THE COOROY BUTTER FACTORY ARTS CENTRE
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Before booking please read the event terms and conditions at the bottom of the event listings, thank you! |
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With a diverse program comprising ceramics, art and artisan workshops, this year promises to be full of weekend events to engage, inspire and educate.
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THE COOROY BUTTER FACTORY ARTS CENTRE
WORKSHOPS AND MASTERCLASSES 2025
Your creative year starts here
WORKSHOPS AND MASTERCLASSES 2025
Your creative year starts here
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Black and White Portrait Photography
with Christine Hall APP DATE: Saturday 11 January 2025 TIME: 1pm - 6pm COST: $180 and $175 for members BOOK HERE For women - be part of our International Women’s Day (IWD) exhibition for 2025! Not only is this workshop an incredible opportunity to take home a wealth of information from a professional full-time photographer who specialises in portraiture, it is also an opportunity to build or raise your profile as an exhibiting artist! This innovative black and white portrait photography workshop guarantees your work a place in a thought-provoking women-only 2025 group exhibition entitled The Pursuit of Ideal Content (a show which responds to the rise of social media and its effects on women).
The workshop Work with professional photographer Christine Hall, who will teach the skills required to achieve successful black and white portrait images using your own DSLR camera. Christine will then lead you into a collaborative hands-on session where you become both subject and photographer. You will be working inside the gallery after-hours in a private, nurturing and safe environment in a female-only setting, given the theme of our exhibition.
Includes afternoon tea. Please note: keep an eye on your email (or junk mail) as we'll be sending you some important information before the workshop. |
Odessa Mahoney de Vries by Christine Hall
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Christine Hall Associate Professional Photographer (APP) Christine Hall specialises in Giclee art reproduction and commercial photography. Christine exhibits widely and has recently been a finalist in the Percival Portrait Prize, the Ravenswood Australian Women's Art Prize (Australia's highest value art prize for women) and the Brisbane Portrait Prize Refuse. She also supports over 138 regional artists by capturing their artwork on film for marketing, cataloguing, exhibition, archive, and website purposes. Christine's recently released book The Studio Project documents by portraiture 42 established, emerging and experimental artists, all of whom are in practice in our region. Please read terms and conditions under event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Sculpting the Female Torso
with Linda Douglas DATE: Saturday 22 February TIME: 9am – 3pm (please note: earlier start than usual) COST: $195 or $190 members Please book HERE Be part of our International Women’s Day (IWD) workshop program for 2025 Open to everyone. This workshop is held in conjunction with our upcoming exhibition The Pursuit of Perfect Content, which focuses on the rise of social media and its effects of on women. In the spirit of the exhibition, you are encouraged to represent the body in a realistic way (as opposed to idealised or augmented). Learn essential sculptural techniques to build a strong three-dimensional form, specifically the human form. Rolling out and moulding clay slabs to form and build shapes is a very effective alternative to working with coils and Linda will instruct students step-by-step in all the techniques required. The completed work will be approximately 45cm high. These skills can transfer to any sculptural form of a human or animal body. Level This technique is accessible to anyone and, in a day, students can achieve very successful results. Some experience with clay is ideal, though beginners are welcome. Includes terracotta clay and firing costs! Figures will be bisque-fired in the studio by our experienced kiln masters, and students emailed when the work is ready collect. A further glaze firing is possible, but would be at your own cost. We believe the figures are at their most beautiful in their natural, bisque-fired state with the material showing mark-making and gestures, expressing the body's subtleties and nuances. Bring a towel, a plastic bag to stop clay from drying out, and wear old clothes and covered-in shoes. TOOLS TO-BRING LIST (The studio can usually supplement what you don’t have; please ask on the day.) Hand building tools Serrated metal rib, non-serrated metal rib, and rubber kidney Wire harp Sponge |
Morning tea is provided, please BYO lunch.
Linda Douglas After studying a Diploma in Ceramics Linda built a custom studio where she ran courses and held group exhibitions. She has facilitated many courses over the years while continuing to work on her own practice and exhibit her work, for which she has won numerous awards. With a teaching background, Linda now enjoys facilitating speciality workshops around the state. Please read terms and conditions under event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
MASTERCLASS AND WORKSHOP PROGRAM TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Refund Policy
A full refund can be provided when written notification is received at least fourteen days before the workshop start date and time. This allows us time to readvertise your space. Refunds are not provided for cancellations received after this time, for non-attendance, or for part-attendance (in the case of a two-part workshop). We cannot offer a credit towards future workshops. If you cancel after the 14 day cut off, we will endeavour to fill your space by readvertising. If the space is filled, we can then offer you a refund. To cancel, click the CONTACT EVENT ORGANISER button on the bottom left of the booking page for your event, or email [email protected]. Please do not ring the office as gallery staff are not the event organisers.
Correspondence
Click the CONTACT EVENT ORGANISER button on the bottom left of booking page, or email [email protected]. Please do not ring the office as gallery staff are not the event organisers.
Cancellation of event due to not reaching numbers
If we don't reach the minimum number of bookings required to go ahead, we will notify you within seven days of the workshop date. This is an unusual occurrence, but does occasionally happen. Refunds will be issued in full.
Weather
We work in an undercover outdoor area, well-protected from the weather. Some workshops, however, rely on favourable weather conditions for either working off site or outdoors. Being Queensland, cancellations may be necessary at very short notice ie: the morning of the event. If the weather is bad, please check your email for notices between 7.30am and 8.30am on the morning of the event. Refunds will be issued in full.
FAQ
What do I need to bring?
Your event includes all the information regarding what you need to bring on the day. (Occasionally, we may need to email a more extensive prep list or provide other important information. The provision of this extra information will always be made very clear in the event information. Each event listing asks you to check your junk email folder so you don't miss these notifications.)
Refund Policy
A full refund can be provided when written notification is received at least fourteen days before the workshop start date and time. This allows us time to readvertise your space. Refunds are not provided for cancellations received after this time, for non-attendance, or for part-attendance (in the case of a two-part workshop). We cannot offer a credit towards future workshops. If you cancel after the 14 day cut off, we will endeavour to fill your space by readvertising. If the space is filled, we can then offer you a refund. To cancel, click the CONTACT EVENT ORGANISER button on the bottom left of the booking page for your event, or email [email protected]. Please do not ring the office as gallery staff are not the event organisers.
Correspondence
Click the CONTACT EVENT ORGANISER button on the bottom left of booking page, or email [email protected]. Please do not ring the office as gallery staff are not the event organisers.
Cancellation of event due to not reaching numbers
If we don't reach the minimum number of bookings required to go ahead, we will notify you within seven days of the workshop date. This is an unusual occurrence, but does occasionally happen. Refunds will be issued in full.
Weather
We work in an undercover outdoor area, well-protected from the weather. Some workshops, however, rely on favourable weather conditions for either working off site or outdoors. Being Queensland, cancellations may be necessary at very short notice ie: the morning of the event. If the weather is bad, please check your email for notices between 7.30am and 8.30am on the morning of the event. Refunds will be issued in full.
FAQ
What do I need to bring?
Your event includes all the information regarding what you need to bring on the day. (Occasionally, we may need to email a more extensive prep list or provide other important information. The provision of this extra information will always be made very clear in the event information. Each event listing asks you to check your junk email folder so you don't miss these notifications.)
