NIC CANOSA - Wow, Watercolour Know How

Come and join us in the beautiful NSW North Coast, beachside town of Yamba in the Clarence Valley. Stay in the Star of the Sea Conference Centre overlooking the beach and have fun learning the magic of watercolour painting and sharing your experiences with other likeminded friendly people. Nic Canosa, a patient and encouraging tutor will introduce you to a loose, impressionistic style of painting.

Share his enthusiasm, knowledge and skills in this unique watercolour workshop which will run over five days and include work in the classroom and painting on site in and around Yamba, weather permitting. Nic paints in a loose, spontaneous manner and students are encouraged to do the same. Two of his favourite sayings are “don’t worry about painting inside the lines” and “let the water work its magic”. You will learn how to use the essential watercolour techniques, tonal values, a limited colour palette, and lost and found edges and simplify what you see to create a harmonious, moody and atmospheric painting. The workshop includes lessons on design and composition that will create the ‘wow’ factor in your work. The intricacies of landscape, marinescapes, streetscapes, interiors, and still life will be some of subjects covered. You will learn how to simplify shapes and create effective designs; learn paint application, and the colours and paper that will transform your work; what it takes to add emotional content to your paintings and how you can put your own personal stamp on your work. Traditional, modern and abstract styles will be demonstrated. The focus will be on painting with attitude by simplifying and loosening up your watercolour techniques and above all being fearless and having fun. A typical day will include tuition on a particular watercolour technique and hands-on practice, demonstrations from the tutor (morning and afternoon). Also some time will be made available to discuss and critique the paintings of the day. Students who attend this workshop will go away with a number of completed paintings and works in progress that will allow them to go forward with confidence using the watercolour medium. Students are encouraged to bring a portfolio of their work for Nic to critique. To enrol in this workshop you must be 18 years and over and have at least basic skills of drawing and watercolour.

Nic was born in Italy and after completing university his great passion for the arts has seen him involved through poetry, music, theatre, photography, film and painting. Nic has been painting in the watercolour medium for over twenty years. Between 1989 and 1997, he was involved in many group exhibitions. Since 1997 he has had numerous exhibitions in galleries including the Kew Gallery, Melbourne and Artarmon Gallery, Sydney. He is a qualified Teacher and has taught in schools and various tertiary institutions in a number of disciplines including Film and Theatre and Art and has written several articles published in the Australian Artist Magazine. Nic has been teaching watercolour since 1998 and has an approachable style that makes learning a fun experience He is always willing to impart his knowledge of watercolour techniques which he has gained over many years of travelling overseas, particularly in Europe, painting and teaching. His work ethics ensure that all students get individual attention with good opportunities to see improvement. Even participants who have never painted before are amazed at their own results. He has received many accolades in his career, such as “One of our brightest and most inspiring painters”. Nic is a member of the “Winterlude Artists; the other artists to form the group are Patrick Carroll, Alvaro Castagnet, Herman Pekel and Joseph Zbukvic. These five artists travel as a group to paint and exhibit regularly in Australia and internationally. Nic is now exhibiting at the Jenny Pihan Fine Art Gallery in Victoria.