ADULT ART CLASSES
Beginner drawing classes and watercolour painting classes for adults in Kingscliff & Murwillumbah NSW, taught by professional artists.
Helping ordinary humans become great artists!
Our adult art classes are held in Kingscliff/Casuarina and Murwillumbah. Whether you just want a creative hobby or you want to become a professional artist, we’re here to support you.
Award-winning artist Anne Smerdon and her team of professional artists will teach you all the tips and tricks to create good art. We’ll help you find your own style and show you that absolutely EVERYONE can draw and paint. And it’s FUN! Whether you’re a complete beginner or regularly paint, you’re welcome to join the Artory family.
We offer five art classes for adults:
Fridays 9:30-11:30am with Anne Smerdon
NEXT DATES:
14 March - 11 April (5 weeks) at Casuarina
29 August- 26 Sept (5 weeks) at Casuarina
Enjoy the gentle medium of watercolour which helps you to slow down and relax with paint. You’ll learn how to paint any subject, how to loosen up, find your style and most importantly, have FUN with your art.
In this class you will learn:
Watercolour painting for beginners
How to make a picture 'look good'
How to unlock your creativity and discover your own style
Anne’s unique system for watercolour painting (including wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques, feathering and glazing)
Sundays 2-5pm with Anne Smerdon
DATES: returning early 2025 (join the newsletter to be notified when new dates are announced)
Learn from award-winning artist Anne Smerdon, a 2023 finalist in the Brisbane Portrait Prize, a 2022 finalist in the Wollumbin Art Prize and the 2022 and 2021 winner of The Doyles still life prize.
You’ll learn Anne’s style of oil painting to create bold, realistic paintings.
In this class you will learn:
oil painting fundamentals
how to see and mix colour accurately
oil painting safety
how to create life-like paintings
how to choose a subject that’s suitable to paint
how to work thick over thin (the #1 rule in oil painting)
Fridays 9:30-11:30am with Laura J Stratton
NEXT DATES: 15 Nov - 6 Dec (4 weeks),
7 Feb - 7 Mar 2025 (5 weeks),
2 May - 30 May 2025 (5 weeks),
25 Jul - 22 Aug 2025 (5 weeks),
17 Oct - 14 Nov 2025 (5 weeks)
If you want to learn to draw but love colour, this is the class for you! It’s perfect for beginners who want to fast-track their skills and learn top techniques from one of Australia’s best colour pencil artists.
In this class you’ll learn:
How to draw accurately
How to know which colours AND tones to use
How to draw different textures (like glossy fruit or hairy fur) and create that perfect realistic photo finish
Thursdays 9:30-11:30am and 6:30-8:30pm with Liv Bonnor
NEXT DATES: 17 Oct - 14 Nov PM (5 weeks),
6 feb - 6 mar 2025 (5 weeks),
7 Aug - 4 sept 2025 (5 weeks)
This is the perfect place to start if you have always wanted to try art but you lack confidence. It's a structured class to take you through all you need to know to draw any subject with ease.
In this class you’ll learn:
How to accurately so that your drawing looks like its subject
How to create large drawings from small references
How to get the right tones (dark vs light)
How to smoothly blend and create texture
The confidence to move to painting or more advanced drawing once you have finished your first term.
Thursdays 9:30-11:30am
with Liv Bonnor
NEXT DATES: 21 Nov - 12 Dec (4 weeks),
13 Mar - 10 Apr 2025 (5 weeks)
11 sept - 23 Oct 2025 (5 weeks)
Every time we bring out the charcoals in our drawing classes, it quickly becomes a favourite medium among our students. It’s bold, it’s loose, it’s super expressive! It’s also one of the most affordable mediums to use.
In this class you’ll learn:
How to draw accurately so that your drawing looks like the reference
How to create large drawings from small references
How to get the right tones (dark vs light)
How to create texture and movement in your drawings
The confidence to incorporate charcoal into your painted works - it combines beautifully with watercolour painting!
When and where?
Our adult art classes are 2 hours long and are held on weekdays and evenings at “Kakes & Biscuits” in Casuarina NSW and occasionally at the Tweed Regional Gallery in Murwillumbah. Our terms are loosely based on the NSW school term (8-10 weeks). For more details on the individual classes, please select your preferred class above.
What does it cost?
There are two payment options: Pay for the term up-front to receive a discount ($55 per class) OR pay each week casually for $65 per class (this option is only available when there's spare spots in class).
What do I bring to class?
Students BYO materials to class. We keep our material lists as small and affordable as possible. A lot can be achieved with just a few items!
How do I enrol?
Enrolments open a few weeks before each term starts. Students from the previous term are given the opportunity to re-enrol first, then enrolments open up to the public. To be notified when enrolments open, make sure you join the newsletter below.
FAQ’s about our adult art classes
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Yes! We’re all about helping ordinary humans become great artists! Every single one of us is creative!….but somewhere along the way we start to tell ourselves “I’m not artistic. I don’t have that gift”. But we’re here to bust that myth! The truth is, while some people are naturally gifted, every single one of us is can (and should) draw and paint! Drawing and painting is just like riding a bike. Some people naturally pick it up and others need a little help. But absolutely all of us can do it. In fact, many of our students who “couldn’t draw a stick figure to save themselves” have gone on to sell their work and even win competitions!
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If you can’t attend your class, don’t worry. You won’t miss out! Class notes will be emailed to you with photos of each step along with detailed instructions, so you can create your artwork at home.
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Your health and safety is extremely important to us. Our venue is spacious and naturally ventilated. We sanitises tables and chairs between classes. We follow the NSW government advice and guidelines.
By attending our classes you agree that when applicable, you’ll abide by local government mandates and regulations, including mask-wearing, hand sanitising, vaccination status, checking-in using the covid-safe QR code and physical distancing. You agree to not attend classes if you show any signs of sickness.
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If classes cannot run in-person due to government restrictions or lockdowns, classes will be run online via zoom. The zoom class may be scheduled for a different day and time than your usual class time that week, to accommodate our teachers working from home. Recordings will be kept for 7 days for those that cannot make the new class time.
Not sure if watercolour is for you? Try our free online watercolour rmasterclass. Prefer online learning? Try our online courses:
FREE WATERCOLOUR MASTERCLASS
Anne’s introduction to watercolour online course
