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Welcome to Bienarté and our friendly team.

Discover the artist within you. In small, inspirational and carefully structured classes.

Every single person has the ability to create art and under the guidance of a skilled and attentive teacher, your talent can flourish.

Master Artist Marcel Desbiens has years of experience teaching students to find their own artistic voice and to gain and strengthen their technical skills. Hear what past and current students say about us.

Learn from award-winning local, interstate and international guest artists who offer courses and workshops for all skill levels in Oil colours, Acrylic, Watercolour, Drawing and Pastels in various specialty subjects. We also offer private lessons for intensive training in any technical area you need.

And all this, in the comfort of our purpose-built air-conditioned art studios.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Bienarte is proud to have nurtured the development of over 15,000 new artists, 

There are so many courses and workshops to choose from. Book in early to save disappointment.

Starting Soon

      • Get Loose with Skye | Llewellyn Skye

        Exclusive to Bienarté, this 3-day workshop is for those who want to loosen up their painting style, embrace bold marks and learn to trust their intuition and decision making.  

        What will I learn?

        The first day will be a full day of learning about colour, composition and drawing, followed by 2 full days of painting.

        Skye will teach you how to switch on the creative side of your brain, embrace paint, and trust your intuition. Working from still life set-ups and imagery, you will be guided through traditional techniques with a fast, loose, abstract approach.

        You will be creating your own colour library alongside many sketches and paintings.

        This will be a fun, energetic workshop with an emphasis on trusting your intuition, embracing loose gestural marks and not over-working your pieces.

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        Who is this workshop suitable for?

        This workshop is suitable for people with some experience of their chosen medium. It will cater to early learners through to advanced.

        While Skye usually works in oil colours, you are welcome to work in acrylic. For those who would prefer to work in oil, please use a fast-drying medium and acrylics to paint the backgrounds.

        What do I need to bring?

        Drawing Materials:

        Visual Diary
        Pencil
        Eraser
        Thick paper/card - to make colour swatches
        Large clip seal bag - to keep colour swatches in
        Paper - Pad of art paper
        Willow Charcoal or pencils
        Coloured pastels or conte pastels
        Fixative spray
        Scissors
        Pen/marker

        Surfaces:
        You can choose any surface to paint on, from cardboard to ply to canvas - 76 x 91cm (30”x36”) - You can pre-purchase canvases from Bienarté or from most good art supply stores.

        Brushes:
        A range of sizes from small to large.
        Sea sponge/ artist sponge
        rag 

        Acrylic or Oil colours:
        Titanium White
        Black
        Quinacridone Magenta
        Yellow Ochre
        Burnt Sienna
        Raw Umber
        Cadmium Red
        Ultramarine Blue
        Cadmium Yellow
        Phthalo Green/Blue

        We have recently added a few new colours for you to bring:

        Alizarin (cool red)
        Lemon Yellow (cool yellow)
        Phthalo green/blue or phthalo blue (cool blue)
        Glow Pink (by Permaplastik) https://musgraveart.com.au/product/permaplastik-glow-pink-2/

        **Other colours if you prefer

        Medium:
        Oil painters - A fast-drying medium, for example ‘Liquin’ or ‘Odourless Lean by Archival’

        Acrylic painters - Not necessary, but you may choose to play around with acrylic mediums if you prefer to.

        Other materials:
        Jars
        Rags
        Scissors
        Pen/ marker
        Large sized palette/s
        Large clip seal bag (for colour swatches)
        Palette knife
        Water Spray (for Acrylic painters)
        Odourless Solvent (for Oil painters)
        Drop Sheet/ Bath towel

        *Smart Phone or tablet

        Optional:
        Sea/artist sponge

        What is provided 

        • Tea and coffee (please bring your own cup)
        • Easels
        • A friendly, supportive and encouraging learning environment
        • Connection to the Bienarté art community

        Useful Information

        For Visitors FAQs

      • Let's Create! Creative Collage with Mixed Media | Beth Kennedy

        If you’re looking for a weekend workshop to spark your creativity for the first time or looking to re-engage with your creativity then this is the art workshop for you! 

        About this workshop

        Running over two days this course is broken into two parts:

        The first day is learning drawing techniques and warm up techniques (a fast track way for getting in the creative zone) and having fun with mixed media such as watercolour, acrylic, gouache, inks plus and paint markers + learning collage techniques. Students will create small artworks on heavy watercolour paper.

        The second day will be creating two medium to large scale collages on board, using patterned papers that Beth has made herself with paint, mixed media, charcoal, fabric etc.

        What will I learn?

        Students will learn how to get into the creative zone, plus:

        • How to draw what you see
        • How to use mixed media such as paint markers, paint mediums, ink, gouache and acrylic paint 
        • Learn collage techniques from an expert

        Who is this workshop suitable for?

        This is suitable for all levels of experience including absolute beginners.

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        What do I need to bring?

        • Patterned papers and fabrics that you like to incorporate into your collage artworks 
        • Snacks and lunch (there are cafes nearby too) 
        • A mug
        • A visual diary for notes (optional)

        What is provided?