PREVIOUSLY
2024
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Totem Magic Summer Workshop
with Maria Brown DATES: Saturday 16 November and Saturday 30 November TIME: 10am - 3pm both days COST: $280 or $275 for members This popular workshop returns for a surprise summer treat! Build a beautiful totem, creating objects and symbols that are meaningful to you, or be inspired by nature: trees, leaves, animals, seedpods, flowers, and oceanic forms such as shells, sea life. The first day is fast-paced so drawing your ideas out on paper before the workshop is highly encouraged and will make a big difference to your progress during the day. Aim for a harmonious and balanced effect to help make the final day streamlined. Finished approximate height of the totem is 1 metre. Part one: Saturday 16 June: MAKE Use slab, coil, pinch, and mould techniques to create a variety of sculptural components for your totem. Students are encouraged to develop rich, organic, textural forms. Part two: Saturday 30 June: PAINT AND ASSEMBLE Paint your bisque-fired pieces with a variety of waterproof paints and beautiful patinas, using brush techniques to enhance the textural qualities of the components. Aim for 'less is more' regarding colour: understated, rich, earthy neutrals counterbalanced with muted colour is always very successful. Completed ceramic pieces will be assembled on a steel rod supported by a sturdy timber base. This is where your forward planning comes in handy! Skill level Everyone welcome. This is a great chance for new students to learn the fundamentals of hand building with clay, while more advanced potters can use their experience to create more complex components. Materials All materials, tools and equipment included. Bring along your own tools if you have them! Morning tea provided. Please BYO lunch |
Maria Brown After a busy career as an art teacher in both primary and secondary schools in SE Queensland Maria now focuses on her own ceramic arts practice and conducts small-group workshops for all levels of ability. Maria’s experience as a teacher means she is able to provide a highly supportive, structured, encouraging and engaging group environment. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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In the Open: Painting en Plein Air with Ben Winspear DATE: Saturday 2 November TIME: 10am – 3pm COST: $150 or $145 members Fresh air, sunshine, the sound of birds, a magnetic landscape directly in front of you, and the colour palette loaded ready to translate it all onto canvas. These are the joys of painting in the great outdoors and if you’d love to start working this way, visiting teacher Ben Winspear will guide you through plein air painting processes so you too can capture the essence of the landscape you’re standing in. Painting this way is wonderful, immediate and honest and means you can take home a little of every place that affects you, whether home or abroad. The workshop will include information on materials, colour mixing and composition via group and individual tuition. Enjoy the camaraderie of being in a group of outdoor painters and the friendly, non-competitive vibe as we work together. For your comfort and protection bring: hat, sunscreen and water. Please BYO camp chair if you have one and a mug for morning tea. BYO lunch. For your convenience, the location will have parking nearby, shade, picnic spots, and toilet facilities. Choose your own medium, whether oils, acrylics. pastels, watercolour, charcoal, pencil. Ben suggests you stay with one medium for the duration of the workshop. Suitable for all levels! Most painters would already have necessary materials and equipment, but here's a list to follow if you're new. If you want to work with paint: 2 reds (Cadmium Red and Alizarin Crimson) 2 blues (Cobalt/Prussian/ Ultramarine) 2 yellows (Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre) Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, any Black, any White Feel free to bring any colours you already have, rather than make fresh purchases - but you’ll need at least one red, yellow, blue and black and white. Brushes: bring a selection of larger and smaller brushes and a detail brush. |
Work by Ben Winspear
You’ll also need:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION Roughly two weeks before the workshop, you’ll be sent an email with the specific meeting place for our workshop (not too far from BFAC). Please check your junk mail so you don’t miss notifications! Ben Winspear Ben Winspear is an award-winning professional artist of 25 years standing. With a particular love for painting landscapes direct from life en plein air, Ben enjoys passing on his knowledge of processes and skills to others. He seeks to ground students solidly in the traditions of observational drawing and painting with an informed use of quality materials. Ben has been involved in numerous arts projects in the education field, teaches extensively and conducts private European painting and gallery tours. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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In the Studio
with Dennis Forshaw DATE: Saturday 12 October TIME: 10am – 3pm COST: $150 or $145 members BOOK HERE An off-campus event at Dennis Forshaw’s hinterland studio and gallery. Fine tune your ceramic work and shift from mediocre to meticulous! Appreciate and acquire professional standards by observing one of the best in the business. This is a purely observational and instructional workshop where you’ll learn the traditional ‘apprentice’ way – by proximity to a master. Join us for a day of learning, ceramics wisdom, gems and advice from master potter Dennis Forshaw, with demonstrations of a variety of processes to consolidate your understanding. Dennis will also sit with you and share his extensive knowledge on the mysteries of gas firing and all its steps and processes from lighting the kiln correctly to the effects on your glaze. If your ceramics is heading in this direction you won’t want to miss out. Also included, efficient workshop practices, a tour of the kilns, how to blend clays, and much more! Bring a note book and pen. Dennis is open to your filming any part of the day. Level: This is one for the more advanced potters and the information-hungry, but everyone would benefit from being part of this group. Location: Dennis’s studio is in 17 minutes drive from the Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre in Doonan (east of Eumundi). We’ll send out the address a few weeks before the event. (Please keep an eye on your junk folders). Plenty of parking on site. Morning tea provided. BYO lunch and enjoy Dennis’s beautiful garden surroundings. BYO camp chair if you have one. |
Dennis Forshaw With over 30 years at the wheel behind him, professional potter, teacher and mentor Dennis Forshaw is known both internationally and at home. His large vessels follow formal design elements which are metamorphic in essence, generating powerful visual and emotional impacts in the viewer. His mastery of glaze and its relationship to form, space, and light is the result of 20 years of research and testing. Dennis is represented by CA Gallery, Coolum and was formerly Head of Ceramics at Townsville TAFE. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Into Blue
with Charmaine Lyons DATE: Saturday 28 September TIME: 10am – 3pm COST: $140 or $135 members The art of cyanotype image transfer Step straight into this workshop with no prep required! All materials are provided too, just bring your creative energy. This wonderful workshop with Charmaine Lyons explores a traditional process of professional image production which will extend both your skills base and art practice. Harness the power of light to make art! Enjoy the opportunity to experiment with new ideas in image creation and production by learning the art of cyanotype image transfer onto muslin. The day includes sourcing botanicals and resist materials from our surroundings, cyanotype applications and exposures. The process also involves deconstruction of the primary material, with reconstruction using hand stitching. You’ll produce a beautiful length of printed muslin that can be used either as a gorgeous summery scarf or a wall hanging to beautify your home. The workshop will give you a basic understanding of the history, processes and possibilities of cyanotypes. By working on introductory cyanotypes you’ll then have the skills to reproduce images that push beyond the limits of the traditional cyanotype. During this workshop, you’ll be encouraged to let go and completely embrace the unpredictable and spontaneous qualities of this method of printing. Enjoy a fast paced and experimental flow, and yield to the response and interaction that presents itself through the processes of this fascinating medium. Beginners to intermediate welcome! |
All materials are included in this workshop.
Morning tea is provided. Please BYO lunch. Charmaine Lyons Charmaine Lyons is a multidisciplinary artist with a specific focus on ceramics, photography and image making. She practices as an ‘available-light’ photographer and works with cyanotype as part of her creative process. Charmaine has a Diploma of Photography and Photo Imaging and has held a ceramic artist residency at the Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre. She is workshop facilitator at Barambah Pottery, Cherbourg and curator at ART POST, Gympie. Charmaine has exhibited both nationally and internationally. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Fired Up - a Saggar Firing
with Kay Wright DATE: Saturday 21 September TIME: 9am – 3.30pm COST: $155 or $150 members Saggar fired work - clay imprinted with nature, mysterious and smoky. Impressionistic, blushed and speckled. Shadowy, warm, smudged. Just some of the sensuous and magical elements of a saggar-fired pot. Let go of all expectations and explore this serendipitous process with Kay Wright in this full-day workshop. An intermediate level is required. All the making and preparation of pots will be your own responsibility including organising your own bisque firing before the workshop. Please carefully factor in the time needed for each stage. The saggar firing will be limited to ten people and each person will need to keep to limits on pot numbers and sizes as this is a communal firing. An information pack will be sent soon after registration, which will also explain how to access Kay’s terra sigillata to prepare the surface of your pots. (You don’t need to take this step, but the terra sigillata application does result in a beautifully silky surface.) PREPARATION FOR FIRING DAY Instructions for making your pots: Clay type is important, as the terra sigillata Kay makes is formulated for white clay: For best results the most suitable clay types are: White Raku, any Mid Fire (Cone 6) White Clay or White Stoneware, such as Walkers 10.
