The Art Room

Follow in the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer and Raphael and explore the beauty of silverpoint: a drawing technique that predates graphite and demands precision and patience, rewarding the artist with delicate, luminous lines.

INTRODUCTION TO SILVERPOINT DRAWING
Sunday 21st June
Tutor: Caterina Leone
Hours: 10am - 4pm
Level: Beginners - experienced

Using a silver stylus on a prepared surface, artists build fine, indelible marks that gradually oxidise and deepen, developing a subtle tonal warmth unique to the medium.

In this focused workshop, Caterina Leone will introduce the fundamentals of silverpoint, including surface preparation and priming options, metal variations, oxidation, and best studio practices drawn from her long engagement with this ancient technique.

All you need to bring is a 0.7mm mechanical pencil and we provide the rest. Places are limited, reserve your seat via link in bio!

leone.art

𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞
𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴
Rebecca Evans and Leigh Robb
Art Gallery of South Australia, 2024

The use of textiles by artists and designers has long been associated with moments of profound social change and political rupture. From tapestry and embroidery to quilting and tailoring, in the hands of artists, textiles are defined by tension and transformation, resistance and activism. Textiles are a means of time travel and truth telling. From William Morris to Sonia Delaunay, Radical Textiles celebrates the cutting edge innovations, enduring traditions and bodies of shared knowledge that have been folded into fabric and cloth over the past 150 years.

OPEN STUDIO – CERAMICS is an ongoing term class with ceramic artist Kate Jones.

𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆
Duration: 8 weeks
Tutor: Kate Jones
Hours: 6:30 - 9:30pm
Level: Intermediate - experienced
*𝟣𝟢𝘢𝘮 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 & 𝟣𝟢𝘢𝘮 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥

Designed for those ready to take their ceramic practice beyond the foundations, this class offers the time, space and support to develop your skills, explore new ideas and build confidence in your creative direction.

Working within a supportive studio community, you'll be encouraged to experiment with techniques, materials and processes while developing work at your own pace. Whether you're looking to refine your technical skills, establish a regular studio practice, develop a body of work, or return to clay after time away, Kate provides thoughtful guidance tailored to your individual goals.

Blending traditional techniques with contemporary approaches, Open Studio – Ceramics supports curiosity, exploration and creative growth. Participants are encouraged to develop sustainable studio habits, document their ideas, and deepen their understanding of their own creative practice within a welcoming and supportive environment.

Along the way, you'll build meaningful creative connections, gain confidence in your decision-making, and develop a deeper relationship with your materials, ideas and artistic voice.

Suitable for students with some prior ceramics experience. Places are limited, reserve your place via link in bio.

DRAWING 1 returns in Term 3 and places are filling fast!

𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆
Duration: 8 weeks
Tutor: Stephanie Eather
Hours: 12 - 3pm *𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 / 6:30 - 9:30pm *𝟥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵
Level: Beginners

DRAWING 1 is an 8 week course designed for anyone wanting to build or refresh their drawing skills – whether you’re completely new to drawing or an experienced artist looking to reconnect with the fundamentals.

You’ll start with pencil and gradually explore charcoal and other materials as you learn key elements like line, shape, space, texture, tone, shading, composition, and perspective. Through hands on exercises, you’ll gain a solid understanding of how these elements work together – and how to use them with intention.

This course runs in Terms 1 and 3 only, with Drawing 2 following in Terms 2 and 4.

Reserve your easel via the website - link in bio!
✍️

𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
6 June - 3 July
Opening: 1pm, Saturday 27th June

We're excited to invite you to our annual Member Exhibition, celebrating the creativity and talent of our community. Featuring a diverse range of works across mediums, this exhibition showcases the unique practices of our members.

Join us for the opening which coincides with our Open Day, as part of the alongside fellow creatives across Melbourne's west.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆 at The Art Room
138 Cowper Street, Footscray
Gallery hours: 10am–3pm, Monday–Wednesday and Friday–Saturday (closed Thursdays)

Pictured: Artwork (detail) by Anne Hastie

𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞
We welcome Maree Clarke to the studio this Friday! Maree will be giving an artist talk and speaking about her processes, research, collaborations and exhibitions – both here and internationally.

“My art practice is more than about making art, it’s about cultural reclamation, reviving, preserving, and sharing cultural knowledge and creative art practices of southeast Aboriginal communities. My work has been about re-learning the skills of how those items were made, and passing that knowledge on to my family and community. I’m especially proud of the intergenerational work I do with my family, my nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. This ensures that this isn’t just about the past, but about our future.”
𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦

Please join us 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲, 𝟲:𝟯𝟬 - 𝟴𝗽𝗺. All welcome and free to attend, RSVP via link in bio!

Image 1: Portrait of Maree Clarke by Ilona Nelson for This Wild Song
Images 2 - 7: Artworks by Maree Clarke

✍️ DRAWING PROMPTS - Blind contour drawings

𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.
Often when we draw, the biggest challenge is to not let your mind tell you what you think something looks like. A blind contour drawing really helps us connect to our seeing and looking, and to quieten our minds.

𝗘𝗫𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗜𝗦𝗘
- Choose something or someone to draw
- Sit comfortably with your paper in front of you. You may need to tape it down to stop it from moving while you draw.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Pick a point on your subject and place your pencil on your paper.
- Now look back at the subject but DO NOT look at your paper.
- Allow your eyes to follow along the edge of the subject moving your pencil at the same time. The idea is to get your hand and eye to work together.
- If you get to a point where you feel like you have followed one edge to the end, pick another point on the subject and place your pencil (without looking at it) place it back on the paper and start again.
- It is important that you DO NOT LOOK at your paper until the timer goes off.
- Either pick another object or move your object to another position, set the timer and keep drawing. You may like to try this with different colour pencils or pens every time you reset the timer. Building up one drawing on top of another.

𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 - 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘
18 - 19 July
Tutor: Marieke Dench
Hours: 10am – 4pm
Level: Beginners - experienced

This engaging weekend intensive will teach you how to translate an image into the linocut medium by using a variety of cutting techniques.

Marieke will guide you through the foundations, including how to use printmaking equipment including cutting tools, professional inking rollers, slabs, drying wracks, various inks, registration sheets and artist quality paper. Plus, how to print your uniquely carved blocks both with, and without, a printing press.

Who said linocuts had to be monochromatic! Marieke will demonstrate the multiple ways you can transform a single colour linocut into a multi-coloured print – allowing your work to be printed in a myriad of colours and printed multiple times, so you can learn the art of professional editioning.

This is a fantastic workshop to extend your knowledge of lino cutting and the versatility of colour prints. Suitable for all levels, from beginners through to experienced artists who are looking to revisit their relationship with the print medium.

Places are limited to 10, reserve your roller via link in bio!