Expressive Acrylics- Birds

Bold & expressive acrylics workshop! Paint vibrant native birds, explore mixed media, mark making & take home inspiring art.

This workshop is led by Parkes artist Karen Ritchie, whose vibrant and colourful creations draw inspiration from the natural beauty of her local surroundings and her travels. With a free‑flowing brush style, she captures movement and joy, bringing energy and life to her work.

In this full‑day workshop, Karen will guide you to use bold and expressive acrylic techniques inspired by the vibrancy of Australian native birds. With a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, you’ll explore how to bring movement, emotion, and life into your painting while experimenting with mixed media and mark‑making.

Structured around demonstrations, discussion, and individual guidance, the session caters to both beginners and experienced artists. You’ll leave with fresh ideas, inspiration, and practical skills to continue developing your own free‑style expressive art on paper and canvas.

Key outcomes for the day

• Paint vibrant native birds with confidence
• Experiment with mixed media and mark-making
• Create and take home artworks on paper and canvas
• Gain insights from demos, discussion, and individual advice
• Leave inspired with enthusiasm for expressive painting

What you need to bring

• Your lunch [tea, coffee, and treats will be provided throughout the day]
• Masking or painters’ tape (from Bunnings or similar) – for protecting the sides of your canvas if you want clean sides and taping edges of watercolour paper.
• Acrylic paints, a basic variety of colours, and titanium white. Bring what colours you have or like to work with. Karen will bring extras to share. You do not need artist-quality paints.
• It's optional, but Acrylic medium can also be useful and can be gloss or matte (your preference) – Mont Marte from a discount store is fine.
• Palette or something to use as a palette eg crockery plate, alfoil, baking paper.
• Paper or sheets from a pad, A3 size x 4, 150/180gsm is ok. We will do some quick exercises on this paper.
• At least 1 x deep-sided stretched canvas, or if you prefer, thin-sided canvas or canvas board that is okay. Canvas can be rectangular or square e.g. 51cm x 61cm, 60cm x 60cm, larger if preferred, or 20 ins x 24 ins, 18 ins x 18 ins, whatever you have. If bringing a smaller canvas, then bring more than one. Also, people who are ‘quick’ painters may like to bring more than one canvas. If canvases are not availableto you then you can paint on heavy-weight paper e.gs 300gsm.
• Brushes – variety of sizes, acrylic soft bristle, one with pointed tip, several flat/square tipped, small and large e.g. 10mm, 20mm, and at least one larger if you have it; the larger your board, the larger your brushes need to be.
• Palette knife for mixing paint and for painting – only if you have one
• Water container, Spray bottle
• Some willow charcoal, if you have it
• Rags or paper towel
• Apron or old shirt cover
• Photo references of birds if you have special ones, but Karen will bring lots
• Easel - if you have your own that is ok – either upright or table, whichever is your preference. Table easels need to be large enough to hold your canvas. If you prefer to work flat on tables without easels that is ok too, tables are supplied. Some easels are supplied by NACNET. If bringing your easel, also bring a small tarp or towel to protect the floor under the easel from paint drips etc.

No need to stress re any of these materials, just bring what you have or are used to painting with, Karen will have some supplies to supplement your own.

The workshop will commence at 9:30am and run until 3:30pm, be sure to arrive early so you can set up your work space and the workshop can start on time. You can have access to the ArtsHub from 9.00am.

This workshop is limited to 12 participants only.

This workshop is for adults.

Please select your correct admission ticket costs as per your membership category when checking out. Tickets are only available through Eventbrite.

If you wish to become a member of NACNet, please click on the link below for more information about NACNet and how to join:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1894105553699?aff=oddtdtcreator

For further information regarding this workshop, please contact:

Vicki on 0491 290 949 or email: nacnet@hotmail.com or message us on Facebook @Narranderaartsandcreativenetwork