More information will be sent about the workshop upon registration, but you now have the basics to start making your pots! |
IMPORTANT: ensure you check your junk email folder regularly so you don't miss essential student information email or any notifications!
Kay Wright Kay formed an instant connection to the saggar firing process during her visual art studies. Fascinated by its serendipitous nature and unpredictable results, she set off on her own single-minded exploration. Kay is intrigued by patterns in nature and uses the techniques she has developed to emulate natural elements and effects in her ceramic pieces. A regular exhibitor and finalist in numerous art awards, Kay works from her home studio, firing in kilns she built herself. Her saggar vessels can be found in private collections overseas, as well as Australia. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Experimenting with Acrylics
with Fiona Groom A three-week Sunday morning course DATES: Sundays 8, 15, 22 September TIME: 10am – 1pm COST: $215 or $210 members All levels welcome from beginners upwards. An art course, with project. If you’re completely new to acrylics or more seasoned, this three-part Sunday morning course is a brilliant opportunity to learn something new, try a different medium, or fine-tune skills. You’ll learn and practice painting methods and brush techniques and create a handy example chart to refer to. You’ll also work on a step-by-step project to build confidence and skills so you can take home a finished painting – a beautiful penguin portrait! All the techniques you learn are applicable to general acrylic painting, not only animal painting. Week 1: Introduction to painting techniques and brushwork - 3 hours Week 2: Experimentation with techniques, brushes and colour - 3 hours Week 3: Create a penguin painting using our techniques - 3 hours TO BRING
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All other materials and equipment are provided. An A4 visual diary is included in your course fee, as well as a 30 by 40 cm canvas for the final project.
Morning tea is provided. Fiona Groom Popular animal artist and experienced art tutor and facilitator, Fiona Groom is widely involved in the Sunshine Coast artists’ community, volunteering for several community galleries in our region and working with community-based artisan markets. A seasoned exhibition curator, Fiona holds a BA Double Major Fine Arts and Visual Culture and has shown work in state and national exhibitions, as well as group and solo shows. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Hinterland Raku Firing Day
with Carol Watkins DATE: Sunday 25 August TIME: 8.30am - 1.30pm (please note early start) COST: $135 or $130 members Join Carol Watkins in her hinterland studio for an exciting alternative firing experience. Raku is a rapid method of firing pottery outdoors that involves all the elements: earth, fire, air and water. Open surroundings, the drama of flame, red hot wares, smoke and water make for a truly visceral experience. The interaction of combustible materials and hot glaze during the smoking phase, in concert with thermal shock means that a simple piece can be transformed into a thing of uncommon beauty. Expect the unexpected! Outcomes are unpredictable, diverse and highly individual. This is a small group experience, capped at eight. Please follow the instructions below for a beneficial communal outcome. Only use RAKU CLAY to make your pots. In a communal firing we need to follow this instruction to prevent wares shattering, which could ruin other people’s work. Carol recommends KEANE’S WHITE RAKU, as you will experience a better colour response on white clay. STUDENT TO-DO LIST BEFORE THE DAY:
Glazes included. Carol will have a number of pots available at $10.00 each to supply on the day if you don’t make your own, opening this workshop up to those who haven't made pottery before! |
Please note early start!
Morning tea included. Please BYO lunch. Address provided after registering. Carol Watkins Carol has been making pots for 16 years and specialises in alternative and atmospheric firing, including raku, naked raku and saggar. She is drawn to its quick, exciting and unpredictable process, which can give rise to spectacular results. Before booking please read terms and conditions below, under these event listings After booking please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Making an Impression: Lino Cuts on Clay
with Linda Douglas DATE: Saturday 17 August TIME: 9am – 3pm (please note earlier start) COST:$ 190 and $185 Explore two skills during this exciting mixed-media workshop with multimedia artist Linda Douglas! Use traditional print-making techniques and tools to carve into a sheet of lino and, once completed, apply the finished lino cut to the beautiful surface of white clay. This embossed clay will then be formed into a three-dimensional item, with the help of a template. Enjoy the relationship that develops between yourself, the material, and the process, as step-by-step the design is revealed in this lively cross-pollination of techniques! Lino cutting tools are provided and are yours to take home afterwards to continue your practice, as we're sure you'll get hooked on the experience. Applying lino to clay is a technique with an element of unpredictability, with special characteristics provided by the material. Linda will instruct on the best type of design to use with small, graphic-style designs working best for this technique. Remember, the lino cut you design can be used again and again, not just on clay but also on paper, card and fabric for future projects. Think about designs before the workshop and bring along your ideas! Suitable for intermediate students. Linda will demonstrate how to use lino tools safely and correctly. Lino, lino cutting tools and a beautiful quality clay (Keane's White Midfire) are included. Your lino cutting tools are yours to take home. Bisque firing included. We'll email you when your piece is ready to pick up. NB Glazing and subsequent firing is not included. Underglazes can only be applied when the piece is dry. Morning tea included. Please BYO lunch. Please bring: Pencil, paper, ruler, eraser, your usual pottery tools (we have some to share) an old sock. Rolling pins and boards supplied. |
Linda Douglas After qualifying as a teacher, then completing a Diploma in Ceramics, Linda established a custom studio where she taught and ran regular ceramics courses and held group exhibitions. She has maintained her own thriving practice, participated in many group and solo exhibitions and won numerous awards for her work. Linda continues to facilitate specialty workshops, now taking her unique masterclasses to art centres around the state. With a wide repertoire of skills to draw upon, she integrates techniques from many disciplines to provide students with an original and innovative workshop experience. Linda has been a print maker for many years, lino being her chosen printmaking method. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Design for Living: Creating Beautiful Textiles
with Ruth Horton DATE: Saturday 10 August TIME: 10am – 3pm COST: $145 or members $140 Explore the design possibilities of printing shapes on a length of beautiful 100% linen using Permaset fabric ink. Your design will stem from the playful use of collage as a starting point, referencing Matisse and Marimekko. You will love the sense of freedom and play involved in creating patterns from stencils you'll cut out yourself. This method is brilliant for its simplicity and the way a limited number of individually cut stencils can be moved around the linen surface with creative freedom. Your free form shapes can overlap, overlay and create a wonderful sense of movement and colour. Making your own textile art during the workshop will give you the confidence to make more beautiful designs at home! For this workshop, choose either to print a length of material designed as a runner, fully hemmed and ready to use, or pick a length of material suitable for converting into a 'drum' shaped lampshade. All materials and equipment included. No need to bring anything except your creativity! Morning tea provided. Please BYO lunch Workshop outline of the day
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Ruth Horton
Ruth is a life-long art educator and practising artist, whose travels have generated a deep interest in textiles and printing techniques. With experiments in Batik, dyeing, and silk screen printing, Ruth currently enjoys the simple art of printing with stencil cuts. In collaboration with fellow textile artist Trudie Hood, Ruth works with single motifs which are applied individually onto lengths of linen, a technique which allows the design to evolve organically, resulting in one-off fabric prints suitable for interior design projects. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Japanese Book Making
with the artists from ‘Through the Window’ DATE: Sunday 4 August TIME: 10am – 3pm COST: $125 and members $120 Work with the artists from this current exhibition and connect with traditional Japanese paper, books and cultural practice. Learn how to create and stitch unique and customisable books for a variety of uses. During this workshop, create four beautiful, easy-to-make Japanese books, an accompanying slipcase to keep them in, and a lovely origami Kimono piece in Japanese paper. Enjoy gaining insights from our artists into the history of traditional Japanese books, paper and bookbinding techniques. Leave this workshop being able to recreate all these items, so you can always make something unique for a special gift or celebration. This fascinating workshop is held in conjunction with the artists’ exhibition Through the Window. As part of the experience, the artists will take you through some of their exhibition pieces, pointing out specialised techniques and skills. The artists will provide templates and a list of suppliers and resources for you to take home so you can continue learning more about making Japanese books. Decorative Japanese papers will be available for purchase so you can pursue your book making at home if you wish. The workshop will appeal to a range of levels of experience. Beginner’s welcome! All equipment and materials supplied, no need to bring anything. A sushi treat awaits you as part of this workshop. Morning tea provided. BYO lunch. |
The Artists from Through the Window Your skilled teachers are a group of professional artists who are exhibiting at the Butter Factory in July and August. Each artist has individually exhibited their hand produced books, printmaking and paper work widely in Australia and their works are held in significant collections both here and overseas. Together they offer a wealth of experience and opportunity for students and artists to learn a beautiful new skill. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Sgraffito, Relief and Carving
with Ellen Terrell DATES: Sunday 28 July 10am – 3pm Sunday 18 August 10am - 1pm COST: $295 and $290 members Step right into this ceramics workshop with no prep required! Everything is provided for a seamless workshop experience. Guided all the way by life-time ceramics teacher and master potter Ellen Terrell, you’ll be learning and practising the three techniques of sgraffito, relief and carving on three beautiful leather-hard fine, white porcelaneous pots thrown especially for this workshop by Ellen to ensure consistency of learning. This means the workshop is open to those who aren't wheel throwers! Once completed, you’ll carefully paint coloured underglazes or slips onto the raw, leather-hard clay. Return for part two to learn the techniques to apply simple pale or clear glazes to your pots. Students will be emailed once their work is second-fired and ready to collect. Bring:
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Three beautifully-made leather hard pots are included in this fee. An extra pot may be purchased directly from Ellen if you have time to work on another - please bring cash.
