2023 Creative Catalyst Workshops

Week 1

Monday September 25th: Tiny Town ceramics

 

A miniature village, made of clay! From cities, to towns, to ancient civilisations, create a whole miniature ceramic setting. You will learn handbuilding techniques to build your clay buildings, as well as ways to add texture and detail to your buildings to bring them to life. Clay is a wonderful material to work with, and in this workshop we will be embracing the textural nature of the clay. You will then get to colour your pieces with special clay colourants and pick them up at our next Open Day. 

 

Led by Artist and Educator, Ochre Bodhi

  

 

 

A butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker

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Tuesday September 26th: Bird Baths ceramics

Create a great big, beautiful birdbath to welcome all the birds to your backyard. Keep them safe and happy with your hand crafted ceramic water bowl. Clay is a natural, non toxic and lovely material to work with allowing both functional and sculptural elements to be explored. All work will be glazed and fired in the kiln.

Led by Artist and Educator, Ochre Bodhi

 

 

 

 

Make your own bird bath of beauty!

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Wednesday September 27th: Clay Mandalas ceramics  

A mandala is a geometric design, made up of repeating patterns often with a meditative and ritual purpose. Each mandala is unique to its creator and personal expression. Be inspired by garden motifs, leaves and spirals. Experiment with different textures and patterns. Create a round mandala tile which you can then colour using ceramic colourants before it is fired in the kiln.

Led by Artist and Educator, Ochre Bodhi

 

 

 

      

  

 

Create a one of a kind mandala in clay

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Thursday September 28th: Garden Collage mixed media

Celebrate all things growing and green with this abundant art workshop. Curate an amazing selection of colourful images from art magazines. Combine them with your own drawings using a range of materials. Cut, paste and stick images to create a lively and beautiful Garden collage which you can take home and bring any wall to life.

Led by Crafter and Educator, Bethany-Ann Barclay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

What lives in your garden?

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Friday September 29th: Spray Paint Spring stencil & mixed media  

Welcome the start of Spring with this colourful and lively spray painting workshop! We will use both canned spray paint and manual spray bottles to investigate negative and positive images. Experiment with picking leaves and flowers and spraying them so you get the negative imprint. Learn how to make stencils and build layers. Create a large exciting spray paint masterpiece!

Led by Artist and Educator, Teffany Thiedeman

 

 

 

 

Colourful and lively spray painting!

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Week 2

Monday October 2nd: PUBLIC HOLIDAY

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Tuesday October 3rd:  Bird Animalia ceramics 

Our city is lucky to be home to many different species of birds, from raucous cockatoos, to colourful parrots and tiny, gem like wrens. Birds can be seen everywhere around us. 

We will also look at birds from around the world and marvel at their diversity and beauty. Birds are used as symbols of freedom, peace and splendour on flags, shields, buildings and clothes. Work with your handbuilding skills and celebrate everything bird in this ceramic workshop.

Led by Artist and Educator, Teffany Thiedeman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is your favourite bird?

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Wednesday October 4th: Dragon Painting oil painting

Your chance to paint a masterpiece using the ancient mythological dragon as the source for your work. Learn how to paint using rich and glossy oil paint, a traditional medium for hundreds of years. Investigate the special qualities of luscious oil paint and see how it slowly brings your dragon to life. Oil paintings dry very slowly and can last for a very long time, a suitable medium for capturing dragons…

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

Paint your dragon into life!

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Thursday October 5th: Mythological Dioramas mixed media  

Time to tell a story in a box- a staged recreation of a favorite myth or a traditional story. Turn a cardboard box into a land of volcanos or a hoard of gold guarded by a sleeping monster… If you love to make, build, paint and construct this workshop is for you- learn how to use a range of tools and materials to create your 3 dimensional story box.

Diorama building encourages imagination, invention and problem solving and lets design skills flourish.

Led by Crafter and Educator, Bethany-Ann Barclay

 

 

 

What story will you bring to life?

