02/05/2026
- 20/06/2026

Creative Foundations – 7 Weeks Art Sampler Course

$270 for 7 sessions
Saturday from 2 May to 20 June, 1pm – 4pm

No class on 16 May

$270.00

Explore various creative approaches to art making: drawing, collage, painting, and clay sculpting. Learn about and apply the Foundational Elements of Art: Line, Shape, Composition, Colour, and Texture. You will learn about the Art Historical relevance to themes such as Still-Life, Landscape and Portraiture. After each stand-alone session, you will have completed a finished artwork.

Sat 2 May 1pm – 4pm | Drawing Faces and Figures

  • Learn how to draw the face and figure of a clothed model
  • Learn gestural drawing techniques to capture the overall essence of the subject
  • You will generate a series of full-body and portrait drawings for further development
  • This very popular workshop is led by the talented Smita Upadhye

Sat 9 May 1pm – 4pm | Female Form in Air-Dry Clay 

  • Learn the basics of working with Air Dry Clay
  • Create an armature for your sculpture
  • Learn about the depiction of Venus or goddess sculptures in Art History
  • Use Air Dry Terracotta clay to model your sculpture
  • Go home with a completed sculpture which can be sealed once dry
  • Optional: paint areas of decorative design on your sculpture

Sat 23 May 1pm – 4pm | Painted Still-Life Collage

  • Release your creative flow with a few warm-up exercises
  • Explore and apply the Foundational Elements of Art such as: Colour, Shape and Composition
  • Learn about still-life as a theme in both Art History and Contemporary art
  • Create an A3 mixed media painted collage that is ready for framing and display

Sat 30 May 1pm – 4pm | Acrylic Still-Life Painting

  • Release your creative flow with a few creative warm-up exercises
  • Explore and apply the Foundational Elements of Art such as:  Line, Shape, Colour and Space
  • Learn about Still Life as a theme in Art History and in Contemporary Art
  • Create an A3 Painted Still Life composition ready for framing and display

Sat 6 June 1pm – 4pm | Terracotta Ceramic Birds

  • Learn the basic principles in working with clay
  • Use the pinch pot method to create 2 types of hollow clay birds in terracotta clay
  • Create various textures in the clay and apply colour using ceramic underglazes which will bake in during kiln firing
  • Discover various Sculpting techniques used by Sculptors in Art History and present day
  • Apply accents of colour using underglaze
  • Your bird will be kiln fired and ready for pick up in 2-4 weeks time
  • Costs: Tuition $35, Clay $5, Kiln Firing $10

Sat 13 June 1pm – 4pm | Landscape Painting

  • Release your creative flow with a few creative warm-up exercises.
  • Explore and apply the Foundations of Art: Colour, Composition and Texture.
  • Learn about Landscape as a theme in Art History and in Contemporary Art, with a focus on the Post-Impressionist landscapes of Vincent van Gogh.
  • Go outside to sketch compositions of the local environment.
  • Apply Post-Impressionist techniques to your landscape.
  • Create an A3 Landscape painting ready for framing.

Sat 20 June 1pm – 4pm | Abstract Painting

  • Release your creative flow with a few creative warm-up exercises
  • Explore and apply the Foundational Elements of Art:     Colour, Composition, Line and Texture
  • Learn about Abstraction as a theme in Art History and in Contemporary Art
  • Layer up using various painting, mark-making and stencilling techniques to create a series of abstract paintings encoded with your own unique ‘secret’ theme
  • Create a series of four A4 paintings ready for framing and display

Exhibition entry terms and conditions

  • All entry forms must be FULLY completed, including pricing. Incomplete entry forms and late entries will not be accepted.

  • Please note, running a member’s exhibition is reliant on volunteer help.  Please let us know if and when you will be able to volunteer in any of the below capacities:

    - Helping out on Bring In Day (receiving artworks)
    - Helping at the Help Desk during the Art Exhibition/Market
    - Helping at Pack down
    - Delivering leaflets/posters to libraries/community centres etc
    - Putting up signage

  • Credit Card payments will incur an extra 2.5% charge.

  • All artworks must be for sale and a 25% (inc GST) commission applies on sales. This will be deducted from the artist’s payment at the end of the exhibition.

