The Goulburn & District Art Society (GDAS) is an affiliated member group of the Goulburn & District Arts and Crafts Inc (GDAC).  More information about them can be gleaned from their website www.artsociety.goulburn.net.auand newsletters.
They’ll be hosting four workshops over the next few months, to be held at GDAC’s Gallery on Track Crib Room.  Here are the details!

Watercolour Landscapes – Isla Patterson
Date: Saturday 20th April, 2013
Cost: GDAS Members free; Non-Members $50
Isla specialises in watercolour landscape and seascape paintings of countries such as Venice, USA, Alaska, Egypt and Australia.  She also paints native Australian birds and flowers. To book, contact Helen on 4829 2300.

Oils & Acrylics – Landscapes – Marion Schumacher
Date: Friday 3rd May, 2013  Time: 10am – 4pm
Cost: GDAS Members free; Non-Members $30
Brief resume: Born in Germany, coming to Australia at age two.  Has been painting as long as she can remember and started painting seriously at age 14, selling first paintings immediately. At age 15 she won first prize at Campbelltown exhibition.  First art lessons were with Arnold St Claire. Also studied with Steve Roach and a few other artists as well as attending Liverpool and Bankstown TAFE.  Originally worked as a sign writer before becoming a freelance artist, as well as running adult leisure classes.  Has won art prizes in Sydney and Canberra as well as locally and has won People’s Choice on several occasions.  Has had work published in magazines and illustrated a children’s book.  To book, contact Helen on 4829 2300.

Art for Beginners – Liz Wilkinson
Date: Saturday 15th June, 2013
Cost: GDAS Members free; Non-Members $30
This is the ideal opportunity for people wanting to learn to paint.  Liz is a fine artist and has had considerable experience in teaching small art groups and will welcome the opportunity to teach beginners.  We hope to have other GDAS members there to assist with tuition of beginners.  To book, contact Helen on 4829 2300.

Scratchboard Workshop - Gillian Baldock
Date: Sunday 21st July, 2013  Time: 10am – 4pm
Cost: GDAS Members free; Non-Members $30

As you can see from our featured image of ‘Mimpi and Mum’, Gillian is an accomplished artist.  Particularly with the use of scratchboard!  At school most of us experienced a crude form of scratch art or scraper art by covering paper with a layer of coloured crayon, covering that with a layer of black and then scratching back through the black layer to create colourful designs and pictures.  New museum quality surfaces and materials have made the technique much more sophisticated.  It can now be used to create highly detailed artworks. Gillian’s love of art was encouraged from a very early age.  She has always loved creating art and learning and practicing new techniques. Her other passion is animals and many of her artworks depict domestic animals, or wildlife.  Recently Gillian has been using scratchboard techniques to portray animals and birds.  To book, contact Helen on 4829 2300.

Date:Saturday April 27, 2013 Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Kumihimo braiding is a traditional Japanese craft that is quick to learn and fun to do!  Many kinds of yarn, cord or string can be used to create interesting braids for jewellery (or other uses, such as bag handles or in creative textile art, etc). It is a wonderful craft to do at home, or to take travelling, as it is lightweight and uses few tools.
Venue: Gallery on Track, Blackshaw Rd, Goulburn, NSW (there is free parking at the gallery, and easy access to the workshop room)
Cost: $45 per person, plus kit 
Kits for this workshop range from $15 to $30, and there are several choices – some are bracelet kits and others are necklace kits.  Enrolment fee is due in advance, and kit is purchased during the workshop.
All kits come with a kumihimo braiding disk plus cords or yarns, and pendants/charms/cord ends if applicable. The necklace kits also come with  set of 8 plastic collapsible bobbins. All kits contain printed and bound instructions for that project.
Participants only need to bring their lunch.  Tea and coffee, plus biscuits will be provided.  Any additional tools (eg scissors) will be available for use by participants during the workshop.
This workshop is suitable for all skill levels. It is open to adults, and children aged 7 and older.
Contact Fiona on fiona@chiatanyadesigns.com.au or phone (02) 4849 4489 for more information or to request an enrolment form. 

This month sees two of our members exhibiting together.  As Angela Saliba and Diane Sanna are both fibre artists, this seems a good match.  We asked them to tell us a little about how they came to do what they do!
Angela started knitting when she was seven years old on a train ride from Margate to Chatham in England to see her brother in hospital. He loved her knitting the best as it had holes in it, so the skin could breathe –  my older sisters were, of course, perfect.
She loves colour, mixing wools, choosing unusual wools from all over the world, and begins by making up a pattern in her mind and seeing the final result.
In this exhibition she is showing several works created using a variety of techniques including free form knitting, crochet and embroidery.  Urban design bowls, table runner with mats and a Japanese short handled bag as well as other tote bags. There are a number of clothing items such as jackets, a bikini top, shorts, tops and a skirt, hats and scarves, in particular one that has a sea scene.

Diane was taught to knit and crochet by her mum as a child and was further encouraged to try out different stitches when her aunt gave her a little book on knitting. Later when she came to live in Australia, a relative helped her transform her basic knowledge of the crochet  stitches into following patterns and for a few years she didn’t bother with knitting. Crochet grows so much quicker than knitting. Being an impatient person that fitted her busy life style.
There was a long gap when she did very little knitting or crochet for many years but became interested in knitting again when “Wrapped with Love” needed squares. She knitted and crocheted several blankets, enjoying playing and experimenting with colours.
It was only when she came to live in Tallong, after retiring, that her knitting really took off. She now knits each evening in front of the TV finding it relaxing and productive.
She is very drawn, these days, to modular and mitred knitting and goes mad about colours. This type of knitting lends itself to using up lots of scraps of wool.