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Friday October 6th: Aurora Drawer (The Southern Lights) painting & drawing

Be inspired by the awesome southern lights and learn how to use pastels and pencils to create glowing skies. Use your hands to move, and layer, colour across the paper. Learn about composition and lighting to create a truly wondrous painting which glows from within. Practice making skyscapes in graphite, watercolour and pigment powders to express feelings and ideas which can not always be expressed in any other way!

 

 

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

   

Southern Lights on Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

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Term 3

Mondays- after school 4-5.30pm

Join artist Lauren Van der Hoek and Teffany Thiedeman for some hands on, earthy hand building. This term we will using the tree as inspiration for our clay work, we will look at different forms and decorative techniques. We will then work on our technical skills by learning how to wedge clay & recycle clay. To end the term we will be doing some tile work, focussing on design and texture.

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Tuesdays- after school 4-5.30pm

Develop painting and drawing skills.

Join artist Lauren Van Der Hoek for some skilled painting direction across a range of painting and drawing mediums. This term we will be doing everything Dragon! Think scales, wings, eyes, Dragon caves and treasure halls. We will focus on both the macro (a Dragons den or treasure hall) and the micro (a close up of a Dragons eye? Or perhaps the pattern of its scales).

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Thursdays- after school 4-5.30

A mixed materials art class with Bethany-Ann Barclay.

Start the term with an exploration of the wildly creative art form of dioramas. We will be using a wide range of materials, techniques and tools to create imaginative landscapes in boxes which draw you into their detailed stories, later in the term our stories will move onto paper with illustration as the focus.

for our 20th Birthday celebrations in October.

Winter 2023 Creative Catalyst Workshops

Week 1

Monday July 3rd: Winter Landscapes Oil Painting drawing & painting

Winter, the season of short days and long nights. Here in Canberra we really get to taste the bite of winter cold and use it as inspiration for our oil painting workshop. Although winter brings its own pleasures it has always traditionally been a time of introspection and quiet thought. Capture the feeling, texture and light of a Winter landscape to create a calming and cool oil painting you will be proud of.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

  

 

 

 

 

  

Celebrate the season of long nights, short days and contemplation…

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Tuesday July 4th: Hot Chocolate Ceramics ceramics

Create a beautiful, original functional set of mugs to hold the hot chocolate of your dreams! A ceramics workshop specially for winter. Explore hand building techniques like pinch pots, coiling & slab building. Produce some functional ware & glaze it raw with stencils and brush.

All work will be fired in a kiln and ready for pick up at our next Open Day.

Led by Artist and Educator, Teffany Thiedeman

 

 

 

 

Make a unique cup for your favourite hot beverage!

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Wednesday July 5th: Liquid Skyscapes painting

Capture the movement, texture and light across a landscape to create a luminous watercolour painting. Drawing inspiration from an array of wonderful Australian landscape artists: Namatjira, Heysen, Penleigh Boyd and Streeton, we’ll learn how to manipulate colour transparency, intensity and temperature to make our scenes and skies come alive. Play with additions such as salt, masking fluid and wax to alter the way your watercolours settle on the paper and build up layers to construct your paintings.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

 

Be inspired by the cool and liquid tones of Winter

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Thursday July 6th: Black & White Stories drawing & illustration

Choose a storyline and create a striking and contrasting image using only black and white. This can be your own story or someone else’s story that you love. Learn how to illustrate a scene and to incorporate text into the image, like a graphic novel.

Look at a range of graphic novels and be inspired by the work of famous illustrators and comic book artists.

Led by Crafter and Educator, Lucy Marshall

 

 

 

 

 

  

Image by Kiran Gill. From Nerdu’s fan Art- Yu-Tu Mu-Tati Chronicles.

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Friday July 7th: Printing with Stencils mixed media

Work on design and composition and learn how to create stencils to create a masterpiece made up of layered prints. Through creating stencils you can produce multiple copies of the same image, and combine your artwork with other images to create a sense of depth. Go abstract or create a scene! Print both on paper and a simple fabric bag.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

  

Create a fun and colourful image with personal stencils!

