Colour, Paintings and the Spirit of Kandinsky

Capture the energy and spirit of Kandinsky in your own art, increase your painting skills and develop an understanding of the relationship between acrylic paint, colour, line and composition.

Christine Dean introduces you to techniques of layering, underpainting, texture and overlapping to bring to life, energy and dynamism into your paintings, experimenting with loose or gestural marks, and more structured approaches. You’ll explore expressive and geometric shapes such as circles, rectangles and triangles, and be led on a fascinating journey from representation towards abstraction.

Christine leads students on an inspirational, guided tour of the Kandinsky exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Then, back in the NAS painting studios she focusses on the exploration of colour, improvisation, expressive brushstrokes, patterns, composition, and line using canvas or board, drawing equipment, stencils, rulers and acrylic (not oil) paints.

*Short courses are open to students of ages 16 years and over.

*Drawing and painting short courses may be held in upstairs studios. If access to stairs is not suitable, please contact NAS Short Courses Administration at short.courses@nas.edu.au

Dr. Christine Dean commenced exhibiting as an artist in 1988.  Her studies include a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Art History, 1986; followed by a Diploma of Art Education, 1988; a Graduate Diploma in Painting, 1991; a Masters of Fine Arts, 2000 and a PhD, 2010. In 2000 she was awarded a Pollock-Krasner Fellowship and in 2001 an Australia Council Residency at the Los Angeles studio. Christine’s exhibition history includes, Spirit + Place, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; Juice, Art Gallery of NSW, 1997; Points of Departure, Tobey Fine Arts, New York, 2007; Minus Space at PS1, New York, 2009; Fabrik, Ian Potter Museum, Melbourne, 2016 and The Public Body 2.0, Artspace, Sydney.

Students must supply their own art materials, please refer to the list below.

• Notebook or sketchbook, and drawing media such as pencils, crayons, mixed media
• Acrylic paints in a good range of colours including white (basic prices acrylics are fine). Bring whatever paints you have and you can purchase more at Parkers.
• Acrylic painting mediums
• Gesso (500ml or 1 litre)
• Brushes, square and round bristle – bring an assortment of sizes including up to large house painting sized brushes
• Palette for mixing paint e.g. disposable paper palettes or flat plastic sheet or plate
• Surfaces to work on, may include prepared paper, stretched canvas, canvas boards, of any size you’d like to work on.
• A range of plastic tubs, disposable containers are useful
• Masking Tape
• Scissors
• PVA or Craft Glue

The teacher will advise on additional materials as the course progresses. Art materials can be purchased at Parkers Art Supplies on campus at NAS.