All materials, glazes and firing included. Morning tea provided, please bring your own lunch. Ellen Terrell Ellen Terrell is lifelong potter and a ceramics/sculpture tutor who has headed Douglas Arts, Mossman NQ for over 20 years. She has run workshops for Yalanji artists from Mossman Gorge as well as worked with many other arts communities in QLD and NSW. Until the recent catastrophic floods, she was able to combine the pleasures of living in the Daintree rainforest with work as a full-time artist, exhibiting regularly in solo and group shows in Queensland and northern NSW. Ellen has now relocated to the safer ground of the Tablelands and is establishing her studio and practice again. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Embodying your Strengths
with Cate Savant DATES: Saturday 20 July: 10am - 3pm (part one) Saturday 3 August: 10am - 1pm (part two) COST: $260 Members $255 A multimedia workshop, with a focus on ceramics. This two-part workshop is a chance to work with a qualified art therapist in a safe, small group environment. Negativity bias tends to control us and our responses, but this wonderful multi-media workshop is an opportunity to start to change these perceptions. With Cate’s expert guidance, this is your chance to go safely and gently inward to uncover and focus on your unique strengths and values. By recognising and acknowledging these essential parts of yourself, you can begin to change negative neural pathways. With patience and kindness towards our selves, our strengths can become the guiding force in our lives, a more true reflection of who we are. DAY ONE day starts with a meditation, a preliminary art therapy practice, and somatic movement. You'll then go onto the main creative activity, making your wall hanging components out of soothing tactile clay, an empowering activity as well as an opportunity for beautiful and meaningful creative expression. DAY TWO sees you assembling your fired pieces into a wall hanging using all-natural materials. Your completed piece will offer an ongoing reminder to recognise and recall your powerful attributes. No preparation required! All materials included. Bring a notebook and paper. This workshop is limited to eight participants for a beneficial group experience. |
Cate Savant Cate Savant is qualified art therapist, whose professional background includes paediatric nursing, palliative care and personal coaching. With a lifetime interest in neuroscience and psychology Cate is also deeply connected to nature where her own creativity emerges and blossoms, allowing a flow state to arise. Cate’s therapeutic practice has evolved from a love of helping others figure out their unconscious blocks, and walking beside them as they grow and remember who they truly are. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Sculpting a Bird's Head
with Ellen Terrell DATES: Sunday 14 July: 10am – 3pm Sunday 11 August: 10am - 3pm COST: $230 and $225 for members In this two-part sculpture workshop students will create the head of an Australian native bird. Day one comprises the sculpting component, learning skills and techniques to achieve the realistic features and characteristics of the native bird you choose to model. Once bisque-fired, students return on the second day to finish their head with a stunning bronze- effect treatment which also waterproofs the pieces. Each head will be approximately 20 – 30 cms high and will be suitable for mounting on timber posts in the garden. Being a life-time birdwatcher and experienced nature guide, Ellen is keen we focus on our own magnificent Australian birds! All materials, clay and firing included. Morning tea provided, please BYO lunch. TO BRING LIST
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Ellen Terrell Ellen Terrell is lifelong potter and a ceramics/sculpture tutor who has headed Douglas Arts, Mossman NQ for over 20 years. She has run workshops for Yalanji artists from Mossman Gorge as well as worked with many other arts communities in QLD and NSW. Until the recent catastrophic floods, she was able to combine the pleasures of living in the Daintree rainforest with work as a full-time artist, exhibiting regularly in solo and group shows in Queensland and northern NSW. Ellen has now relocated to the safer ground of the Tablelands and is establishing her studio and practice again. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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ON FIRE: Raku Firing Day
with Carol Watkins DATE: Saturday 29 June TIME: 8.30am - 1.30pm (please note early start) COST: $135 or $130 members Join Carol Watkins in her hinterland studio for an exciting alternative firing experience. Raku is a rapid method of firing pottery outdoors that involves all the elements: earth, fire, air and water. Open surroundings, the drama of flame, red hot wares, smoke and water make for a truly visceral experience. The interaction of combustible materials and hot glaze during the smoking phase, in concert with thermal shock means that a simple piece can be transformed into a thing of uncommon beauty. Expect the unexpected! Outcomes are unpredictable, diverse and highly individual. This is a small group experience, capped at eight. Please follow the instructions below for a beneficial communal outcome. Only use RAKU CLAY to make your pots. In a communal firing we need to follow this instruction to prevent wares shattering, which could ruin other people’s work. Carol recommends KEANE’S WHITE RAKU, as you will experience a better colour response on white clay. STUDENT TO-DO LIST BEFORE THE DAY:
Glazes included. Carol will have a number of pots at $10.00 each to supply on the day if you don’t make your own, opening this workshop up to those who haven't made pottery before! |
Please note early start!
Morning tea included. Please BYO lunch. Address provided after registering. Carol Watkins Carol has been making pots for 16 years and specialises in alternative and atmospheric firing, including raku, naked raku and saggar. She is drawn to its quick, exciting and unpredictable process, which can give rise to spectacular results. Before booking please read terms and conditions below, under these event listings After booking please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Totem Magic Winter Workshop with Maria Brown DATES: Sunday 16 June and Sunday 30 June TIME: 10am - 3pm both days COST: $280 or $275 for members Let your creative thinking fly! Your totem can describe your inner self, with objects that are symbolic and meaningful for you alone. Or be inspired by nature: trees, leaves, animals, seedpods, flowers, shells, sea life. Drawing some ideas out on paper at home before the workshop is highly beneficial. Finished approximate height is 1 metre. Part one: Sunday 16 June - MAKE Slab, coil, pinch, and mould techniques will be used to create a variety of sculptural components for your totem. Students are encouraged to develop rich, organic, textural forms. Part two: Sunday 30 June - PAINT AND ASSEMBLE Paint your bisque-fired pieces with a variety of waterproof paints and beautiful patinas, using brush techniques to enhance the textural qualities of the components. Completed ceramic pieces will be assembled on a steel rod supported by a sturdy timber base. Materials All materials, tools and equipment included. You're welcome to bring your own tools if you have them. Morning tea provided. Please BYO lunch |
Skill level
Everyone welcome. New students will learn the fundamentals of hand building with clay, while more advanced potters can use their experience to create more complex components. Maria Brown After a busy career as an art teacher in both primary and secondary schools in SE Queensland Maria now focuses on her own ceramic arts practice and conducts small-group workshops for all levels of ability. Maria’s experience as a teacher means she is able to provide a highly supportive, structured, encouraging and engaging group environment. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Abstracting the Landscape
with Tony Coles DATE: Saturday 22 June TIME: 10am – 3pm COST: $160 or $155 members A wonderful opportunity to learn directly from renowned landscape painter and art teacher Tony Coles. Tony will introduce students to a new way of looking and interacting with landscape by using dynamic multimedia techniques that include drawing, painting and montage. Students will be encouraged to let go of suppositions and and build a relationship with abstraction. Drawing, painting, tearing, cutting and pasting will all be utilised. Tony will explain how to achieve balance, dimension and depth of field in a work, employing a range of colours based on mixing primaries. Join us for this fantastic workshop experience and take home your own very special large scale (made on A1 board) work of art at the end of the day. STUDENT TO BRING LIST: Preparation for the workshop 1. PRINTING OUT YOUR REFERENCE MATERIALS Please prepare for the workshop by printing out large (A4 minimum) colour photos or colour photocopies of a landscape that is significant to you in some way. Hard copies are essential for this process! (Referring to phone images will not work.) 2. MATERIALS LIST
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Other materials will be provided.
