July was a busy month!

Get loose with Skye! 

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a 3-day painting workshop with the amazing Lewellyn Skye at Bienarte. This immersive experience was such a treat, a creative oasis away from the world for a long weekend, lucky me! Lewellyn’s unique approach and insightful guidance helped me push my creative boundaries and experiment with new techniques. The workshop was an intense yet incredibly rewarding journey, and I'm excited to integrate what I’ve learned into my future projects.

Skye pushed us out of our comfort zone, daring us to experiment with colour mixes, bold brushstrokes and fun mark-making techniques. We also learned how to harness the power of our right brain through fun drawing exercises including drawing with our non-dominant hand, and drawing with our eyes closed. It was a beautiful 3 days spent with Skye and members of the art community, getting to know one another and making new connections. 

I made a solid start on 3 large paintings, and have some exciting plans for how they will look once finished.

Skye has one more workshop at Bienarte in 2024 - Get Loose with Skye | Llewellyn Skye Bienarté (bienarte.com.au)

---

Mount Gravatt Show Student Art Competition

I was honoured to have been invited to judge the student art competition at the Mount Gravatt Show. This event was a wonderful celebration of young talent and creativity, and I was blown away by the incredible artworks that these budding artists have created. Judging this competition was a privilege, and I greatly appreciated the opportunity to encourage and support the next generation of artists.

---

New commission finished!

I am excited to share with you my latest complete artwork! Commissioned by a growing family who wanted to celebrate the beauty of motherhood and pregnancy, this piece was inspired by the line drawings often created in life drawing classes. The subtle background colours contrast beautifully to the dark green lines of the figures. It was an absolute joy creating this artwork and I am so excited to send it to its new home and see it up on their wall. If you would like to commission me to work on a custom piece, please contact me. 

---

What’s next?

Drawing Josephine

Later this month, I'll be starting a term of drawing classes with Ray Coffee. Although drawing has always felt tedious to me, I recently read Rick Rubin's incredible book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being. In it, Rubin emphasizes that if something challenges you, it's worth pursuing. He encourages stepping out of your comfort zone and stretching your abilities. Inspired by this, I'm eager to refine my skills and explore new techniques. I can't wait to dive in and share my progress with you all!

Oil painting masterclass

I am always seeking ways to improve and learn new skills. In addition to my upcoming drawing class, I have also signed up to a self-paced oil painting masterclass with Sunshine Coast artist Jess Le Clerc. I am loving Jess’s style of teaching, and as a mum of 4(!) I am in absolute awe of how she has managed to juggle teaching art around caring for her family. 

Art competitions

I set myself a goal this year to enter into an art competition. After my recent experience judging, I am more inspired than ever to put my artwork out into the world. I was stoked to see that my artwork ‘Flowers for Mothers Day’ SOLD at the Incognito Art Show! This was a boost of encouragement I needed to enter my work into a competition. Stay tuned for updates in this space! 

Commissions

I am so grateful for the interest I have received in commissioning me to work on custom pieces. The next few weeks I will be busy working on a watercolour figurative artwork, and another large figurative piece in acrylic in oils. I am excited to be working with neutral colour palettes for these artworks, which as you may have noticed by now, will be a challenge as I tend to lean toward going absolutely overboard with colours. Although my commission list is full for now, please reach out as there will be spots later in the year for me to work on new pieces. 

That’s all from me, for now! Thanks for reading. 

Painting Josephine x