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Week 2

Monday July 10th: Misty Mountain drawing & painting

Step into the landscape of your dreams and spend a day capturing the scene on canvas using a combination of acrylic paints and drawing. Amongst the clouds emerge blue peaks, their ridges lined with trees and below lie the fern lined, misty gullies. Lauren will teach you how to paint the suggestions of inhabitants of your mountain, birds, dragons and adventurers!

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

   

Create a painting capturing the magic and mystique of the mountains

 

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Tuesday July 11th: Cool Candelabra ceramics

Lighting a Candle is part of many strong traditions. We light them for birthdays, religious festivals, special dinners and to create an ambience or a mood of celebration. A Candleabrum is a purpose built candle holder to mark these occasions, choose a theme you wish to celebrate with yours.

All work will be fired in a kiln and ready for pick up next Open Day.

Led by Artist and Educator, Teffany Thiedeman

 

 

 

 

 

 

What occasion will you light your candle for?

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Wednesday July 12th: Musical Un-Still Life! drawing

Where pencil meets movement and music! Make your way around the art room and capture the different scenarios you see in front of you. End up with around 5-10 different still life drawings. Try drawing with charcoal, graphite and ink from all; kinds of different angles and positions. This is a fun and active art day for people who love art, gesture and movement.

Led by Crafter and Educator, Dora Porfirio

 

 

 

 

Spend a day with a fun and fluid day of painting!

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Thursday July 13th: Antarctic Animalia diorama 

Travel South from Australia to one of the last great wildernesses on Earth, Antarctica. Home to colonies of thousands of different species of penguins, dolphins, seals and birds. In this nature inspired class look at the beauty of the wild animals of land and sea which inhabit this human unfriendly environment and learn how to model them in air drying clay. Dioramas are miniature scenes contained in a space, in our case a cardboard box- create a winter wonderland in a box!

Led by Crafter and Educator, Lucy Marshall.

 

 

Take a trip to the South Pole!

 

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Friday July 14th: Painted Tiles ceramics

Using up to four prefired terracotta tiles work to make a design which you will draw out and then paint using ceramic underglazes. Choose a theme to focus on, or do one large image and break it up over your four tiles. Explore a range of ceramic surface decorations from stencilling to slip trailing.

All work will be fired in a kiln and ready for pick up next Open Day.

 

 

 

 

  

Create a series of painted tiles to beautify your home

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Term 2

Mondays- after school 4-5.30pm

Clay Classes are Back!

Join artist Lauren Van der Hoek and Teffany Thiedeman for some hands on, earthy hand building. We’ll start the term with mega coil building pots, learn how to direct and alter the clay forms then move into texture and decoration. Along the way we will stop to make some small clay animals and finish with our very own clay paint palette.

Tuesdays- after school 4-5.30pm

Develop painting and drawing skills!

Join artist Lauren Van Der Hoek for some skilled painting direction across a range of painting and drawing mediums. Everyone will start the term with a painted panorama, exploring scale and mood. As we progress into the term art students will move from the macro to the micro with observational paintings and drawings using seasonal and natural objects and models.

Thursdays- after school 4-5.30

A new mixed materials art class with Bethany-Ann Barclay!

Join artist Bethany to work with recycled materials to create expressive animal masks and forms. Learn how to handle hot glue guns safely and experiment with a range of joining techniques. Thursday class will also work with collaging and drawing techniques to explore the animal world.

All art students will also participate in the creating of a giant paper mache animal for our 20th Birthday celebrations in October.

Autumn 2023 Creative Catalyst Workshops

Week 1

Monday April 10th: Public Holiday

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Tuesday 11th April: Underwater Painting drawing & painting

 

Life beneath the waves is a great source of inspiration. Create a vision into the depths of the ocean; discover underwater worlds, shipwrecks and lost treasure, living or dying reefs and their inhabitants, possibly ocean creatures of mythology, krakens and great serpents… Participants will create an underwater masterpiece by first sketching out their design and then painting with acrylic & watercolour paints to add depth and life!

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

What dwells beneath the surface?