        • 2 x light weight boards per student to create collages 
        • Hand painted papers that Beth has painted
        • Charcoal
        • Mediums (binder, spreader, gloss)
        • Acrylic colours 
        • Inks
        • Paint markers 
        • Acrylic gouache 
        • White gouache
        • Good quality watercolour paper 
        • Easels, tables, chairs
        • Tea and coffee (please bring your own cup)
        • A friendly, supportive and encouraging learning environment
        • Connection with the Bienarté art community

        About Beth Kennedy

        Beth Kennedy lives and works in Brisbane and has a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the Australian National University. She has held seven solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions. Beth is represented by Anthea Polson Art GC, The Artling (Singapore) and Adaro Art (Florida).  Beth's work has appeared in Australian House & Garden, Belle magazine and The Age’s Melbourne Magazine and she has collaborated with Endota Spa for their Mothers' Day 2023 range.
        The essence of Beth’s paintings is the dynamics of patterning. Even at their most colourful, there is a quiet and enigmatic beauty to her work.
        Pattern, colour and composition all work together to present a snippet of an emotional narrative in the floating worlds she creates. She works intuitively with colour, at times allowing it to flow across the canvas in washes, and at others using it in bold opaque area. Amongst this, wavering patterns move in and out of focus, eventually finding their place and adding depth and beauty to the paintings.
        Each of Beth's paintings is the result of a sustained process of transcription: from sketches, to watercolour, to paint on canvas.

        Useful Information

        For Visitors FAQs

      • Painting Practice - Casual | Bronwyn Searle

        Do you find it hard to devote time to your painting practice?
        Do you get stuck with a painting and don’t know where to take it next?
        Do you have technical questions about your painting?
        Are you looking for a group of likeminded artists to paint with?

        The Studio Painting Practice casual courses provide:

        • uninterrupted time to focus on your own work in a studio setting
        • an expert tutor to help you extend your skills
        • a small group of passionate likeminded artists

        What will I learn?

        Everything you need to know to complete your own painting project.

        Who is this course suitable for?

        Those who have completed Foundation in Oils and ‘Gain Confidence in Oils’ courses, or who have the equivalent skills and experience.

        You could start a painting in this class, or bring one you're already working on.

        Casual classes give you the opportunity to attend the ones that fit with your schedule without commiting to the Term

        What do I need to bring?

        Bring your painting materials with you. Limited art supplies are available for purchase at the studio if you need a top up.

        Please bring odourless solvent only and avoid any strong smelling mediums.

        Bring somehting, like an old towel or sheet, to cover the table

        What is provided?

        • easels
        • backing boards
        • chairs
        • tables
        • tea and coffee (please bring your own mug)
        • a friendly and supportive environment
        • connection to the Bienarte art community.
      • Watercolour - Shirley Trevena Style | Jan Lawnikanis

        About this workshop

        After setting up our own still-life in the studio, we will analyse the methods of UK artist Shirley Trevena and emulate her painting approach. https://shirleytrevena.com/  This will give you a greater appreciation for her unique style and introduce some other ways of painting in watercolour. We will start with a small project to try out her brushwork style and then work from still-life scenes to create our own unique interpretations. Bring a camera, iPad, tablet or mobile phone to photograph the set-up.

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        Who is this workshop suitable for?

        This workshop is designed for those who have learnt at least some basic watercolour techniques previously.

        What do I need to bring?

        Paints:
        Bring a range of transparent & opaque professional quality watercolours in your preferred brand. Include a black.

        Paper:
        You will require 300gsm Cold Pressed watercolour paper in Medium or Rough. My recommendation is to buy a watercolour block as the paper is already stretched. ¼ or ½ sheet size is fine. Quality brands are Arches, Saunders Waterford or Baohong. Student quality paper just doesn’t work well, so please make sure the paper is 100% Cotton.

        Brushes:
        Bring whatever watercolour brushes you already own, but include at least two ‘rounds’ with a sharp point (one small and one larger), plus a larger ‘mop’ brush for backgrounds. There are so many good brushes on the market I won’t specify any particular brand, but just make sure they are designated watercolour brushes and not acrylic brushes with long handles.

        Palette:
        The large plastic palettes with lots of wells and a lid are my recommendation. Make sure it has a large enough mixing area.

        Board:
        Larger than your paper and something to prop up under one end for working at an angle.

        Other:
        Drawing equipment - pencils, eraser, ruler etc, plus pen and paper for taking notes
        1 sheet of graphite transfer paper (not carbon paper. Jan will bring some for $3 per sheet)
        some paper for sketching
        an old towel or hand towel
        tissues
        2 plastic containers for water
        masking tape. 

        A medicine dropper or plastic pipette for squirting small amounts of water would also be handy. 
        Don’t forget a photography device!

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        Jan will supply some still-life objects and background patterns for this workshop, but you are welcome to bring any favourite objects and/or fabrics for a still-life.

        Please bring your lunch and snacks or you can purchase from cafes close by.

        What is provided?

        • Tea and coffee (please bring your own cup)
        • A friendly, supportive and encouraging learning environment
        • Connection to the Bienarté art community

        About the tutor

        Jan Lawnikanis has been teaching art classes consistently for nearly 30 years and tutored over 200 workshops in a variety of media. Students have praised Jan for her teaching skills and preparation which has gained her an excellent reputation with all ages.

        Jan has been the featured artist in Australian Artist Magazine, with 5 full-length articles on using coloured pencils. Other publications include the Paradise Magazine-GC Bulletin, Art Newsflash, the International Watercolour Institute catalogue, the Coloured Pencil Magazine, the Australian Coloured Pencil Network, Art Edit magazine and Artwise textbook for the Australian Curriculum.

        Her award-winning artworks hang in many private and corporate collections. Jan’s watercolours have also been selected over the last few years to represent Australia for an international watercolour festival in Fabriano, Italy.

        Useful Information

        For Visitors FAQs

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Marcel Desbiens | Master Artist | Principal Tutor