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. |
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. |
DESIREE MARTIN
Adult classes in oils and other media Ph: 0488 631 249 desiree.m.martin@gmail.com Desiree Martin studied Showcard and Ticket Writing, then went on to study fashion design at TAFE and the Whitehouse School. When Desiree became a mother, she had time to explore her first love of art, drawing, painting and creating and has been following her passion of painting and teaching people art ever since. Desiree continues to learn new techniques to keep her art fresh and contemporary and is passionate about sharing all she has learnt. She teaches most mediums and focuses on increasing students understanding of the basic art rules, guiding people to tap into their unique style. |
MARIANA ARIZA
Children's classes Ph: 0424 900 391 mariana-ariza@hotmail.com For me, art has been a lifelong passion. I consider it a visual language that well mastered has the power not only to describe the physical but a potential to communicate complexly in ways beyond words conveying concepts and emotions to create a connection between the viewer and the piece. I enjoy this challenge of communicating through my brush and I am drawn by different subjects. In particular, I enjoy portraiture and nature. I have undertaken professional full and part time studies in fine arts at Sydney’s Julian Ashton Art School and at the Watts Atelier of the Arts in San Diego California. I have been teaching children’s art classes since 2013 at the Castle Hill Art Society and I started teaching adults in 2021. I am motivated to share my passion and knowledge of art with all my students and truly enjoy seeing them learn, become more confident in their abilities and their creativity whilst also having fun! For examples of both my student’s work and my own check out this page: https://instagram.com/marianaarizaart?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=_or my website https://mariana-ariza.wixsite.com/marianaarizaart |