  • Payments may take up to 14 working days (from 18 May 2026) to process and will be direct credited to your account.

  • Personal tax liability is the responsibility of the artist.

  • Insurance of artwork is the responsibility of the artist.  Although Waitākere Arts will take all care, we will take no responsibility for lost or damaged work.

  • Work must NOT have been entered in any previous Exhibitions, must have been completed within the last 12 months and not part of any tutored workshop or class. It must be completely original.

  • The Committee reserves the right to refuse an entry if it does not comply with the Terms and Conditions or is deemed inappropriate or is poorly presented.

  • Any changes to your details must be made on or before Bring In Day. No changes can be made after this date.

  • All artwork must be dry. No wet paint.

  • Entries must be ready for hanging on hooks, with D – Rings, cord attached 1/3 down from the top of the artwork. There will be a charge for purchase of D Rings or cord on the day of $10.

  • Each entry must be identified with a swing tag attached to the hanging string, with artist info – (Artist Name, Title of work, Medium, Category, Price).  

  • Work over 3kg cannot be wall mounted. (Please consult with Waitakere Arts if over 3kg).

  • Note – our exhibition will be on black panels.

NOTE: Failure to collect work will result in a $10 per day fee to cover moving and storage of the artwork, useless it’s an emergency and prior arrangements have been made with the Office Manager. Artwork will become the property of Waitākere Arts Council and be sold or donated to charity if not collected by 1st July 2026.  

Members exhibition entry terms and conditions

  • All entry forms must be FULLY completed, including pricing. Incomplete entry forms and late entries will not be accepted.

  • Please note, running a member’s exhibition is reliant on volunteer help.  Please let us know if and when you will be able to volunteer in any of the below capacities:

    - Helping out on Bring In Day (receiving artworks)
    - Helping at the Help Desk during the Art Exhibition/Market
    - Helping at Pack down
    - Delivering leaflets/posters to libraries/community centres etc
    - Putting up signage

  • Credit Card payments will incur an extra 2.5% charge.

  • All artworks must be for sale and a 25% (inc GST) commission applies on sales. This will be deducted from the artist’s payment at the end of the exhibition.

  • Payments may take up to 14 working days (from 18 May 2026) to process and will be direct credited to your account.

  • Personal tax liability is the responsibility of the artist.

  • Insurance of artwork is the responsibility of the artist.  Although Waitākere Arts will take all care, we will take no responsibility for lost or damaged work.

  • Work must NOT have been entered in any previous Exhibitions, must have been completed within the last 12 months and not part of any tutored workshop or class. It must be completely original.

  • The Committee reserves the right to refuse an entry if it does not comply with the Terms and Conditions or is deemed inappropriate or is poorly presented.

  • Any changes to your details must be made on or before Bring In Day. No changes can be made after this date.

  • All artwork must be dry. No wet paint.

  • Entries must be ready for hanging on hooks, with D – Rings, cord attached 1/3 down from the top of the artwork. There will be a charge for purchase of D Rings or cord on the day of $10.

  • Each entry must be identified with a swing tag attached to the hanging string, with artist info – (Artist Name, Title of work, Medium, Category, Price).  

  • Work over 3kg cannot be wall mounted. (Please consult with Waitakere Arts if over 3kg).

  • Note – our exhibition will be on black panels.

NOTE: Failure to collect work will result in a $10 per day fee to cover moving and storage of the artwork, useless it’s an emergency and prior arrangements have been made with the Office Manager. Artwork will become the property of Waitākere Arts Council and be sold or donated to charity if not collected by 1st July 2026.  

Exhibition entry terms and conditions

  • No Digital Artworks or Couriered Works accepted. Payment must be received for entry to be accepted.

  • No photography section for Adults, only for Youth (13-18 Years Old) 

  • All works will automatically enter the “Open section/competition”. 

  • Works may be entered into only one themed awards category.

    - LOOKING WEST: “Capturing the impressions and spirit of West Auckland”

    - OUR PEOPLE OUR PLACE: “Embracing the changing face of the people within West Auckland” (must contain a figurative element)

    - INSPIRATIONAL AOTEAROA: Finding that unique factor which identifies with AOTEAROA | NEW ZEALAND

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