Australian Birds and Animals in Mixed Media

This 6-week course explores the vibrant world of birds through mixed media painting. Students will experiment with a variety of materials—charcoal, ink, watercolor, acrylic, collage, stencils, and pastels—while learning how to combine them into expressive and layered artworks. Drawing inspiration from Australian flora and fauna, participants will create a final bird painting that reflects both technical skills and personal creativity.

This course is designed to encourage playful experimentation, layering techniques, and expressive mark-making while also introducing compositional strategies and finishing methods.

What will be covered in this course:

Observational drawing of birds and simplifying shapes
Techniques in charcoal, ink, watercolour, acrylic, pastel, and collage
Creating textured and layered backgrounds
Using stencils, sprays, and mark-making for dynamic effects
Compositional planning and focal points
Integrating realism with abstraction
Final finishing techniques and preparing artwork for display

By the end of this course students will:

Be able to experiment with and combine multiple art materials in one painting.
Confidently sketch and paint bird forms using expressive techniques.
Develop layered, textured backgrounds and integrate them into compositions.
Apply finishing touches to bring artworks to completion.
Produce a final mixed media bird painting that reflects both skill and individuality.

THIS CLASS IS FOR: Beginners to intermediate.

LOCATION: Woolgoolga Gallery 73 Turon Parade Woolgoolga

TIME: Thursdays 9:30am to 12:30pm starting 16 October to 23 November

DURATION: 6 weeks

TUTOR: Julianne Gosper

COST: Member $220 / Non Member $240.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Required materials:

Drawing supplies:

Sketchbook (A4 or A3)
Graphite pencils (2B–6B)
Charcoal sticks or pencils
Erasers (kneadable + regular)

Paints & Color Media:

Watercolour set
Acrylic paints (primary colours, white, black, plus a few favourites)
Inks (black + coloured optional)
Soft pastels or oil pastels
Paint markers (e.g., Posca or acrylic markers)

Surfaces:

Watercolour paper or mixed media paper (A3 recommended)
Optional: small canvas or canvas board for final piece

Collage & Texture:

Old magazines, newspapers, tissue paper, patterned paper
Gel medium or PVA glue
Stencils (store-bought or handmade) Stamps
Sponges, old credit cards, palette knives for texture

Brushes & Tools:

Variety of brushes (round, flat, fine detail)
Ink pens or fine liners (waterproof recommended)
Spray bottle with water
Palette, jars, rags/paper towels

Other:

Apron or old shirt
Masking tape

Optional:

Metallic paints, gold/silver leaf, spray paint

ABOUT THE TUTOR

Julianne Gosper is a multimedia artist living on the mid north coast of New South Wales. She spent her childhood immersed in nature on the family farm in Central New South Wales. It was here that Julianne developed a love and appreciation of the natural world.

Julianne completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts from U.N.S.W and a Grad Dip Arts Education at Deakin University. She has participated in many solo and group exhibitions in the Hunter and Clarence Valley regions. Julianne has won numerous awards including The Yulgilbar fellowship(Grafton Regional Gallery), Most Outstanding Animal Artwork and Peoples Choice at The Sydney Cruelty Free festival. Regionally she was awarded The Bendigo Art Prize, Grafton Regional Gallery Acquisitive prize, The Louis Ellem Award for Most Outstanding Artwork and Peoples Choice at The Jacaranda Art Exhibition and Go Art Exhibition, The Soundscape Award and Most Outstanding Artwork at LCAC 8x8 Exhibition, Maclean.