Wide Open Water and One Small Sail

Sometimes the quietest painting is the most striking one in the room. You'll cover most of the canvas in soft blues and greys, then place a single sailboat and let all that empty space do its work. The knife keeps the water alive.

We'll focus on getting the reflection sitting right underneath the hull. A restful class with a very grown-up finish.

Blossom That Stands Off the Canvas

This is the most three-dimensional piece of the whole term. You'll build each blossom up in thick dabs of pink and white until the branch genuinely stands proud of the surface. People will want to touch it.

We'll start with the branch and let the flowers grow out from there. Slow, absorbing and completely worth it.

A Single Flower, Full of Character

One sunflower, one canvas, and a great deal of texture. You'll sweep the petals on with the knife and pack the centre with dense, crusty paint that catches every bit of light. The quiet grey background keeps all the attention where it belongs.

We'll talk about how one slightly droopy petal makes the whole thing feel real. Perfect flowers are boring flowers.

Gold on the Water and One Small Boat

The whole painting turns on that band of gold running down the water towards you. You'll lay it in with the flat of the knife in broken horizontal strokes, letting the blue show through underneath so the light looks like it's moving. It's the sort of effect that seems impossible until you've done it once.

Then the boat goes on, small and dark and sitting just off the sand. We'll keep the grasses in the corner loose and quick, so nothing competes with that sunrise.

An Aussie Icon in Every Colour Going

We're staying bold and bringing it home. You'll paint a koala using just about every colour on the palette, letting blues, pinks and greens do the job grey normally would. The fur becomes a burst of texture all around the face.

We'll keep the eyes and nose grounded so it still reads as a koala. Everything else can be as wild as you fancy.

The Quiet End of the Beach

This one is all about restraint and lovely muted colour. You'll paint a stretch of empty shoreline with dune grass in the foreground, using the edge of the knife to flick up individual blades. The sand goes on thick so it feels underfoot.

We'll keep the palette soft and sandy the whole way through. The sort of painting that looks wonderful in a hallway.

Everything You've Learned, All at Once

We finish with the biggest texture of the term. You'll build a jagged, crashing foreground of rock and spray, then set a small lighthouse against a soft misty sky. The contrast between rough and smooth is the entire point.

Every technique from the last nine weeks turns up in this one. Bring your knife and your confidence.