Tuesday, November 22, 2011



Peony Bouquet Workshop and High Tea @ Viva The Flower Store

On Sunday
a group of lucky women congregated at Avril Hallow's
spacious and lovely flower studio, Viva The Flower Store in Angaston to celebrate the Peony season.
Avril demonstrated how to make a florist's 'ball' from copper beech,
camellia and Malacca leaves into which we inserted our choice of exquisite peony blooms.
A divine low cut glass vase was included and the trick was to get your bunch to look full and comfortable in the vase.
I was a late arrival to the workshop as came dashing in after the Blooms Painting workshop had finished at my gallery, Salon Rouge Gallery in Kapunda. My own students had done a great job of their paintings but I didn't want to leave until their paintings had been completed to our satisfaction. So it was a thrill that it turned out I could make it to the peony workshop as student myself.
I hadn't missed too much and thankfully Avril gave me a helping hand to get my leaf ball started. There was still an enviable selection of peonies to choose from. I think I ended up with about ten peonies in my generous bunch.

I chose the classic pale pink with crimson stripes and a couple of dark pink blooms.
Once we had all learned to make our own peony bunches, fit for any wedding table or simply the perfect touch for home, we were then treated to a delicious and most elegant high tea, accompanied by Sorby Adams bubbles.
It really is a tough life for some, isn't it? For myself it was a wonderful treat after a painting intensive at the gallery for the week. I was delighted to take daughter Lily along too to learn some old fashioned floral arts though I noticed her attention was on the vanilla cupcakes more than the flowers!
After sampling a selection that included
white bean and tomato tarts, the best chicken sandwich fingers I have ever tasted, strawberry sponge cake, vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, citron tartlettes, it was time to plan a new day to start the Dukan diet!  And take in a spot of shopping from the wonderful array of gifts including rich and fragrant hand creams and Christmas decorations that Avril stocks.
I found so much inspiration in the arrangements that I was madly snapping pictures with the iphone ready for my Sydney and Melbourne painting workshops. Some divine blooms that were just begging to be painted.
And then it was all over, and we drove back to Kapunda with our flowers, some cakes a
nd a Christmas wreath for the gallery door, with the fresh aroma of peonies accompanying us all the way.
Here are some peonies that I have painted recently.
Peony Bunch with delphiniums and Belly Button daisies 91cm square oil on
canvas $4880 (destined for Sydney exhibition at Master  Framers Bondi in December Contact Jacqueline Coates 0412 587 438

Peonies and roses
76cm square oil on canvas
$3650 Currently at Viva The Flower Store 08 8564 3393


                                                                 Coates Peony Bunch

                                                     Peony Painting by Jac at viva

Peony workshop exquisite peony bloom

                                                   A participant Sizing up the high tea

                                                 Viva Peony workshop , a peony bunch

                                         Viva Peony workshop high tea tomato tartlets

                                                Viva Peony workshop Jac's arrangement

Kim Mathieson arranges a peony bunch

                                              Peony Blooms at Viva

                                                       Peony at Viva peony workshop
                                             Viva Peony Workshop Tough afternoon for some

                                                     Peony Workshop Vanilla cupcakes

Peony workshop choosing from Copperbeech, malacca and camellia leaves

Peony workshop

WELCOME



Friday, November 11, 2011

Sculpture Workshop at Salon Rouge

Last Sunday, Marcus Possingham a Clare Valley sculptor and Salon Rouge Gallery artist was invited to lead 6 participants to create one major sculpture piece each. The group used  scrap metal and found items. Everything from bike pedals to nuts and bolts, rusty bullwire and old wheels were used.
The best way to describe the day is to show you some pictures.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Paintings Blooms from Life Class at Viva The Flower Store

Last week,  I enjoyed a great painting session with 8 painting ladies at the fabulous blooms studio Viva The Flower Store in Angaston, South Australia which is not far from where I live. 

Avril has created an enviable space which is perfect for her gorgeous giftware and flowers. And as it turns out, for us to invade with nine easels and lashings of oil paint! Avril and I have known each other for about ten years. When I first came to the Barossa, she and her then partner at Viva, Tessa, invited me to put my artworks into their store. They were great supporters and helped me to get started all those years ago when I was worrying how to pay the mortgage from my art sales. So it was a pleasure to be working with Avril again whom I admire as a business woman and a flower stylist.

Avril set up a selection of seasonal spring blooms which included peonies and delphiniums, orchids and daisies to name a few. We began at 10am and the students were finished by 4.
A picnic lunch in the park was prepared by Blonde Cafe and we were allowed a glass of champers once the paintings were nearly completed. I kept painting afterwards to finish the painting of peonies that I had started and made good use of left over paint on the palettes and the palette knife. These are the first peonies of the season, just beginning to open so I couldn't resist. I always feel its best to capture the painting in the one setting as much as possible.

What I love is seeing the confidence grow as the painting lesson draws near to the finish, and all the marks, all the efforts begin to amke sense. Lots of people haven't painted since high school and onoy then very minimally so it can be exhilarating to discover how easy it is to paint when you are shown how.
Here's what the students had to say about it all;

Fantastic workshop Jac – loved it again. Always great to paint with you. Look forward to next time .   Judith

Fantastic workshop – cannot believe I am taking home a beautiful painting I am proud of in just one workshop. Definitely would like to do more.
 Janine King

3rd workshop &  still loving it..... coming back for more ( smiley face) . Janelle Amos (Barossa Coffee Roasters) and via email later... 
Hi There… Thanks so much for my workshop last week – I absolutely LOVED it and Paul said he hasn’t seen me this excited for a while…. Yay!! J I just looooveed scraping and wacking on the oils you’ve inspired me to explore this medium further – so thankyou so much!!


Loved it ! Inspired to do more – so pleased with my first oil painting. Thanks Jac.   Jen Light

  •  The next impasto blooms workshop at Viva The Flower Store is scheduled for Tuuesday February 28th 2011 10am -4pm. Bookings open.Confirm your plave with a $50 deposit to etiher Avril and the girls at Viva 08 8564 3393 or Jacqueline on M 0412 587 438 or via email jacquelinecoates@bigpond.com. $295 will secure you a spot including all art materials, tuition and catering.
  • There is a peony workshop at Holly Loveday's Lotus Flowers in Hazelwood Park November Sunday 27th , 2011 12-5pm $295 per person all catering and art mterials included.
I hope you enjoy the following images. Well done to all the participants!
Happy spring blooms!,
All the best,
Jacqueline Coates














Great Southern Ocean Art Prize

Over the weekend I was the lucky invited guest  judge to preside with Jude Rogers, a printmaker and painter, at the Great Southern Ocean Art Prize in Robe last week. What a wonderful place and loads of friendly hospitality from everyone including the committee and Jude and Tim Rogers who hosted me at their newly launched Robe Art Apartments.





The quality of the artwork was very good, with the photography being particularly strong. Congratulations to the winners.
Robe is five hours the way I drive from Kapunda and about the same from Adelaide.
In January the kids and I will go back with the vintage caravan and I will take a landscape painting group for a fun paint $30 per head  BYO art materials, all proceeds to the Great Southern Ocean art Committee.
You can email your details if you'd like to join in. There is terrific landscape painting to be had in the area.
http://www.jacquelinecoates.com/
jacquelinecoates@bigpond.com
http://www.salonrougegallery.com/
www,.robeartapartments.com.au