Creative Expression
IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
For ages 13 to 17 - Suitable for ALL skill levels
Venue is ST MARY’S PRIMARY SCHOOL (mobility aid accessible)
Course runs for 5 HALF-DAYS - Monday to Friday 9am until 12pm
This course has an extra materials cost of $20
Need an NDIS invoice? Call Nicole on 0419 379 146 during business hours BEFORE booking.
Join us for a vibrant and hands-on 5-day art workshop designed especially for kids aged 13 to 17!
Over the course of three creative hours each day, participants will dive into the world of expressive self-portraits using a dynamic mix of materials including oil pastels, acrylic paint, charcoal, and graphite.
Keen on this half day course? You could pair it with another half day course to fill up your week!
Check out the other options here.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
For ages 13 to 17 - Suitable for ALL skill levels
Venue is ST MARY’S PRIMARY SCHOOL (mobility aid accessible)
Course runs for 5 HALF-DAYS - Monday to Friday 9am until 12pm
This course has an extra materials cost of $20
Need an NDIS invoice? Call Nicole on 0419 379 146 during business hours BEFORE booking.
Join us for a vibrant and hands-on 5-day art workshop designed especially for kids aged 13 to 17!
Over the course of three creative hours each day, participants will dive into the world of expressive self-portraits using a dynamic mix of materials including oil pastels, acrylic paint, charcoal, and graphite.
Keen on this half day course? You could pair it with another half day course to fill up your week!
Check out the other options here.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
For ages 13 to 17 - Suitable for ALL skill levels
Venue is ST MARY’S PRIMARY SCHOOL (mobility aid accessible)
Course runs for 5 HALF-DAYS - Monday to Friday 9am until 12pm
This course has an extra materials cost of $20
Need an NDIS invoice? Call Nicole on 0419 379 146 during business hours BEFORE booking.
Join us for a vibrant and hands-on 5-day art workshop designed especially for kids aged 13 to 17!
Over the course of three creative hours each day, participants will dive into the world of expressive self-portraits using a dynamic mix of materials including oil pastels, acrylic paint, charcoal, and graphite.
Keen on this half day course? You could pair it with another half day course to fill up your week!
Check out the other options here.
BUY TICKETS
YOUR COURSE TUTOR
Lina Bluhm
Born in Germany and raised in multicultural Australia after moving in 1990, I have been shaped by a bilingual and richly diverse upbringing that continues to influence my life and creative work.
I hold a Bachelor of Visual Arts (2006) and a Graduate Diploma in Education (2007) from Southern Cross University. I spent seven years teaching on the Mid North Coast of NSW, where I developed inclusive arts programs and worked closely with diverse student communities.
My teaching journey then took me across continents. I spent eight years living and working in Denmark, where I built a life with my husband and our young family, including our daughter and twin boys. During this time, I worked as a Year Coordinator and Art and Design teacher, delivering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Cambridge IGCSE curriculum. These international experiences enriched my perspective and strengthened my skills in curriculum innovation, student engagement, and intercultural understanding.
Now based on the Mid North Coast of NSW, I continue to combine teaching with my own creative practice. I regularly exhibit my work, including in the 2025 Incognito Art Show in Sydney, the 2019 Tiny Sketchbook Project (International Exhibition), the 2009 CPM National Print Prize at the Tweed Regional Art Gallery, Place, Identity & Memory at Gracefield Arts Centre in Scotland (2009), and the 2008 Bellingen Art Prize at Nexus Community Gallery, among others. I also run a voluntary community arts group and lead workshops in macramé, basketry, drawing, ceramics and mixed media for adults and children.
My teaching philosophy emphasises mindfulness, creativity, and connection—empowering students through self-expression and the joy of making art.
-
They'll experiment with drawing, painting, and even working with cardboard shapes to build textured, dimensional portraits.
From bold brush strokes to intricate patterns, this workshop invites teens to explore their identities through a colourful lens of emotions and moods. Each day offers a fresh focus and exciting techniques—from zentangles to sgraffito—that push creative boundaries while keeping the atmosphere playful and upbeat.
With an emphasis on expression and individuality, students will learn to channel joy, curiosity, and even introspection into their artwork. The end result: bright, funky, and deeply personal self-portraits that capture not just what they look like, but who they are.
-
Please bring the following on your first day of class:
Pencil
Paintbrush(various sizes)
Cardboard pieces
Glue
Scissors
Erasers
Aprons or smocks for painting
This class has an extra materials cost of $20, which is payable directly to the tutor.
Once you book your ticket, the tutor will be in touch to arrange payment.
Cost includes:
Graphite pencils (variety of hardness)
Charcoal sticks and pencils
Oil pastels
Acrylic paints (bright primary and secondary colours)
Paintbrushes (various sizes)
Scratching tools (for sgraffito)
Heavy paper (A3 or larger)
Cardboard pieces/shapes
Hot glue gun
Cutting board
Reference mirrors or printed selfies (optional)
-
No prior experience needed—just a sense of adventure and a willingness to explore!
-
NOTE: THIS IS A PLAN ONLY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE
DAY ONE
Exploring "Who Am I?" – Mood & Identity Through Line involves a warm-up of blind contour self-portraits, followed by expressive drawing using mirrors with graphite and charcoal, incorporating Zentangle-inspired patterning to emphasise mood, and culminating in a black-and-white portrait that conveys personality and emotion.
DAY TWO
We will create "Shape It" – Cardboard Form & Tone (Project 1) focuses on a warm-up with an emotion sketch relay, followed by creating a stylised 2D self-portrait using cut cardboard shapes, building structure through layering and adding tone with charcoal and pastel, and starting a cardboard portrait that explores facial structure and expression.
DAY THREE
We will create "Shadow & Colour" – Cardboard Finish + Start Oil Pastel Sgraffito involves a warm-up with a mood and colour association activity, followed by finishing the cardboard portrait by refining shapes, tone, and background.
After a break, students begin Project 2 by tracing dramatic facial shadow outlines, filling the background with layered oil pastels, and experimenting with black overlays and sgraffito textures, with a focus on colour, emotion, and abstract storytelling.
DAY FOUR
We will create "Scratch & Express" – Finish Sgraffito Self-Portrait includes a warm-up with fast expressive pose sketches, followed by completing the pastel and scratch-art self-portrait.
Students will add detailed scratch patterns, refine expression through shape and colour contrast, and optionally incorporate personal symbols or mood words in the background, resulting in a bold, funky, and colourful portrait with layered emotional meaning.
DAY FIVE
Finalise our week "Gallery Day!" – Final Touches & Celebration includes a warm-up with guided reflection and creative journaling, followed by adding final touches to artwork, writing or discussing artist statements, curating a classroom gallery, and optionally inviting friends and family for a walk-through showcase, with the goal of celebrating individuality and artistic growth in a joyful, student-led exhibit.