Morning tea is provided. Please BYO lunch. Level The workshop is suitable for students of all levels. Tony Coles Tony Coles is an established contemporary artist with an extensive exhibition history. He has won many major art awards and lectured at University and TAFE institutions. Inspired by his local environment and the dynamics of land meeting atmosphere, Tony’s paintings often tend towards abstraction. The balancing of elemental forms with light and temporal references are a preoccupation. Before booking, please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking, please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Charcoal Portraits
with Shyanne Clarke DATE: Sunday 9 June TIME: 10am – 3pm COST: $145 or $140 members Learn a wonderful drawing technique that can be applied to portraits or other subjects! Charcoal is very expressive and forgiving, a great sculptural medium that allows you to bring your own style forward. The drawing technique Shyanne teaches is simple and effective, allowing you to build your seeing eye swiftly. As it’s not a mathematical approach, you’ll be able to employ the method quickly and with confidence. Workshop structure
Suitable for beginners! STUDENTS TO BRING:
Everything else is supplied! Morning tea is provided. Please BYO lunch. |
Shyanne Clarke
Shyanne Clarke is a multidisciplinary artist inspired by the Romantic Sublime era. Her expressive, moody works utilise marks and fluidity to animate line and medium to tell a layered story. Clarke has exhibited regularly in group shows with a solo show Linger at CA Gallery in 2022. Her portrait Sailors View was highly commended at this year’s 40 under 40 Art Prize Exhibition. Clarke is a teacher of fine art at Art School Co on the Sunshine Coast, QLD. Before booking please read terms and conditions at the bottom of these event listings. After booking please check your junk email folder so you don't miss notifications. |
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Sculpting the Female Form
with Linda Douglas DATE: Saturday 8 June TIME: 9am – 3pm (please note early start) COST: $180 or $175 members Learn essential sculptural techniques to build a strong three-dimensional form, specifically the human form. Linda will demonstrate how moulding clay slabs to form and build shapes is an effective alternative to working with coils and will demonstrate all techniques. The completed work will be approximately 45cm high. Level Some experience with clay is ideal but beginners are welcome. Linda loves that this technique is accessible to anyone and, in a day, students can achieve successful results Includes clay and firing! Each student will be provided with a full block of clay to work with. Figures will be fired in the studio by our experienced kiln masters and students emailed when the work is ready collect. Bring a towel, small plastic bag, wear old clothes and covered-in shoes. TOOLS TO-BRING LIST (The studio can usually supplement what you don’t have; please ask on the day.) Hand building tools Serrated metal rib, non-serrated metal rib, and rubber kidney Wire harp Sponge Rolling pin |
Morning tea is provided, please BYO lunch (cafes nearby)
Linda Douglas After studying a Diploma in Ceramics Linda built a custom studio where she ran courses and held group exhibitions. She has facilitated many courses over the years while continuing to work on her own practice and exhibit her work, for which she has won numerous awards. With a teaching background, Linda now enjoys facilitating speciality workshops around the state. Please read terms and conditions under event listings |
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Making and Using Underglazes
with Marc Sauvage DATES: 1 June and 15 June TIMES: 10am - 3pm COST: $320 and members $310 Work with glazing expert Marc Sauvage to learn the process of mixing your own underglazes and the art of applying them to a ceramic surface. You’ll love their ease of use, as well as their reliability, consistency and the wide range of colours available. Making your own underglazes will also save you money! Become confident working with coloured underglazes on your ceramic forms by practising different techniques on a series of test tiles, which you will make yourself ahead of time and bring along to the workshop. During the workshop we’ll follow recipes to make up a range of colours and explore different underglaze application techniques including sgraffito, inlay, banding, texture wash, stencils, tissue transfer, sponging, trailing, varnish etching and stamping. LEVEL: This workshop is designed for intermediate ceramics students. IMPORTANT INFORMATION
IN ADDITION TO THE TILES, ALSO BRING:
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Marc Sauvage After completing a Diploma in Advanced Ceramics Marc taught ceramics at Southbank TAFE. With an ongoing passion for ceramic chemistry Marc developed and manufactured his own commercial range of underglazes, Deco Colours, while also running workshops and continuing his own thriving ceramics practice. A qualified teacher, Marc taught visual art and ceramics at high school for 15 years, inspiring students to switch onto clay. Marc is currently running our popular glazing workshops at the Cooroy Butter Factory pottery and holds weekend workshops for us. Please read terms and conditions under event listings |
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The Fundamentals of Landscape Painting
with Tony Coles A five-week Sunday morning course DATES: SUNDAYS April 28 / May 5 Break for Mother's Day May 19 / May 26 / June 2 TIME: 10am - 1pm COST: $390 Connect deeply with your natural environment or a remembered, significant landscape through the art of landscape painting. This is an amazing opportunity to work with renowned landscape artist Tony Coles. With Tony’s step by step guidance, build foundational knowledge and technical skills in landscape painting, working in the medium of acrylic paint. Students will develop conceptual ideas to a fully resolved painting, based on a favourite or significant landscape. Beginning with drawing and tonal paint studies using resource material, students will pick a favourite study to develop further with sepia washes. The concepts of focal point, foreground/middle ground and background will underpin the process. During this exploration you’ll increase your understanding of space, perspective, light and shade, volume and flatness – considerations which will overlay tonal arrangements before the full palette is finally used. Analogous and complementary colour schemes will be explained in conjunction with the practical skills of mixing colours, paint application, blending, bleeding and impasto effects. TO BRING: A list of what you need to bring will be sent before the start of the course. |
Light on the Escarpment by Tony Coles 2022
Tony Coles
Tony Coles is an established contemporary artist with an extensive exhibition history. He has won many major art awards and lectured at University and TAFE institutions. Inspired by his local environment and the dynamics of land meeting atmosphere, Tony’s paintings often tend towards abstraction. The balancing of elemental forms with light and temporal references are a preoccupation. |
Extending your Practice: Oils
with Ruth Horton
DATE: Saturday May 18
TIME: 10am – 3pm
COST: $ 145 and members $140
with Ruth Horton
DATE: Saturday May 18
TIME: 10am – 3pm
COST: $ 145 and members $140
For artists who want permission to experiment! Find new pathways into painting through a creative, exploratory yet practical approach with experienced art teacher Ruth Horton.
This workshop will extend your ideas and entry points to practice and help you gain confidence using the luscious medium of oils. Students will complete several small works on a variety of canvas and linen surfaces during the workshop. These exploratory studies will act as a visual diary to develop further onto larger canvases later on in your own studio.
A series of quick charcoal drawings of natural plant forms will be used to inform your work on the canvas surface. Working directly with a palette knife and brush, imaginative and non-representational works will be created to reflect the diversity of our natural surroundings.
Bring along reference materials, drawings or photos you'd like as source material.
All materials supplied. You’re welcome to bring along any oil paints you already have. We’ll be working with Alizarin crimson or Rose Madder (or similar), Yellow Oxide, Prussian Blue or Ultramarine, and Titanium White.
Bring an apron and a sketchbook.
