Artworks Community Studio

Yesterday the Watercolour and bookmaking class wrapped up for the term, and I must say it was another fabulous term full of creativity.

This term we have been focusing on bookmaking looking at different kinds of Artist books and making our own concertina book using techniques we learnt in the first part of the course.

The participants were asked to explore the theme “your backyard” looking at things that make them feel at home. The books created are all so different but equally amazing and this tutor is so proud of what everyone created.

Thankyou to all the participants for sharing your creativity

What a great variety of talent shone through our Mixed Media class . 18 week course just completed. Congratulations!

🎨🍂 Floristry & Natural Fibres — Final Class for Term 2 🍂🎨

Today we slowed down, gathered inspiration from nature, and celebrated the beautiful close of another creative term together.

Our final class for Term 2 was all about exploring the rich colours and textures found in the natural world. We experimented with a collection of natural dyes and pigments — from the deep pinks of beetroot and mulberry, to the vibrant warmth of turmeric, alongside mixed berries, tea and coffee stains that created earthy tones and unexpected colour blends.

We began with colour swatching and playful colour mixing, discovering how these organic materials shifted, softened and surprised on paper and fibre.

From there, we moved into painting inspired by a beautiful selection of foraged botanicals including banksia, lantana, bougainvillea and autumn leaves — observing their form, texture and seasonal colour to create expressive, nature-led artworks.

It was a gentle afternoon of creativity, conversation, experimentation and connection with the natural world 🌿✨

🎨✨ Art Journaling – Final Class for Term 2 ✨🎨

What a wonderful way to finish the term!
Today was all about creative freedom, exploration, and inspiration. 💛

Participants immersed themselves in a variety of fun and expressive activities, including:
🖌️ Creating their own journal prompt cards
🪟 Designing “30 Little Windows”
📖 Completing unfinished journal pages and bringing old ideas to life

The room was buzzing with creativity, laughter, and beautiful artistic expression throughout the day.

To top it all off, we shared a delicious lunch kindly supplied by Artworks — the perfect ending to a fabulous term together. 🌿🥗✨

Thank you to everyone who joined us this term and shared their creativity, encouragement, and unique artistic voices. We can’t wait to see you again in the coming terms.

Floristry and Natural Fibres 19.5.26

🍃 Printing with Leaves & Stamp Ink Pads 🍃

The Floristry class explored the beauty of nature through creative leaf printing using coloured stamp ink pads. Using a variety of foraged leaves, looking closely at their different shapes, textures, and vein patterns before transforming them into unique prints on paper.

By gently pressing the leaves onto the ink pads and stamping them onto card and paper, we created beautiful natural designs full of colour and detail. Each print was completely different, showing just how diverse and artistic nature can be.

This activity encouraged creativity, fine motor skills, observation, and an appreciation for the natural world — while also being a lot of fun! 🌿🎨

It was wonderful to see everyone experimenting with layering colours, mixing leaf shapes, and creating their own botanical artworks. A lovely blend of art, nature, and imagination. ✨

Art Journaling – 18.5.26 🎨✨

Today’s art journaling journey was all about slowing down, softening the mind, and creating from a place of calm.

The morning session focused on Neurographic Art — a gentle and mindful process that helped us let go of busy thoughts and quiet the constant chatter of the mind. Through flowing lines, softened edges, and intuitive movement, we allowed creativity to guide us into a more peaceful and grounded space.

In the afternoon, the energy shifted into playful exploration as we experimented with Crayola Supertip markers to create beautiful agate-style flowers. Layers of vibrant colour, organic patterns, and flowing shapes came together in unexpected and magical ways, each piece blooming with its own unique personality.

A day filled with colour, mindfulness, creativity, and connection — a reminder that art doesn’t need perfection, only presence. 💖

I keep telling my students, it's all about arranging shapes, colour etc and finding the relationships that work well. This was a great exercise that experimented with abstract positive and negative shapes based on our names.

Our mixed media art group are producing some excellent paintings. We have been experimenting CV with using acrylic texture mediums

Natural Fibres and Floristry
12.5.26

Today’s creative exploration focused on working with found botanicals to create mandalas inspired by nature. Using leaves, petals, grasses, seed pods, bark, and other organic textures, each piece became a unique expression of colour, balance, and connection to the natural world.

After completing the mandalas, the works were photographed to capture their intricate detail and temporary beauty. These images then became the inspiration for a series of watercolour paintings, translating the natural arrangements into soft layered artworks on paper.

A beautiful process of observing nature closely, creating mindfully, and transforming ephemeral works into lasting artistic interpretations. 🍃🎨

✨ Art Journaling • Week 11 • 11.5.26 ✨

Circles & Flowers 🌸

We began the morning immersed in colour and movement, creating layered circles using a collection of found objects. The rims were painted with watercolour, allowing the pigments to drift and bloom organically across the page. Transparent washes overlapped and merged, while delicate pen work and fragments of assorted papers added texture, detail, and story.

After lunch, we slowed down and turned our attention to nature journaling. Fresh flowers became our inspiration as we carefully observed their shapes, colours, and intricate details. Notes and loose sketches captured first impressions before soft watercolour washes and expressive pen work brought each page to life.

A beautiful day of experimentation, observation, and creative flow. 🎨🌿