Next Workshop:

Portrait in Oils (4 Tuesday Mornings)
18 May  - 8 June 2021
We will cover all stages of creating a portrait, starting with the drawing phase, where we will look at measuring methods and establishing a strong accurate under drawing. Then we will look at preparing the canvas/board, planning the painting and the initial tonal block-in of the drawing. During the painting phase, we will look at colour particularly as it pertains to flesh tones as well as establishing a full range of values in order to create the illusion of 3 dimensional form. We will also look at the ordered sequence involved in oil painting that will allow you to maximise the wonderfully rich qualities inherent in the oil paints.


Enrol through Bienarte: https://bienarte.com.au/course/Portrait_Oils_Isabella_Allis

07 3262 1808 / 0409 641 426
team@bienarte.com.au

Bienarte
15 Nariel Street
Albion
Qld 4010
Australia

I am so excited that this painting has been chosen as a finalist in the 2018 Lethbridge 10,000 competition! It will be on display at the exhibition at the Lethbridge Gallery between 12 July - 22 July 2018.
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Ballerinas on a break are caught unawares with hands on hips, bellies sticking out and sending texts.
The painting explores the seamless co-existence of the ballerinas’ traditional world of dance with their contemporary world of technology.

 ​Click here to visit the finalist gallery

​“Spirit of Fire” – a portrait of Rebecca. This recently commissioned piece is the sister portrait of “Portrait of a dancer - Jane” (completed in 2016).  Rebecca’s portrait hangs next to her sister’s in the family’s home. The painting was based on Rebecca’s concert photo taken by Tom Baker (photographer) ten years ago. The small photo lacked facial detail, so I contacted Tom, who very kindly scanned the negative and sent it to me. In order to capture Rebecca’s character more accurately, I asked her to sit for a sketching and photo session. I found Rebecca’s character intriguing as we conversed during our sitting. She is calm and controlled on the outside, yet every now and then there was a spark of an underlying fiery personality. I included fluttering gold fabric as external evidence of this aspect to her. The finished portrait is a culmination of the original photo plus the sketches and photos from our session, as well as a new background.

I am really excited to have these two paintings from my calendar series selected as finalists in this year’s Brisbane Rotary Art Spectacular which will be on show from 14 May – 19 May 2018 at Central Plaza! www.rotaryartspectacular.com.au
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​Also being showcased online, is this painting entitled “October - Pas de Deux”
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Click here to see the full 2018 online gallery: myartprizes.com/award/3

​This portrait was commissioned by Doreen, in loving memory of her husband Leo.
 
The painting is based on a photo that was taken on their holiday to the UK. In the background is the Thames River barrier that prevents the North Sea from flooding up the river.
 
Whilst painting, I kept in mind Doreen’s recollections of Leo and what sort of person he was. Doreen sent me several photos of Leo, including some later ones, where he was very ill, but still showed his cheeky and cheerful side. He had a very strong character, and I reflected this in his portrait.
 
Doreen tells of how Leo was a very warm, friendly, funny man. They met when they were 12 and started dating at 16 and had been married for 50 years when Leo passed away in 2016. He was successful in business and also involved with a lot of voluntary work.
 
Doreen wrote: “He was well liked and respected by all the people he worked with and many made the effort to visit him while he was ill. He was a very brave humble man and when he was diagnosed with Cancer he showed great courage and never complained about his situation and told us all that he was offering up his pain and suffering for all victims of asbestos related diseases”.
 
It was an honour to paint Leo’s portrait as I know the special place he holds in the hearts of his family and friends, and the joy he brought to many people during his life.

​​Date: Thursday 5 April
Duration: 9:30am – 4pm (6 ½ hours)
 
About this workshop: If you are a high school teen, this is a fantastic opportunity to delve into the deep and rich medium of oil painting technique, a course that is not usually offered at high schools. You will discover the wonderful qualities achievable through oils when one layers and blends the rich and powerful colours of the medium. Here is your chance to extend yourself and add to your “artistic toolkit”, allowing you to apply these techniques to your own oil painting projects. I will take you through the steps to produce your own painting of a kookaburra in oils to take home at the end of the workshop. 

What will I learn?

• How to paint in oils using the alla prima method (wet-on-wet)
• The steps involved in layering and blending the oil paint
• What materials and tools to use to create certain effects (e.g., type of brushes or palette knife)
• Colour combining and mixing
• Creating texture using a palette knife
• How to refine the painting and create contrast in value
• Developing areas of detail
• Safety precautions when using oil paint and solvents e.g. using barrier cream on hands, keeping the odourless solvent covered

 
For more information, and to sign up for the course, please visit the Brisbane Painting Classes website via the link below:
https://www.brisbanepaintingclasses.com/course/School_Holiday_Oil_7.12
 
I will also be running weekly afterschool classes at Brisbane Painting Classes. These classes will take you through a progressive course in the fundamentals of art, allowing you to apply these techniques to your own projects. If you are interested, please contact Yasmin at: team@brisbanepaintingclasses.com
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Attending the unveiling of my Frank Sedgman portrait at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club a couple of weeks ago was a landmark experience for me! I would like to thank Frank and his family for so generously being part of the journey of this portrait project. A big thanks to the Kooyong Foundation for acquiring Frank’s portrait for their wonderful collection. Thank you Chris Brown for arranging the acquisition of the painting and for affording me the honour of being part of this very special evening.

In 2015 I decided to enter a piece into the 2016 Archibald Portrait Competition. I was inspired to paint Frank Sedgman’s portrait after a mutual friend of the family told me about his amazing achievements in tennis during a significant period in the sport’s history.

I believe a person’s achievements and life journey are very much reflected in their face and character, so I was keen to meet Frank, as his would be an amazing portrait. It was fitting for Frank to be entered into the Archibald as he is a tennis legend and I was very excited to have this opportunity. I was very pleased when Frank agreed to the portrait.

I met up with him at the Gold Coast, whilst he was up for a holiday enjoying the warmer weather. During the sitting we spoke at length about his past in tennis and about his life since then. To familiarise myself with his features and character, I did a painting sketch of him whilst we spoke, as well as taking casual photos. I wanted to capture Frank in the moment as he recalled the past, his thoughts reflected in his expressions. It was a wonderful and interesting day.
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