This workshop will extend your ideas and entry points to practice and help you gain confidence using the luscious medium of oils. Students will complete several small works on a variety of canvas and linen surfaces during the workshop. These exploratory studies will act as a visual diary to develop further onto larger canvases later on in your own studio.
A series of quick charcoal drawings of natural plant forms will be used to inform your work on the canvas surface. Working directly with a palette knife and brush, imaginative and non-representational works will be created to reflect the diversity of our natural surroundings.
Bring along reference materials, drawings or photos you'd like as source material.
All materials supplied. You’re welcome to bring along any oil paints you already have. We’ll be working with Alizarin crimson or Rose Madder (or similar), Yellow Oxide, Prussian Blue or Ultramarine, and Titanium White.
Bring an apron and a sketchbook.
Ruth Horton
Ruth Horton is an experienced art educator and practitioner. Having worked in high schools as a teacher and head of art, Ruth now facilitates workshops for adults. With a broad knowledge of art history and art techniques, Ruth’s current work at QAGOMA in Brisbane as a volunteer guide allows her to continue her deep appreciation of the arts.
Please read terms and conditions under event listings
Ruth Horton is an experienced art educator and practitioner. Having worked in high schools as a teacher and head of art, Ruth now facilitates workshops for adults. With a broad knowledge of art history and art techniques, Ruth’s current work at QAGOMA in Brisbane as a volunteer guide allows her to continue her deep appreciation of the arts.
Please read terms and conditions under event listings
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Seeing your Self
with Saren Dobkins DATE: Saturday 27 April TIME: 10am - 3pm COST: $160 or $155 for members The expression of self through portraiture This workshop is held in conjunction with the artist's exhibition Hiding in Plain Sight April 12 - May 12. Not only is this workshop a vehicle for experiencing yourself in a completely new way, it is a deep insight into Saren’s practice. It includes a complementary artist’s talk as Saren invites you to view particular works in her current exhibition Hiding in Plain Sight, explaining her process and results. During this workshop, be guided through ways of creating a self-portrait, using both formal elements of composition and an expressionist approach to painting. Students will initially create charcoal drawings, explore tone and composition, as well as create works from the imagination. The final artwork will be an expressionist self portrait using acrylic paint on canvas. This method of painting is immediate, intuitive, expressive, and playful. It doesn’t have to look perfect. Trust your own experience and enjoy exploring how your personal story can be expressed. MATERIALS Easels, drawing boards, canvases and loose paper provided. Students will be sent a short materials list after registration. Optional: bring a hand mirror or photograph of yourself. Level: Some painting experience recommended and a willingness to be open and experimental. |
Saren Dobkins
Saren has been a professional artist since the 80s and has an academic background in communication, design and coaching. Her approach to painting is built on a knowledge of formal composition in concert with an expressionist approach, using an inner narrative to guide the subject matter and composition. Her work explores transience and transformation, with the riddle of identity at its core. Saren has shown in more than 35 exhibitions and her work featured on book covers, murals and posters. Her work is held in both private and public collections here and abroad. Please read terms and conditions under event listings |
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Slip Casting
with Marc Sauvage DATES: 20 April and 4 May TIME: 10am - 4.30pm on 20 April. Marc will discuss start time on 4 May. COST: $295 or $290 for members Learn about slip casting as a production method with ceramics expert Marc Sauvage! This hands-on, practical workshop intensive will take you through all the steps and processes to allow you to reproduce favourite pieces or start your own original range of tableware. At the end of this workshop students will be able to:
PART ONE: 20 April MOULD MAKING Design and process, mould-making (make two moulds), insider tips on undercuts, keys and resist materials. PART TWO: 4 May SLIPCASTING How to make casting slip (two methods), making coloured slip, decorating techniques using coloured slips, casting forms with your prepared moulds. Student information has been sent to each student, with preparatory videos to watch. Copy and paste video links into your browser if links don't work directly! BRING Note-taking materials, two plastic bags (supermarket veggie bags), cottles (explained in video), clamps, 9L bucket, dust mask, apron, old towel, a bag of usable scrap clay, 2-litre ice cream container, decorating brushes. This workshop includes everything else that is needed. Leave your work for firing at the end of the workshop and we’ll email you as soon as it’s ready to pick up. |
Morning tea provided. Skill level Suitable for intermediate and advanced ceramicists wishing to develop skills in this technique. Not suited to complete beginners, but those who’ve attended some beginners’ courses should be fine. Marc Sauvage Marc’s relationship with clay spans almost 50 years. After completing his Diploma in Advanced Ceramics Marc taught ceramics at Southbank TAFE. With an ongoing passion for ceramic chemistry Marc developed and manufactured his own commercial range of underglazes, Deco Colours, while also running workshops and continuing his own thriving ceramics practice. A qualified teacher, Marc taught visual art and ceramics at high school for 15 years, inspiring students to switch onto clay. Marc is currently running our popular glazing workshops at the Cooroy Butter Factory pottery and holds weekend workshops for us. Please read terms and conditions under event listings |
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Contemporary Porcelain Jewellery
with Jan Roebuck DATES: 16 March: 10am – 3pm 23 March: 10am – 1pm COST: $185 or $180 for members Make and wear your own original range of jewellery and wait for the compliments to fly! If you like working on a small scale with beautifully fine materials you’ll be signing up for this brilliant jewellery-making workshop with Jan Roebuck. Work with the silky, sensuous medium of porcelain clay to make and complete at least four items of beautiful contemporary jewellery. Enjoy all the processes on the day and arm yourself with information for future projects if you’d like to take it further. Make a striking, signature necklace of textured discs, one of several styles of rings, a pair of earrings, and a pendant. Jan will demonstrate each step, systematically guiding you through the making of each piece. You’ll learn the fine details of how to join, colour and texture individual pieces as well as receive instruction on stringing, where to source findings (jewellery hardware) plus other resources. Skill level: all levels, but some pottery experience is preferred. Materials All porcelain, slip and metal findings included, as well as firing. Jan will supply all the necessary tools for the workshop. Please bring: Exacto knife or other sharp knife, an old pillow case, pencil and paper. |
Morning tea is provided. Please bring your own lunch.
Jan Roebuck Jan’s relationship with clay first started in the 70s, working mostly in domestic stoneware. Jan later studied with jeweller Luca Tripaldi of Milan and then adopted techniques perfected by Curtis Benzle (nerikomi and neriage) in her work. Her practice naturally progressed to making porcelain jewellery and integrating all the techniques she learnt along the way. Please read terms and conditions under event listings |
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STILL LIFE: The Beauty of the Everyday Object
A drawing course with artist Tony Coles DATES: Sundays 3, 10, 17 and 24 March TIME: 10am - 1pm COST: $265 or $260 for members Take this chance to work with practising artist Tony Coles over a four week period! Cultivate your observational skills and find the necessary connection between hand, eye and mind required for the discipline of still life drawing. With Tony's guidance, learn to appreciate the beauty of everyday objects; to look, see and understand exactly what is before you. Using a variety of drawing mediums, these four Sundays will include point plotting, composition, scale, light and tone, proportion, mark-making, the appreciation of negative and positive space, and working with different surface textures. Each week students will progressively build on techniques and observational skills to complete a final large drawing. This dynamic course will sharpen your skills and provide a firm scaffold for your future art practice. Everyone will benefit from working with Tony, no matter which level you're at. Some materials provided. Students will be sent a short materials list after registration. DAY ONE Mapping the subject Map out a drawing using point plotting, use of the vertical/ horizontal axis, using line drawing to establish a satisfactory composition. Draw compositional lines with reference to negative/ positive space. Drawing shadows. DAY TWO Tonal drawing Drawing using the full tonal spectrum from black to white. Achieve three dimensional effects by utilising light and shade. DAY THREE Loose line drawing Loose line drawing, free expressive mark making, observation of the subject rather than the paper. Explore ways to hold the charcoal to achieve interesting marks. Develop a contour drawing. |
Tony Coles: preliminary stages of a still life drawing.
