Artist's Palette

Christine Ann Kelly was born in South Africa. She attended school in the country of her birth and also in England, well before moving to Australia and settling in Sydney in 1996. Sydney provides wonderful surroundings for an artist whose love for wat

Using my selected photograph as reference, I do some small thumbnail sketches to work out a composition and decide on a focal area. I then prepare the canvas with a red underpainting (warm red and a touch of raw umber). In this case I have used acryl

Using my Saunders watercolour paper, I lay down the bones of the composition with Ultramarine Blue, Magenta and a small amount of Black (for strength). Keeping it loose, I look for a channel along which the eye can flow. Next, I mix good quantities o

I did a small thumbnail sketch to work out composition and tone, and a small colour sketch to select my colours. Using the grid method, I enlarged my subject. After making sure the drawing was correct, it was transferred onto my watercolour paper usi

Throughout my life, I’ve been impressed by the Australian landscape. As a child holidaying on the coast; at my homes at Lightning Ridge and Narrabri. The landscape has always evoked a deep emotional response. At times the immediate response to the la

A traditional way to approach a subject in most mediums is to paint the background first, then move towards the foreground. We see some oil painters put on a thin layer to start, using broad strokes and building up the background and eventually mov

The country of my birth is a distant memory – I left Holland at the age of seven. After graduating from Balmain Teachers’ College in Sydney, I held numerous teaching positions at many levels. I furthered my training by achieving a Bachelor of Educati

The paper is taped to a board with masking tape. I make a tray with newspaper, and tape it to the board – this gets thrown out when I am finished. I use my fingers to blend colours and soften edges … a lot! I need to wash my hands frequently. I use a

Patricia Williams readily admits that she has had no formal background in art, although she loved to draw as a child many years ago. She did not study art at school – she has simply developed her creative skills by learning from books and observing t

Cheryl Garrett was born in Brisbane in 1961. As a young girl she spent much time exploring wilderness areas with family members who were passionate birdwatchers and bushwalkers. As an adult she has travelled extensively throughout Australia, observin

I first sketch the birds in my sketchbook, usually from photographs I have taken, working on them until they are perfect. I then trace them onto tracing paper, turn them over onto my painting paper, and move them around until they are in what I consi

I begin by making marks and working over these to see what is there. I work on unprimed board as I think it is the best surface – being neutral and very durable. The initial work is in light tones to allow for working over later. Some of the images a

Robert Robertson was born at Dunfermline, Scotland, in February 1944. After arriving in Sydney in 1961, he studied at East Sydney Tech and Alex Mackie Teacher’s College from 1963 to 1966. Robert taught art in New South Wales from 1967 to 2004. He wor

Drawing is often lots of fun and a wonderful and satisfying experience for many people. teacher However I , ’ve over encountered my years as an who long ‘to , be able to draw’ and many are quite afraid to make the first marks because they are already