Golden Teachers Workshop

Well I have finally got to sharing with you my trip to Melbourne and the Golden Teachers Workshop with Patti Brady. It was a wonderful week of art, at the workshop, walking in the lane ways of Melbourne and Fitzroy.

The workshop was held over 4 full days at the beautiful Abbotsford Convent, it was like a little piece of Europe. We where on the ground floor, lovely big room with massive high ceilings.One of the cafe's in the grounds, could have been the old bakery, we had lunch each day, yummy food. Old buildings on the grounds, from another time.

View of front of Abbotsford Convent. The convent 1863 to 1975 is now an Arts and Cultural Precinct, is only 4 km from Melbourne CBD, has 11 historic buildings and covers over 6 hectares. More information on www.abbotsfordconvent.com.au I would recommend a visit if you are in Melbourne, it has a farm as well which I never got to walk around.

Patti Brady our teacher for the four days, we had a trestle each thankfully, as we where slapping paint around everywhere, some of our samples had to be laid out on the back trestles to allow them drying time, the whole four days. David Cole did a great job looking after us all as well as setting up our workshop, plastic sheeting underfoot as well as covering all our trestles. We did heaps of samples and learnt to use all the products to enable us to teach in workshops ourselves. I had learnt quite a lot about Golden Acrylic products but this was from books and Golden's website www.goldenpaints.com which is a very informative website but there is nothing like actually having someone show you and then doing it yourself. The products that just blew me away were the Open paints, bead gel doing the skins to be put through the printer. The airbrush paints where new to us, but unfortunately this is not carried in Australia as yet, but who knows if there is enough demand I am sure it will be.This photo was taken from the back of the class, can you see our sample canvas's at the bottom of the photo, these took ages to dry as we where advised to put them on really thick.Ten Golden Artist Educators with Patti Brady behind the red bag on ground, we are all now certified Golden teaches the first in Australia and from all over Australia, what a privilege. We where wined and dined by Golden, beautiful evening meals at lovely restaurants each night, I don't think we got back to our hotels before 10pm each night and the last night a few of us (the oldest ones I might add, no staying power these young ones) got back about one am. I left feeling so motivated and inspired it was wonderful.

I couldn't resist adding this photo taken at Abbotsford Convent, lambs ears look as if they are coated with sugar. Well this has taken me a few hours so I will do another entry of the rest of my stay in Melbourne.