 

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Wednesday 12th April: Autumn Landscapes drawing & oil painting

 

Capture a range of delicious Autumn colours and celebrate Canberra’s best season! Students will spend the morning sketching and painting in ‘plein air’ to capture a little of Yarralumla’s deciduous trees, then head inside for an afternoon of colour mixing and painting the autumn landscape at their easels. Participants will be able to work with both pencils and then oil paints over the day and will have time to experiment with a range of approaches.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

 

 

Be inspired by the warm hues of Autumn

 

 

 

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Thursday 13th: April Words of Clay ceramics

 

Make your words art as you transform the ancient art form of calligraphic drawing into sculpture. Blur the boundaries between writing and making as you model animals, vines, people and structures into the letters that will generate words. This ceramic workshop will allow participants to explore and test the limits of clay as they twist and shape it. The final touch will be the addition of colour as glaze is swept across the surfaces of the formed letters. All work will be fired in a kiln and ready for pick up at our next Open Day.

Led by Crafter and Educator, Lucy Marshall

 

 

 

What will your clay say?

 

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Friday 14th April: Optical Illusions drawing & painting

 

Sometimes what the eye sees the mind can not believe! Try some mind bending optical illusions yourself during this day of drawing and painting. Explore a range of optical illusions and look at the ways they trick your brain into seeing what is not actually there. Can you create the illusion of movement on flat paper? Make a booklet to collect your illusion secrets to take-away and test at home. Work together on creating a large optical illusion in the art studio.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

Optical Illusion by MC Escher

 

 

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Week 2

Monday 17th April: Bird Prints printmaking

Our city is lucky to be home to many different species of birds, from raucous cockatoos, to colourful parrots and tiny, gem-like wrens. Birds can be seen everywhere around us. We will also look at birds from around the world and marvel at their diversity and beauty. Birds are used as symbols of freedom, peace and splendour on flags, shields, buildings and clothes. In this workshop we will be making a print using soft foam. Print your birds on a range of different coloured cards.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

Australian birds linocut by Rachael Newling

 

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Tuesday 18th April Imagination Map painting, drawing & more

Map making has a long and intriguing history forming a visual context for famous imaginary lands such as Middle Earth and Narnia. It is an excellent way to share your world with others. Draw a map of your imaginary land using pen, pencil and a range of paints on a large strong piece of paper. Learn how to use scale and create a key representing the terrain of your landscape.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

 

Draw the inner regions of your mind!

 

 

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Wednesday April 19th: Ceramic Leaves ceramics

Gather a collection of leaves from the garden and set to work building an imaginative range of work inspired by the leaf. From tiles, to boats to fairy chairs….we will spend some time designing and planning our clay work before looking at different ceramic techniques to bring our ideas to life. Work will be coloured with ceramic colourants and a range of ceramic decoration techniques. All work will be fired in a kiln and ready for pick up at our next Open Day.

Led by Crafter and Educator, Dora Porfirio

 

 

 

 

Create a sculpture by printing leaves into clay.

 

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Thursday April 20th: Pixies Tea Party ceramics

Imagine a miniature tea set, painted in blue and white, perfect for tiny people to use. You could set up a party on a small table under a giant tree and invite all the pixies, fairies, and goblins you know! Explore the pleasures and skills involved in working clay on a micro scale. Here anything is possible – make a magical set of ceramic goblets, tea cups or jugs. Then add all the whimsical elements and flourishes befitting the Fae Folk. Finally finish your tiny domestic ware with some surface decoration in colour and line work using ceramic underglazes. All work will be fired in a kiln and ready for pick up at our next Open Day.

Led by Crafter and Educator, Lucy Marshall.

 

 

Who will be invited to your tea party?

 

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Friday April 21st: Fantastic Fungi painting & drawing

Be a naturalist for a day and explore the magical world of mushrooms. Be inspired by their incredible colours, and shapes. Learn how to sketch, add texture and shade your mushrooms to express their features; spongy or leathery, smooth or textured, dry or moist. Use a range of paints to bring your fungi to life. Create imaginative compositions using the mushroom as a central focus. We will be looking at real life and images of incredible fungi.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

 

 

 

 

 

 

J Tenniel’s famous illustration from Alices’ Adventures in Wonderland

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Term 1

Mondays- after school 4-5.30pm

This term we welcome everyone back to Aeon with the Introduction week activity Garden Painting on easels in the Bush Tucker garden.

