2017 was a year for firsts! And this was a BIG one!
With the encouragement and support of two of my most enthusiastic Wednesday Wonderers, Linda and Kim, we went to Norfolk Island!
The fun actually began long before we left as introductions were shared on a private facebook group. Meeting face-to-face at the airport was more like a catchup with friends.
With five ‘en’ plein air’ sessions scheduled, we got stuck right into it. This was our first chat/sketching session at Emily Bay…
And this was in the grounds of St Barnabas…
And here’s Kathy doing her VERY FIRST ACRYLIC PAINTING overlooking Anson Bay. How awesome is that?
And here I talked about ‘greens’ in the shade of the fig trees in the 100 Acres Reserve.
And demonstrated a seascape at ‘Captain Cook’.
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- Arriving at the paradise that is Norfolk Island. (This photo went viral on insta!)
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- Cemetery Bay beauty
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- Sometimes tiny flowers were still the most photogenic thing
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- Visiting a local potter’s studio
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- Overlooking Kingston
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- THE most delicious lunch at Hilligoat Farm
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- The meal at Hilligoat was the best of the trip.
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- Happy birthday Sherylyn!
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- A VERY special meal at Dinos. What a gorgeous restaurant!
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- Capturing Anson Bay from the south (and from way up high!)
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- Having fun with SHADOLLS on a VERY breezy final morning.
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- The spectacular cliffs overlooking Anson Bay
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- In the 100 Acre Wood.
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- Linda hard at play at ‘Captain Cook’
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- Drawing the historical homes. There really was something for everyone.
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- Can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing than sketching on the beach
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- A WIP and a finished ‘Emily Bay’ en plein air.
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- There are 17 different greens in this William Morris designed window.
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- Lisa’s cow was SUPERB!
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- Kim found a place out of the wind on our final day. And painted!
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- Greg took up photography on our art holiday ;P
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- My favourite SHADOLLS picture, overlooking the water to Phillip Island.
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- The Norfolk Oracle, our Cristina.
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- Bye for now, Norfolk, but not forever!
The gorgeous, Cristina, has also blogged about her time as part of our group (and about shadolls!) and her gorgeous photography was so appreciated (as were the scissors, the phone, the wifi, the avocados…!).
We did plenty of art, ate plenty of amazingly delicious food, loved meeting the locals (especially the gorgeous Jasper) and made wonderful friendships.
Thank you to all my painters – Linda, Kim, Lauren, Sherylyn, Clare, Lisa, Kathy, Greg and Cristina… and to Lynley, our on-island guide, you made my first time hosting an Art Holiday the most wonderful experience.
In fact, we had such a ball I’m doing it again!
Stay tuned for when bookings open (soon) as we’re heading back over from 16 – 23 OCTOBER 2018.
There will be some tweaks to the program and I’ll also be including 5 optional studio sessions this time, which means we can paint on canvas without having to juggle so much, en plein air.
Norfolk really is a piece of paradise in the Pacific. I can’t wait to do it again!
I loved every minute of our time on Norfolk! I learnt so much from your demonstrations Anna, and I also gained a lot of confidence in my own work. Thanks for having us on your first art holiday. Those joining you in 2018 are in for a treat!
This was the most amazing week long art adventure ever. So many laughs, new friendships and art tutorials in one week. I had the most amazing time with everyone and Thanks Anna for taking us to Norfolk and showing us so many ways to see and paint 🎨 the beauty around us.
As ‘first-time artists’, Greg and I were feeling a bit like deer in the headlights when we received our art requirements list and went shopping completely clueless. But we needn’t have worried. We were immediately embraced by an enthusiastic, friendly and supportive group of fun-loving, creative women who didn’t even seem to mind that we came from south of the border!
Anna’s engaging teaching style had us ‘talking the talk’ and throwing paint on canvas in no time and gave me the confidence to ‘go for it’. Greg decided fairly quickly that painting wasn’t for him and thoroughly enjoyed capturing the beauty of Norfolk Island on camera which we have turned into a beautiful photo book.
We can’t thank Anna and her co-conspirators enough for a wonderful experience that keeps on giving, with Anna’s ingenuous creation of our SHADolls keeping the experience alive on their adventures all over the world..