DAY FOUR Abstraction Draw the subject from various viewpoints looking for a sense of abstraction through the subject’s geometry. We conclude our four weeks by approaching a large-scale drawing, exploring and utilising all the techniques learnt during the workshop. Tony Coles Visual artist and art tutor Tony Coles moved to the Sunshine Coast region after completing his Bachelor of Arts, in which he majored in painting and drawing. Bays, headlands, water, and hills began to feature in his work and an interest in the dynamics of land meeting sea developed. Movement, light, space and energy became his subjects, both figuratively and in an abstract sense. Tony exhibits regularly and has won numerous art prizes. He enjoys the creative interaction of workshops and loves sharing his knowledge. Please read terms and conditions under event listings |
In the Garden:
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PHOTO: Tiles ready for the kiln - before bisque-firing and colour application
Skill level
This workshop is suitable for all levels of experience! Irene Visser Irene’s long career in graphic design and an academic background in communication and design mean she has a wealth of experience and expertise in art and design practice. As manager of Woodford Folk Festival’s venue décor crew, Irene facilitates monthly workshops to produce the festival’s spectacular visual landscape, enjoyed by thousands each year. Please read terms and conditions under event listings |
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Totem Magic
with Maria Brown DATES: 10 February and 24 February TIME: 10am - 3pm both days COST: $280 or $275 for members Totem: an object, such as an animal or plant, serving as the emblem of a family or clan and often as a reminder of its ancestry; an emblem or revered symbol
Let your creative thinking and expression fly in this totem sculpture workshop with ceramicist Maria Brown. Make your totem a visual description of your inner being, with objects that are symbolic and meaningful for you alone. Or be inspired by nature: trees, leaves, animals, seedpods, flowers, shells, sea life. Drawing some ideas out on paper at home before the workshop is highly beneficial. Part one: February 10 Make: Slab, coil, pinch, and mould techniques will be used to create a variety of sculptural components for your totem. Students are encouraged to develop rich, organic, textural forms. Part two: February 24 Paint: you'll paint your bisque-fired pieces with a variety of waterproof paints and beautiful patinas, using brush techniques to enhance the textural qualities of the components. Assemble: completed ceramic pieces will be assembled on a steel rod supported by a sturdy timber base, ready for placement in the home or garden. Approximate size is 1 metre high. Skill level Everyone welcome. New students will learn the fundamentals of hand building with clay, while more advanced potters can use their experience to create more complex components. |
Materials
All materials, including clay, metal stands, wooden bases, paints, as well as firing are included. All the necessary tools, moulds and brushes will be available for use during the workshop. Bring your own if you have them. Morning tea provided. Please bring your own lunch. Maria Brown After a busy career as an art teacher in both primary and secondary schools in SE Queensland Maria now focuses on her own ceramic arts practice and conducts small-group workshops for all levels of ability. Maria’s experience as a teacher means she is able to provide a highly supportive, structured, encouraging and engaging group environment. Please read terms and conditions under event listings |
2023
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Kiln - Forming Glass
with Lucy Quinn DATE: Sunday November 12 TIME: 10am – 3pm COST: $125 and BFF Members $120 Join our Artist in Residence Lucy Quinn in this fantastic masterclass! Create your own unique object using glass fusing and mould-making processes. This workshop suitable for anyone curious about glass as a casting or artistic medium. No prior glass experience required. You will produce a number of small pieces using the following methods:
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Christmas, All Wrapped Up!
with Marc Sauvage DATES: 11 November: MAKING YOUR FIVE CHRISTMAS GIFTS 10am – 3pm 18 November: GLAZING YOUR FIVE CHRISTMAS GIFTS 10am – 1pm COST: $220 and BFF members $210 BOOK HERE SOLD OUT! Click HERE (above) to go on a waiting list via 'contact the organiser'. In this fast-paced and fun two-part workshop create five gorgeous, bespoke handmade pottery Christmas presents in five hours! Come back the following Saturday after your work has been bisque-fired and spend three relaxing hours glazing, decorating and personalising your work. Your five pieces will be ready to collect in good time to wrap up for Christmas - we'll email you as soon as they're out of the kiln. Your five pieces in five hours are: Big beautiful mug or doggy bowl A stunning tripod orb for succulent plants One of the following: a handy spoon rest, trinket or key dish, or soap dish A fabulous flower tealight holder Stylish charcuterie (or cheese) board Are you up for the challenge? Think of this as a hand-building intensive, in which you'll quickly learn a variety of essential skills to start you on your pottery journey. This is the perfect workshop for keen beginners, or those with a little more experience - with the benefit of a highly experienced ceramics teacher guiding you through step by step. Marc will teach a variety of hand-building construction techniques and methods of surface finishing. Learn how to use natural objects, wooden stamps and rollers to create beautiful textures, as well as stencils and tissue transfers. Let your creativity flow and make each piece totally yours. |
This brilliant two-part workshop includes tuition, tools, all the clay required to make your five pieces (rolled out, ready to use), glazes, other materials and all firings. Morning tea is included. BYO lunch.
Marc Sauvage After completing his Diploma in Advanced Ceramics, Marc qualified as a teacher and subsequently taught ceramics at Southbank TAFE. With a passion for ceramic chemistry, Marc developed and manufactured his own commercial range of underglazes, Deco Colours, while also running workshops and continuing his own thriving ceramics practice. For the last fifteen years Marc has been inspiring high school students to develop their own ceramics practice as part of his school's art program. Marc is currently running our two glazing courses at the Cooroy Butter Factory pottery and loves seeing the development of skills and creativity in keen students. |
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Find your Creating Joy: Paint Pouring
with Lee Birch DATE: Saturday October 28 TIME: 1pm – 3pm COST: $120 and BFF Members $110 Are you longing to feel creative and joyful? Then you are encouraged to join in this 2 hour fun filled workshop which is devoted to playing and experimenting with vibrant acrylic paint. No prior experience with art or painting is required. Everything you need is within you and all art supplies will be provided. We will use premixed paints to create some colourful take home art. You will be guided to start the workshop in a calm relaxed state through either a guided meditation or sound bowls. From this state of tranquility you will be encouraged to bring out your inner artist using a liquid (or pour) painting style. The workshop will be relaxed with great music, (for surely art is music and music is art). All artists, whether they know it or not create from a place of inner stillness, a place of no mind.—Eckhart Tolle Please bring along an apron to protect your clothes! |
About Lee Birch
Lee loves creating vibrant art. Art found Lee 2 years ago after she moved to Cooroy from 40 minutes to the south. Lee found creativity, beginning with pour art, increased her energy levels dramatically. And so she continued to paint, experimenting with different techniques and drawing on her inner guidance to direct her approach and artwork. Lee was born and raised in Queensland, moving to Maroochydore from Brisbane as a 22 year old. Her passion for language, human behaviour and sociology led to her teaching English and SOSE at coast (and Canberra) high schools, and working in corporate settings in facilitation and staff development, followed by undertaking many courses in holistic health in order to learn about healing. Lee brings a wealth of warmth, enthusiasm and lightheartedness to her workshops. Past attendees have said: “It was so much fun” “I feel that Lee’s art classes are very therapeutic for the soul”. |
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The Art of Nerikomi
with Lee Berryman DATE: Saturday October 21 and Sunday October 22 TIME: 10am – 3pm both days COST: $285 and BFF members $275 If you're interested in exploring something different in your ceramic practice, this very special workshop with Lee Berryman features the traditional Japanese technique of Nerikomi, in which hand-coloured clay is thinly sliced and joined (laminated). Cutting across the grain of laminated clays exposes an infinite variety of random patterns, which are an integral part of the clay body and not a surface effect. The patterning can be precise and detailed, or may be manipulated to have movement, flow and energy. The use of the medium is only limited by the skill of the practitioner. During this two-day weekend workshop Lee will guide students from start to finish, through the processes of colouring slip to produce coloured clay, how to blend the coloured clays, how to create coloured clay patterns and blocks, and how to use the patterned blocks to create a final piece. All clay, slip, colourants and firing included. Morning tea provided both days. BYO lunch. WHAT DO I BRING? A detailed list of what you need to bring on the day will be emailed after registration. It's mostly general pottery tools and household items that you would already have. (Please check your email spam folder regularly for the email!) |
LEVEL: The workshop is suitable for all levels, but participants will gain the most from this workshop if they have some clay fundamentals. Lee Berryman Nerikomi is central to Lee's ceramic practice; she is drawn to how its exuberance and complexity is countered by the tactility, softness, fluidity and translucency of the porcelain clay she uses. A qualified teacher, Lee’s academic career includes an Associate Diploma in Ceramics, a Bachelor of Visual Arts majoring in ceramics, and a Master of Advanced Studies in Ceramics from the Australian National University. Lee exhibits widely. |
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How to Build your own Kiln
with Frank and Kay Wright DATE: Saturday September 30 TIME: 10am – 2pm COST: $95 and BFF Members $85 Build a kiln for your own backyard firings! Attention all lovers of raku, naked raku and saggar fired wares! If you’re fascinated by the beautiful effects of atmospheric firing and want to know how to build a kiln to rapid fire treasures in your own backyard, here’s your chance to get all the information you need during an actual kiln construction on site at the Butter Factory Pottery Studio. Experienced kiln builder Frank Wright and passionate saggar-firer Kay Wright are your hosts for this four-hour demo and have a wealth of information and expertise to impart on the building and firing processes. Frank and Kay will show you in real time all the steps needed to build a kiln from start to finish, using materials easily obtained locally. You’re welcome to ask as many questions as you like, take part in the construction for some hands-on learning and film any part of the demo. In addition, you’ll be provided with full written instructions to take home. |
This informative workshop will also detail how to source the best type of burner and where to find a registered fitter so you can start firing as soon as possible. This is the start of your raku and saggar firing adventures!