We then will be running afternoons of Summer Printmaking exploring various ways to make a print. We will combine painted backdrops with foam printing and also explore the art of stencilling.

In the middle of the term we will move into sculpture and be using plaster bandage to make giant fruit and other forms.

Towards the end of the term we will get into some Easter Basket Weaving using a range of fibre and materials.

 Tuesdays- after school 4-5.30pm

Tuesdays will start with The Introductory week activity, Rabbit Masks to celebrate Chinese New Year of the Rabbit with paper rabbit masks.

We will then settle into a paper mache project sculpting an animal form.

In the middle of the Term we will take our painting outside to observe seasonal changes and capture some tree and sky.

Tuesdays will finish with a paper lantern project to celebrate Easter.

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Summer 2023 Creative Catalyst Workshops

Week 1

Monday January 9th

Colour Explosion!   Drawing & Painting

Bring your world to life with the power of colour. Colour has the power to change our moods, to make us feel relaxed or energised. Colour is used in the natural world to warn predators of poisoning danger if eaten and to attract mates. Plants use colour to bring insect pollinators to their service.

Explore the world of colour and see how artists have used colour in their works, then create your own colourful masterpiece!

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van der Hoek

Tuesday January 10th

Little Folk Furniture   –  Ceramics

In this workshop we are drawing upon the imaginative world of the fairy folk. These secretive entities populate stories from all over the world; from the indigenous Mimis of Arnhem land to the celtic Leprechauns of Ireland.

You can create a home for the little people of the world. Assemble your collection of clay pieces and paint them with ceramic colourants in preparation for firing in a kiln. Once fired your pieces will be weatherproof – you could set up a hidden home somewhere in your garden.

All work will be available to take home at our next Open Day.

Led by Crafter and Educator, Lucy Marshall

Wednesday January 11th

Fantastic Beasts  –   Drawing & Painting

Bring your favourite mythological beast to life with a pencil and some paints. Look at images of dragons, mermaids, unicorns, kitsune, bunyips and more. Or perhaps you want to create your own beast…?

Learn techniques for drawing scales, feathers and fur and create something from another world.

Lead by Artist and Educator Lauren Van Der Hoek.

Thursday January 12th

Leather Book Binding – Leather & Mixed Media

Experience using one of the oldest natural, craft materials from around the world in this one day workshop. Work with an experienced leather crafter to use special tools and techniques particular to leather work.

We’ll supply a small journal for you to design a special leather cover unique to the stories and pictures you want to put inside.

Led by Leather Worker and Educator Dora Porfirio.

Friday January 13th

Freaky Friday!     –  Mixed Media

Celebrate everything weird and spooky on this Friday the 13th workshop!

What gives you the heebie jeebies? Spiders? Skulls? Eyeballs? Or perhaps something a little more subtle…

Today is the day to celebrate everything spooky and creepy and expand your crafting skills and more!

Led by Artist and Educator Lauren Van Der Hoek.

Week 2

Monday January 16th

Headpots – Ceramics

Using clay, construct an original pot in the shape of a head. Perhaps an animal head, or a human head. Or maybe a human head with animal features? Will your pot have antlers? Or large ears? Maybe some tentacles…

We will be using pinch pot techniques to create a little planter that we will bring to life with different features. Clay work will be glazed and then fired in the kiln so they can grow plants in them for a very long time.

All work will be available to take home at our next Open Day.

Led by Ceramicist and Educator Ochre Bodhi

Tuesday January 17th

Pooch Pottery – Ceramics

Dingoes, dogs and wolves are the inspiration for this ceramic handbuilding workshop constructing sculptures of humanity’s oldest animal friends. Learn how to add personality and expression using different clay tools & techniques.

