Coochie Art Group







 Coochie Art Group enjoyed a particularly wonderful day on Tuesday 10/8/21 with tutor Vicki Whalan. Fresh from lockdown, it was great to be creating watercolour magic with our mates. We welcomed a new member, Susan, presented with her Coochie Badge, welcomed a new visitor, Joanne and were delighted to have a former member, Natalie, back to enjoy the class. With Vicki’s help, we explored the intricacies of gum blossoms and leaves. Vicki took us through the importance of establishing colour notes, using a limited palette, and warm and cool colour wheels to inform the choice, drawing an initial detailed sketch with comprehensive notes, demonstrated when and how to use limited masking fluid and to avoid the usual traps. We were delighted to see Vicki’s chosen gum blossoms emerge beautifully, not as a botanical painting, but as Vicki’s lovely interpretation. Thank you Vicki for a wonderful day, complete with your usual very extensive class notes. These are invaluable, as members could watch Vicki’s every brush stroke, without stopping to take notes.
Next class with Vicki will be on 24/8/21, where members will explore painting native birds in watercolour. Should be fascinating! Visitors are always very welcome, as long as space in the class allows. For more information, please contact Gail on 0429 174 818.

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Coochie Art Group was delighted to welcome back, on Tuesday 27/7/22, our wonderful tutor, Vicki Whalan – a very talented, local artist, who is also President of Old School House Gallery. Vicki has a real and generous gift for tutelage, is extremely encouraging for all skill levels, hands out the most comprehensive class notes and is a delight to have back for Term 3 – Gum Blossoms and Birds in Watercolour with the optional addition of coloured pencil. Vicki took us through the importance of an accurate subject sketch, better methods to improve composition, drawing techniques, and how to actually draw a gum blossom – no easy subject, and so much more! Her handouts covered everything, including how to stretch watercolour paper and why! It was a fabulous and enjoyable day, great mates, great tuition in the best art venue – Coochie Hall, looking out over the Bay and the Golf Course. Visitors are always very welcome, as long as class size permits. Next class will be Tuesday 10/8/21. For more information, contact Gail on 0429 174 818

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Yesterday, in the teeth of strong winds, relentless rain and rough seas, Coochie Art Group enjoyed another fabulous day, learning and creating with our brilliant tutor, Jan Lawnikanis. It has been such a wonderful term with Jan’s innovative teaching, new techniques to learn with coloured pencils and some really outstanding works of art created by our talented members. Jan demonstrated techniques to use with pencils on birch wood panels, which gave a very different result, using the grain of the wood to enhance the design. Lots to remember with this method, but absolutely fabulous results! We had a couple of Aha! moments, when wax-based and oil-based pencils reacted unusually! So much to learn, with such good mates and an amazing tutor. Thanks Jan!

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Coochie Art Group had another wonderful day painting together with our fabulous tutor, Jan Lawnikanis on 16/2/21, using coloured pencils. Jan L took us through further exercises and we learned the mysteries of different types of cross-hatching and the magical effects this can bring. Some beautiful work was produced, with a very different approach to portraiture, as shown in the Margaret Olley work and the pink galah below! Jan also prepared the members for a very different tack in our next class on 2/3/21. Members will be painting over prepared collaged surfaces and the effects Jan demonstrated were amazing. Can’t wait for more magic!

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Subject: Fabulous Coloured Pencils with Jan Lawnikanis

Coochie Art Group kicked off the year’s tuition on February2, with a fabulous day of Coloured Pencil artistry with another of our favourite tutors, talented artist, Jan Lawnikanis. Jan took members through the various techniques needed for artist-quality coloured pencil work. We had some members who had not used proper coloured pencils before, but with Jan’s encouragement, we all worked our way through the various techniques and skills required. Jan, like our other tutors, is always very generous with her resources and teaching. It was just great to all be back painting together, in our favourite Hall, looking out over the Bay and the golf course! Great tutor, great mates and great painting together.

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Coochie Art Group is looking forward to a magical series of classes in Term 1, with another of our favourite tutors, a talented artist and fabulous tutor, Jan Lawnikanis. Covid forced us to cancel classes with Jan last year, so we are delighted to be able to have tuition with her this term. Below is part of Jan’s Materials List. I’ll post the pencil selection in another selection. Visitors are always very welcome, if space in the class permits. For further information, please contact Gail, on 0429 174 818.
CAG cp workshop 1 materials.docx
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Coochie Art Group enjoyed a master class indeed, for our final Term 4 class with Louise Corke, Master Pastellist, and Australian Pastellist of the Year 2019, on 24th November 2020. Louise pulled all her previous class content together and demonstrated clearly the values of Tone, Colour, Composition and Movement. We enjoyed the company and talents of some lovely local Coochie residents and hope to have their company soon. This was a fabulous end to a difficult year for us all! Thank you Louise for a superb series of classes for CAG and our visitors.

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