ASPIRING local artists found inspiration in the first paint ’n’ sip session on the back patio of the Galleries in the Gardens, Tea Gardens, on Saturday 1 November.
With music in the background, and rain lightly tapping on the roof, eleven attendees painted mushrooms under the guidance of Jan Nesbitt.
“This is your work, use mine just as a direction, make it your own,” were the main instructions.
“Every mushroom is different, I just instructed them to start on the cap and work down,” Jan said.
Despite there being a single model image, there were as many different mushrooms on canvases as there were painters.
“Their efforts have exceeded my expectations.”
It was a learning opportunity on many fronts, covering concepts like brush types and strokes, colour mixing, and using darkness to give it depth.
The “sip” part of the afternoon was BYO, but all other elements, including the paints, canvases and nibbles, were provided as part of the experience.
“They can take their masterpieces home with them, to finish or use as a springboard for more artistic endeavours.”
Jan has been painting since she was 15-years-old, and has been associated with the Galleries in the Gardens and Myall U3A for the last three years; both selling her art and teaching others.
Her own artistic form, dubbed “Nesbittism”, is self-described as “detailed abstract”.
“The next paint ’n’ sip event has already booked out, without a firm date even being set, and the one after that is also nearly full by now, too,” Jan told News Of The Area.
“I’d like to do this fortnightly, or once a month, all through the summer, including some for kids aged 7-12 (as well as more for adults).
“Parents can have a bit of a break, and the kids can get creative.”
By Thomas O’KEEFE
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