SUMMER HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS 2026

After the l-o-n-g lazy summer days of early January it’s time to step inside the Gallery Space at Addison Road, to create some Collaged Cards of the Birds of Sydney, construct an illustrated pocketbook as a keepsake of your Summer Treasures, lean in and take a close look and become Fond of a Pond Life, learn a new way to use Oil Pastels to build brilliant Sunny Scenes of Summer and get playful with BIG IDEAS Stunning Stencils & Layered Lines. Come join me and be inspired to launch your 2026 creative journey with a sparkle in your eye and a pencil in your pocket!   

Collaged Cards - Birds of Sydney

I’m happy to call myself a Bird Nerd & I especially love the birds I share my everyday world with, in the wonderful city of Sydney (& surrounds). This Summer, it’s time to get out the binoculars and take a closer look at our avian neighbours to help us create a pack of colourful collaged cards to honour the beauty & brilliance they bring to our lives. The importance of seeing & reproducing shapes in identifying who’s who on the ground & in the sky will be key in this Workshop & lead us all to proudly produce & wear our very own BIRD NERD badges with pride as we step out of the Gallery doors with our cards held high and our compassion overflowing for all of our feathered friends.

Ages 5+

Monday 19th January 10:00 - 4:00

My Summer Treasures!

Every Summer Holidays I go on Treasure Hunts. When I walk the bush or the beach, the local park or my suburban path, washed up or carried on the wind … I find them. Seed pods and feathers, cicada shells and seashells, butterfly wings and iridescent things, special leaves and f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c-k-s, shark eggs and seaweed beads, they are ALL Treasures in my eyes. Treasures of Wonder - to draw, to learn from, to admire & to inspire. In this Workshop I will share my collected (& gifted) Treasures for image making and story telling in many mediums and fantastical written forms to create a very special illustrated pocketbook as a keepsake of everyone’s Summer Treasure pleasure!

Ages 5+

Tuesday 20th January 10:00 - 4:00

Fond of A Pond Life

I’m not sure who loves a pond more, me, or the wildlife but I know I certainly love learning about these busy, layered ecosystems & as I’m a BIG fan of one of the most interesting inhabitants of the Pond, FROGS, I thought in this Workshop we could lean in a take a look at what goes on above and below the water in these small mysterious places. Watery watercolours, irresistible inks and a cool combination of colours will bring our drawings off the page and into your hands as we make a layered pop-up drawing that will have all the action of a summer evening amongst the reeds. We might also learn a frog call or two too, TOK-TOK-TOK!

Image: Poster depicting Pondlife of Australia (circa 1987) Illustrated by Alexis Beckett

Ages 5+

Wednesday 21st January 10:00 - 4:00

Sunny Scenes of Summer

As much as we all might love to use Oil Pastels, I must admit they can be a little tricky & a little messy and sometimes a little disappointing to use in drawing, BUT … after a little exploration and experimentation, I have a new favourite way of using this classroom classic and I want to share it with everyone, so I’ve decided what better way than in a Workshop all about Summer! In this Workshop we’ll be proudly playing with these oily sticks of colourful magic, using mark making to build a brilliant Sunny Scene, and layering our drawings with shapes and lines to captures all the feels of a Summer’s Day.

Ages 5+

Thursday 22nd January 10:00 - 4:00

BIG IDEAS Stunning Stencils & Layered Lines

Scale up & step inside your drawings. In this Workshop we’ll learn simple stencil techniques and share some special skills to compose layered illustrative drawings guided by line work and repeated pattern. We’ll play with shape and colour to make BIG Bold statements that give graphic vibes while staying true to the magic of handmade mark making. This is a great way to play with composition and gain confidence with creating different looks using the same mediums and methods.

This Workshop is specifically designed for older kids and is the perfect way to experiment with different types of drawing & drawing mediums.

Ages 10+

Friday 23rd January 10:00 - 4:00