Come prepared with a picture of your own pooch! Or maybe you want to go for a wilder version.

Capture the fierceness, the loyalty or the cleverness of these beloved beasts in their posture and movement.

Glaze your work and it will be fired in a kiln to make a permanent sculpture.

Pieces will be ready for pickup at our next Open Day.

Led by Ceramicist and Educator Ochre Bodhi

Wednesday January 18th

Rockpool – Ceramics

Rockpools are a window into the wonders of the ocean. Each little pool can contain an incredible diversity of plant and animal life. From the elusive and dangerous blue ringed octopus, to squirtie polyps and tiny fish. Rockpools are an underwater garden, full of life and colour! In this workshop you can create your own ceramic rockpool. Assemble your rockpool collection and paint them with clay colourants.

Work will be fired and glazed and available for pickup at our next Open Day.

Led by Ceramicist and Educator Ochre Bodhi

Thursday January 19th

Magic Potion Bottles – Mixed Media

Shrinking Potion? A bit of Polyjuice perhaps? Some Elixir of Life? Or is Truth Serum more your thing?

Creative Catalyst gets mixing with this project designed to wet your whiskers… In this workshop we will be experimenting with sugar solutions, dyes, glitter, spices, herbs, scented oils and a few other top secret ingredients to produce a truly one of a kind magical potion. Combining graphic design labels, fine sculpture and found objects we will create a magic potion.

Led by Artist and Educator Lauren Van Der Hoek.

Friday January 20th

Leather Ornaments – Leather

Experience using one of the oldest natural, craft materials from around the world in this one day workshop. Work with an experienced leather crafter to use special tools and techniques particular to leather work.

Using these techniques choose from a range of leather ornaments… from wrist cuffs, brooches or hair pieces.

Led by Leather Worker and Educator Dora Porfirio

Week 3

Monday January 23rd

Clay Cacti  – Clay & Mixed Media​

Discover the crazy world of cacti! In this mixed media workshop, students will model their own cacti using air dried clay which they can decorate using a range of mixed media materials. Create a series of mini cacti, or maybe one larger cacti in bloom. Match your cacti with a terracotta pot and see what you grow.

Led by Crafter and Educator Dora Porfirio

Tuesday January 24th

Summer Painting – Painting

Capture a range of warm and lush Summer colours and celebrate our wet and wild Summer. Students will spend the morning sketching and painting in ‘plein air’ to capture a little of Yarralumla’s summer settings, then head inside for an afternoon of colour mixing and painting a landscape at their easel.

Participants will be able to work with both acrylic and watercolours over the day and will have time to experiment with a range of approaches.

Led by Painter and Educator Laurn Van Der Hoek

Wednesday January 25th

Drawing Australian Plants – Oil painting

From giant gum trees to beautiful banksias, celebrate Australian plants! Take a walk around the area for some inspiration. We will be working with a collection of native flowers and various leaf forms, complemented by images from Aeon Academy’s fabulous art library. Students can compose their own still life arrangement or go wild and paint a whole garden or bush scene.

Spend the day training your eyes and developing your oil painting skills.

Led by Painter and Educator, Lauren Van Der Hoek

Thursday January 26th PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Friday January 27th

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party – Mixed Media

Enjoy Tea Time with a twist as you design and construct your very own sculptural hat.

This is a wearable art workshop and we encourage you to let your imagination fly! From clock top hats to Bowling Hats with a swimming pool in them, here is your chance to make the zaniest hat you can conceive…

Our hats will be constructed from a base of firm foam and then we will use an immense range of materials to make the most original hats ever…

In the afternoon we will all have a very special afternoon tea/performance in our wonderful hats.

Led by Crafter and Educator Lucy Marshall.

Spring Holiday Workshops

Week 1

Monday September 26th

Gnomania- Ceramics

The little people have been part of European culture for a long, long time. Gnome, Goblin, Tomte or Leprechaun, they are all related and can bring good luck to the home. Turn away from mass produced plastic garden gnomes and make your own good luck charm! 

