Liz McCann (formerly Liz Chatburn) received a Bachelor Degree of Visual Arts from Uni-SA Underdale in 1998. In 1994, she graduated with a Diploma in Applied and Visual Arts from North Adelaide School of Arts. Liz’s work has slowly evolved over the la

Cooktown School of Art Society Inc operates the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery at 125 Charlotte Street, Cooktown, in far north Queensland. This history has been compiled with the assistance of member Elizabeth Johns. In 1979, Elizabeth Guzsely with severa

This first step can take many months to achieve. I can do dozens of small sketches before I arrive at the composition that best expresses what I am trying to convey in the painting. In these drawings I will look at elements like movement and rhythm,

Bushwalking near Lawson in the upper Blue Mountains can be a sheer pleasure. As you descend down the mountainside through Dante’s Glen, you can follow a mountain stream with huge beautiful cliffs and high waterfalls. The terrain is breathtaking and f

Joyce Hopwood-Knight lives at Kyneton, Victoria – a historic country town near Bendigo. She cares full-time for her elderly mother. Previously she farmed at Broadford in Victoria, breeding thoroughbred horses and cattle. Only a short time ago, purely

Using a light Ultramarine Blue, I block in the composition of the painting – checking that the allocations of sky, middle ground and foreground are in balance. My method is to start from the top and work down; therefore the sky is my first task. From

I was born in London in 1961 but came to Australia in 1967 with my parents. I grew up in the ship building town of Whyalla in South Australia. I started art at the age of 15, and mainly drew animals and people portraits. I gained an A+ in Advanced Ar

During an early morning walk along Bombo Beach at Kiama with my dog Mishka, I came across a newly deceased Sea Dragon. It was still in very good condition and the colours were bright. I raced home to take photographs of my find and to preserve him in

Scott Taylor was born in Meningie on the shores of Lake Albert in south-east South Australia. He spent a lot time at his grandparents’ farm located near Meningie – a predominantly flat part of the country providing an unbroken vault of sky which he b

I have my substrate professionally stretched with double primed 10 ounce canvas (cotton duck), and before any oil painting is started I apply two coats of water based oil primer. This is a very important step as you cannot trust that the canvas manuf

Dailan Pugh was born in 1955 in Melbourne, Victoria; and raised in a shack built by his parents in bushland at Dunmoochin, near Hurstbridge on the outskirts of the city. The shack evolved into a rambling house as he grew. He currently lives and works

My approach to artworks is primarily influenced by both the subject matter and the medium I am using. Nothing can be truer than the saying ‘out of sight, out of mind’ when it is applied to our marine environment. While we are drawn to its shores and

Sue Gasser was born an artist. For as long as she can remember, she has always been drawing or painting. As a child, Sue would mainly sketch portraits in pencil … pictures of famous people and family members. Her gift used to be merely a hobby, but n

Newcastle in New South Wales was my birthplace. My English mother married a country Australian. I spent my early years in the country and attended boarding school (where art was my favourite subject). After settling in Sydney, I undertook college tra

I tape the paper onto a large sloping board, taping only the top two corners so that the paper hangs freely. Then I tape two to three photographs onto the board which I will work from. I sketch out my subject in pencil. In this case, with the lorikee

I used 200 weight Canson Oil Paper which I taped onto a board standing on a bench easel, and (as always with any of my paintings) I started at the top and moved down my painting. For painting in the sky, I used French Ultramarine plus a little Monest

Basecoat the canvas with the use of the 2” base coating brush with the white gesso. Allow to dry and lightly sand with the sanding block, wipe with a lint free cloth and then give the entire canvas another coat of the white gesso, a hairdryer may be

I was 17 years old when I did my apprenticeship as a commercial artist. I was taught craft, drafting and construction by artisans, reproductionists, illusionists, and masters. It was about aesthetics and technique, precision, flamboyancy, extreme, c

Many people I speak to tell me they really enjoy painting but don’t get the time to do it. My answer is, I paint (almost every day) and sometimes don’t get the time to do other things. As a young man I had the need to draw, and I enjoyed art at schoo

Like thousands of other retirees, I started this part of my life with lots of resolutions. I still don’t have a new bathroom or a tidy garden, and the bush that surrounds my home is still a fire-hazard, but I have achieved one aim - to become a compe

I choose an image with a personal appeal. In this case I took a photo a few years ago on a visit to the South Island, New Zealand. I like the way the water twists and swerves around the rocks. I start with a mixture of Raw Umber and Prussian Blue sli