JUDY ADAM
Adult classes in oils and other media Ph: 9634 2015 Judy has lived in Castle Hill for 40 years. She studied with John Perkins, Alan Waite, John Wilson, Beth Burgess, and Leeka Gruzdeff. She started teaching art to children and adults at Castle Hill Art Society in 1985. She also taught adults for the Hills Shire Council Leisure Learning for 10 years as a volunteer. She is now teaching adults pastel, oil, watercolour, acrylic and drawing. |
DEBORAH ALDRICH
Children’s Classes, Adult class in Acrylic painting, Pastels (Soft and Oil) drawing Ph: 9894 6206 / 0405 580 150 aldrich.rnd@gmail.com I have a Bachelor of Art Education and worked as a Secondary Visual Arts teacher before working as a teacher at the Castle Hill Art Society. I enjoy encouraging a child’s imagination and teaching them ways to develop their creativity. I particularly enjoy teaching students to look around and be observant of the colours and lines and shapes that are around us every day and to think of representation of form from different viewpoints when constructing their compositions. I get a lot of satisfaction in seeing confidence and self esteem grow as the student’s skills mature over time and as most of my students stay with my classes for a number of years, it is a joy to see them grow over time both in height and artistic development! I teach children from Kindergarten to HSC level, as well as Adults. In my Children’s classes I teach many varied subject areas: e.g. drawing, painting, design, sculpture, printmaking and mixed media work. Over the years many of my students have won major prizes at the two exhibitions run annually by CHAS as well as the Castle Hill Show and the Royal Easter Show. All year 12 students I have taught have earned a Band 6 or Band 5 in their HSC Visual Arts mark, with some exhibiting in the Art Express exhibition. Some past students have gone on to do degrees and work within the artistic realm. For example: game design, animation, 3D modelling, illustrators, art teaching, graphic design, fashion design and studying Fine Arts at the National Art School in Sydney. |
MARIANA ARIZA
Children's classes Ph: 0424 900 391 or 45666286 mariana-ariza@hotmail.com Mariana's interest for art began when she was very young. As a child she always had a pencil or brush in her hand. While other girls liked dress shopping, Mariana was happiest in the pen aisle... She did visual arts throughout her schooling life and she graduated with a band 6 for her major body of work. This further encouraged her passion. Mariana undertook some brief studies at the Art League in Houston, USA. In 2010 she stumbled upon the Watts Atelier of the Arts in San Diego, California. For a year she attended regular classes and it was here that her eyes were truly opened to the possibilities and the magic of studying in this field and for the first time she saw it as a serious career path. Now, back in Australia she is a student at the Julian Ashton Art School , where she continues to further her knowledge and practice of fine arts. She is a member of the Castle Hill Art Society where she also attends classes and workshops and where she has been working as a children's art teacher since 2013. Prizes and awards:
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MARIAN BLAKENEY-McMAHON
Painting, Mixed Media, Print Making & Drawing Class Ph: 0432 231 469 Ravenhurst1@optusnet.com.au Marian is a Sydney based socio-political and environmental artist who works at the interface of art and technology. Her works are an exploration of these ever changing social and environmental mediums through printmaking, drawing, painting, mixed media, computer technologies and sound. She has exhibited and sold works locally and internationally, commissioned by Integral Energy, RTA & Sydney Water Board and represented Australia in the ‘Kangaroo Visit to Rome’ travelling exhibition in 2015. |
VENESSA HARRIS
Adult classes in drawing and oil painting Ph: 9653 3508 venessa.harris@optusnet.com.au Venessa is a local artist who has been teaching for over fifteen years. She was formally trained at Julian Ashton Art School in the Rocks, then went on to travel and paint in Europe where she was inspired to develop her brush and oil skills. Venessa is mainly a commission artist which has allowed her to focus on portraiture in recent years. Venessa has developed a teaching programme to allow her to pass on her brush and drawing skills to her students in a one on one class environment. Students are taught the fundamentals of successful draughtsmanship and discover new untapped abilities with oil paints using a wet into wet technique. Budding artists will learn how to avoid muddy landscapes, dull still lives and lacklustre portraits, discovering mastery over difficult subject matter. Venessa believes that the best artists learn the skills to challenge themselves...to leave beauty where there was none before. |
JOACHIM LAI
Adult classes in watercolour Ph: 9620 7996 joachimlai@hotmail.com and www.flickr.com/photos/joachimsart/ Trained as High School Geography teacher Retired in May 2007 after 17 years in a state high school. Completed an American correspondence Fine Art Painting Course from Famous Artists School as a hobby. Painted in acrylic from 1981 to 1987. Has been painting seriously in watercolour since 1988. (Sold about 250 paintings). Has been demonstrating watercolour painting at 6 art societies around Sydney. Participated in group exhibitions at Windsor Attic Gallery 3 times. Represented by Dural Galleries from 1988, when it was Old Northern Gallery, to 2008. Held 3 solo exhibitions at a high school. Seldom participates in art competitions. Won various Art Society awards, including First Prize in Watercolour, Baulkham Hills Art Society 2004, Highly Commended awards many times. One painting published in Australian Artist Magazine. |
ELLEN MACMAHON
Children's classes Ph: 8850 5715 semacmahon@bigpond.com Having drawn for as long as I can remember, (one of my earliest memories being of trying to draw with a broken arm at age 3), I experienced my first art sale at age 15, when I sold 2 drawings in my school art show. Following this, I had the thrill of having my first ever painting chosen to be exhibited in the ArtExpress exhibition of HSC art in 1981, when it was hung in the Sydney Town Hall, then travelled the state. Whilst at University and during the following 7 or 8 years teaching in primary schools. I never lost my passion for drawing and the wonderful feeling of "losing myself" in a drawing, at this stage using pastel, a medium I still love. Once my children were at school I was able to attend classes and workshops held at various Art Societies, where I experienced oils, plein air and acrylics. It wasn't until my 30's that I discovered the magic of watercolour, which continues to fascinate me with its unpredictability and luminosity. Over the years I have sold acrylic, watercolour and pastel/mixed media works, and have recently developed an interest in portraiture. It is predominantly the play of light which fascinates me, and I like my works to exude a calmness & serenity. I began teaching children's art classes from my home, after requests from my children's teachers and friends, and began children's classes for Castle Hill Art Society in 2008. It is always a delight to see my students "losing themselves" in a drawing or painting in the same way that I do. In our fast-paced world I believe that it is so important to give our children the opportunity to experience "The Arts" in some form, with the relaxation & meditative benefits being a balance for the busyness of life, and enabling them to experience something that can bring them such enjoyment for their whole life. |