Learn a range of hand building skills to construct your very own gnome out of clay. Glaze it in your preferred colour scheme and then it will be fired in the kiln for a permanent finish. 

A workshop for everyone, Gnome matter what your skill level…               

Tuesday September 27th

Spring Sculpture – Recycled Materials Mobile

This workshop invites students to rethink familiar materials and capture a little of spring’s exuberance, in a dynamic mobile sculpture. Drawing inspiration from the work of Glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, and recycled materials sculptor Aurora Robson, students will create a hanging garden, from upcycled and new materials. Flowers, fruits, foliage and seeds can all feature here. Add birds, bees and some of the buzz and movement of the season.

Wednesday September 28th

Leather Craft  

Experience using one of the oldest natural, craft materials from around the world in this one day workshop. 

Work with an experienced leather worker to make a small purse and learn some decorative stitching and knots to work into your design. You will use leather crafting tools and learn techniques to cut and join this strong material.

Learn some leather decoration approaches to make your individual mark.

There will also be a chance to make another small craft item such as a bookmark or charm.

Thursday September 29th

Plaster Caster Maker – Sculpture    

Drawing upon images of masks from around the world, design your very own original mask. 

This mixed media workshop utilises plaster bandage, cardboard, cutting and assembling, using a range of costume jewellery and found objects.

Most masks have exaggerated features which can make them quite scary to look at. Huge eyes, mouths and teeth. 

You can be part animal or mythical beast.

What features do you want to create to bring your mask to life? 

Friday September 30th

Tree Of Life – Painting & Drawing    

Trees are some of the oldest living organisms on the planet. 

They are vital to life on earth and providers of shelter, food, oxygen and power. Cultures from all over the world recognise the importance of trees and their powerful symbolism; representing the cycle of life and the interconnectedness of living systems. 

Take a look at some beautiful tree imagery from across the globe and images of some of the mighty and ancient trees still living today.

Be inspired to draw and paint your own Tree of Life.

We will experiment with inks, paints and different drawing materials, markers and papers to express ourselves using this wonderful symbol.

Week 2

PUBLIC HOLIDAY     Monday October 3rd

Tuesday October 4th

Animal Planters – Ceramics

Build your own one-of-a-kind animal planter! 

Learn and develop hand building coiling techniques to build as large or as small a form you need to create the animal vessel of your choice. Investigate form, surface texture and colour, try different shapes. 

Concentrate on one large piece or construct  a smaller series of planters. Brainstorming and design is part of this process.

Glaze and finish your work with a waterproof glassy surface, all the planters will be fired in a kiln so they can grow plants in them for a very long time.

Wednesday October 5th

Self Portraits – Painting & Drawing

Self portraits are an excellent practice for the artist. They force you to have a really good look at the image in front of you- YOU! 

As well as a mirror, in this class we are going to use the aid of a small instant photograph from a Polaroid camera.

A self portrait does not have to be a perfectly rendered version of a photograph, it is an opportunity to explore self expression and include symbols of important things in your life. You can use colour and scale to exaggerate parts of the picture and create impact.

We will take a look at some self portraits by famous artists to get things started.

Thursday October 6th

Nesting – Ceramics     

Spend a day playing with clay and using Spring as a theme. We will explore ways to make clay butterflies & insects, flowers, nests and sprouting plants. 

Have fun with garlic crushers and other marking tools to make textural and varied surfaces.

Learn ceramic techniques to create small birds, animals and other harbingers of the season.

Assemble your collection of clay pieces and paint them with ceramic colourants in preparation for firing in a kiln.

All work will be available to take home at our next Open Day

Friday October 7th

Spring Painting     

Hooray Spring is here!

Capture a range of delicious Spring colours and celebrate Canberra’s best season! Students will spend the morning sketching and painting in ‘plein air’ to capture a little of Yarralumla’s deciduous trees bursting into life, then head inside for an afternoon of colour mixing and painting the Spring landscape at their easels. Participants will be able to work with both acrylic and watercolours over  the day and will have time to experiment with a range of approaches.