If you’re an aspiring atmospheric firer who’d like to attend with your kiln-building buddy, once registered please email: [email protected] for information on how this can happen. Morning tea provided. BYO lunch. |
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Elementals of pottery
with Dennis Forshaw DATE: Saturday September 9 TIME: 10am – 3pm COST: $160 BFF Members $150 Hands-on experience and skill-building for beginners on the wheel with an expert in his field! If you’re just starting out on your wheel throwing adventure this five-hour hands-on workshop with Dennis Forshaw will point you in all the right directions. Don’t be deterred by the fact Dennis is a master potter – he’s the perfect person to set you on the path of good habits and practices! You will spend the day practising and learning at the wheel in a small group environment while Dennis monitors, responds individually and guides you in the specific skills and techniques on which his own lifelong practice is founded. This is a rare chance to work with a professional ceramicist and glean all the insider tips and tricks to throwing well. This workshop is also suitable for those with more experience who want to improve their practice. This will be a popular workshop so please book in early! Includes clay and morning tea. BYO lunch. |
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Slip Casting with Porcelain
with Julie Maddocks DATE: Saturday August 5 TIME: 10:00am - 3:00pm COST: $125 or $115 BFF members SLIP: liquid clay, which is carefully prepared to a fine, smooth quality and poured into moulds If you love delicate objects, traditional shapes and the translucence of fine porcelain you will be intrigued by this unusual workshop with experienced practitioner Julie Maddocks. This is an opportunity to learn how to create porcelain work yourself from home and set up your own unique in-house studio. Or just relax and enjoy the day as you create using one of the finest and most beautiful materials available. Julie will provide slip ready-made and teach you how to prepare the mould, as well as initiate you into the fine art of pouring to achieve the smoothest result. Once your piece is ready to unmould, you’ll decorate your work with a variety of mark-marking techniques such as incising, carving, hole making, attaching, adding coloured clay by inlaying, impressing with lace, or using stencils. All the techniques will be demonstrated. This workshop includes the firing of your finished piece at the Cooroy Butter Factory Pottery. Your unique piece will be available for pick up within three weeks of the workshop date. |
Julie Maddocks Julie’s fascination with porcelain started over thirty years ago, starting with porcelain onglaze, graduating to slip casting and making her own moulds. With a life-long love of art, she holds workshops and classes in a variety of disciplines from her gallery in Ipswich, QLD. She has had success in numerous QLD competitions and is also a regular art judge at the EKKA and the Gold Coast Show. |
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Seas & Skies: Charcoal for Beginners and Enthusiasts with Shyanne Clarke DATE: Saturday July 29 TIME: 10:00am - 3:00pm COST: $135 or $125 BFF members Let’s dive into the fundamentals of charcoal and explore your mark making style in a full day workshop with Shyanne Clarke. Using seas and skies as our subject, build the confidence to use charcoal as part of your art practice. Whether you are a very beginner or charcoal enthusiast, there will be something for you in this workshop to learn and enjoy. This workshop will cover: Charcoal fundamentals Characteristics of waves and clouds Creating a dynamic composition Drawing technique Artwork application and mark making techniques Finishing a piece and how to store it. Advanced techniques like soy milk, ink, acetone. You will leave the workshop with 2 finished artworks and the confidence to keep building your own pieces at home. Please bring: Willow charcoal (thick & thin) Jumbo compressed charcoal Kneadable eraser Mono Tombow eraser (Best brand here) |
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Hinterland Raku Firing
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Carol will include glazes and provide pots for $10 each if you don't make your own.
Please note early start. Morning tea included. Please BYO lunch. Carol Watkins Carol has been making pots for 16 years and specialises in alternative and atmospheric firing, including raku, naked raku and saggar. She is drawn to its quick, exciting and unpredictable process, which can give rise to spectacular results. |
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Freedom & Fun: Working with Big Brushes
with Lizzie Connor DATES: Saturday June 24 TIME: 10.00am - 3.00pm COST: $140 or $130 BFF Members In this workshop, Lizzie Connor will guide you through the process of using strong and decisive brush strokes from your shoulders and elbows to create large and bold paintings. Working with big brushes is a great way to loosen up your work; rather than getting stuck on the finer details. Throughout the session, you will develop brush skills and mark making techniques specific to big brushes. |
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Altering Forms: the art of throwing larger vessels with Dennis Forshaw DATE: Saturday June 17 TIME: 10am - 3pm COST: $165 or $155 BFF members This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to observe and learn directly from master potter Dennis Forshaw, whose renowned stunning wheel-thrown work, altered forms and perfected technique are the result of mindset, consistency and pure talent. Dennis will teach first by demonstration (learning by proximity: the traditional observational relationship to the artist by an apprentice) and will then invite you into practising his techniques (learning kinaesthetically). He will then gently launch and guide you towards creating the larger forms he specialises in: working with two vessels or more to make a larger piece. Dennis will teach his precise methods from start to finish. Learn the correct posture and handholds, how to join more than two vessels in five different ways, how to firm the clay body and turn the perfect foot ring. Be ready to let go of any preconceptions and habituated methods and come with a mind wide open for learning. Students are welcome to film any aspect and are encouraged to ask questions at any point. Dennis talks as he works, describing the reasons for his approach and uses this interaction as a valuable teaching. |
Suitable for intermediate to advanced potters, but early career potters are most welcome. Exposure to Dennis’s techniques will be of immense benefit to all those who seek improvement. Clay included. Morning tea provided. BYO lunch.
Dennis Forshaw With more than 30 years at the wheel behind him, professional potter, teacher and mentor Dennis Forshaw is known both internationally and at home. His large vessels follow formal design elements which are metamorphic in essence, generating powerful visual and emotional impacts in the viewer. Creating works that speak for themselves is central to Dennis’s process. His mastery of glaze and its relationship to form, space, and light is the result of 20 years of research and testing. |
On Fire: Winter Raku
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Carol Watkins
Carol has been making pots for 16 years and specialises in alternative and atmospheric firing, including raku, naked raku and saggar. She is drawn to its quick, exciting and unpredictable process, which can give rise to spectacular results. WEAR long pants, long sleeved shirts, closed-in shoes and bring a mask. SUITABLE for all levels, even those with no pottery experience. Morning tea provided. BYO lunch. |
