Paint a Pair of Aussie Icons

Pelicans are one of the most charming subjects in Australian coastal art — dignified, slightly comical, and full of personality. This week you'll paint a pair perched on weathered driftwood.

You’ll explore how to capture their soft white plumage, those distinctive pink-orange beaks, and that calm, windswept estuary mood so perfectly. You'll practise palette-knife texturing for the driftwood and loose wet-on-wet techniques for the water and sky, so the whole scene feels genuinely alive and atmospheric.

Go Big, Bold, and Beautifully Loose

Step out of the soft-and-subtle zone this week with a striking, high-impact kookaburra painted in electric blues, turquoises, and rich warm browns. You'll learn how bold, confident, loose brushwork creates far more life and personality than fussy detailed work ever could.

Plus, you’ll discover how just a few well-placed marks can suggest feathers, form, and expression. It's liberating, it's fast-paced, and it always surprises people with how stunning and genuinely gallery-worthy the finished result turns out.

Pure Joy on a Canvas

Prepare yourself for a session of pure painting delight. This week we'll paint a wonderfully fluffy alpaca (yes, really) with a soft pink flower tucked cheekily between its teeth.

This is a playful, character-filled subject that will have you smiling from start to finish. You'll focus on capturing that gorgeously chaotic, slightly scruffy fur texture and the gentle humour in the animal's expression. A perfect piece for gift someone special, or simply keep for the little giggle it gives you every time you walk past.

Palette-Knife Magic You'll Fall in Love With

Highland cows are the most photographed farm animals on the planet for very good reason. Who can resist that magnificent flopping fringe, those long elegant horns, and those soulful staring eyes?

This week you'll paint one using rich, chunky palette-knife textures, learning how to build thick, buttery, expressive fur using tools other than brushes. The result is a wonderfully tactile, almost three-dimensional portrait that feels alive on the canvas. If you've never picked up a palette knife before, this is the week you'll genuinely wonder why you ever waited so long.

Go Wild with Every Colour in the Box

This week is all about colour — pinks, purples, turquoises, yellows, oranges — all layered and blended together into a flamingo portrait that feels more like music than painting.

You'll loosen right up, play hard with your palette, and discover how "wrong" colours can sometimes make a subject feel far more alive than accurate ones ever could. Consider it your official permission slip to be bold, brave, and expressive. The finished results are always absolutely jaw-dropping.

Drama, Texture, and Glowing Amber Eyes

Drama, texture, and atmosphere take centre stage this week with a moody, mysterious black cat portrait. You'll work with deep blacks, rust oranges, teal shadows, and electric blues. These create a richly textured background and a face that feels like it's quietly watching you from inside the canvas.

It's a proper masterclass in contrast, showing how light reveals form, and how warm and cool colours play off each other. Brooding, beautiful, and a genuine statement piece for any wall you choose to hang it on.

The Most Aussie Painting of the Term

We round out the term with arguably the most iconic Australian subject of them all — a gorgeous koala nestled on a eucalyptus branch. You'll paint textural fur, soulful expressive eyes, and a loose, dappled-light background that feels distinctly Aussie bush.

It's a beautiful chance to bring together everything you've learned across the term: layering, colour mixing, texture, brushwork, and expressive loose marks. A painting you'll be genuinely proud to sign your name to at the end of the session.

Fierce, Bold, and Dripping in Gold

You’ll paint a breathtaking owl portrait in rich acrylics, building up dramatic texture and depth with every brushstroke. Then comes the magic: real gold leaf, carefully applied to bring your owl to life with a luminous, almost regal shimmer that catches the light in the most spectacular way.

The combination of bold, moody tones and that luxurious gold leaf finish creates a piece that looks like it belongs in a gallery. Trust us, your walls are going to thank you for this one.