Tropical Art Classes develop creativity!

So much beauty surrounds you! How you may wish that there were easily accessible tropical art classes, which would help you to gain important visual or written skills with which to express your ideas! Perhaps some of you would like to learn oil painting, how to sketch, find out about perspective drawing or are wanting to build careers in fine arts.

Help is at hand!



A number of art groups in small and larger towns in North Queensland provide a variety of tropical art classes for residents and visitors alike.

You may need to ask around to satisfy yourself about the level of professionalism and the emphasis of the different groups. For example, a group may emphasise craft skills such as art glass , pottery, sewing, weaving or leather work or the more traditional fine art skills of drawing, painting and sculpture.


They may hold regular, structured courses with defined aims and outcomes, leading to careers in fine arts or be more of a social networking group where people of similar interests may learn how to sketch, sculpt in clay or paint in a convivial atmosphere.

Here you see students from the Port Douglas English Language School proudly displaying their morning's work.

Tropical art classes may include writing, music and performing arts, as well as the visual arts, to add another dimension to your creative experience.

I am sure that you will be pleasantly surprised by the friendly welcome that you will receive and by the reasonable fees asked.

I have seen many a new friendship forged over the printing press, indigo dyeing vat or during an outdoor sketching class!




Sometimes a course of a certain length would not be suitable if you can only stay for a few days. But then, a weekend workshop where you learn oil painting basics or some aspect of watercolour, that you have always wanted to explore, might be just perfect.

If you can't just hop on an aeroplane and come, you might like to explore one of the on-line "how to paint or draw" sites, which usually provide free information.

Have you always wondered how the old masters, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, perfected their oil paintings? Wonder no longer. Delmus has the answers!

Many of the regional courses are subsidised by shire councils (eg Arthouse and Douglas Arts Base owe their success to a combination of financial assistance from Arts Queensland's Regional Arts Development Fund and teams of skilled volunteer and paid arts workers).

TAFE and James Cook University have campuses in Townsville and Cairns. They offer certificate and degree courses in many aspects of visual arts and writing.

So whether you live in Far North Queensland or are a first-time or regular visitor to this special part of the world…take the plunge…have a go…it may change your life forever!


NEW! Now you can join in and have some fun by sharing YOUR art classes or workshop ideas! Perhaps you would like to tell us about the BEST art class that you attended - or maybe the FUNNIEST?

If you are part of an art group in Far North Queensland, which is organising classes, please tell us about them here!

Should you be wondering about art holidays in other countries, check out this comprehensive site which offers links to art workshops world-wide.

If you organise art workshops in Australia and would like to be promoted on that overseas database check this page.

If you would like to have up-to-date news about art in this region by subscribing to "Perspectives", the e-newsletter of art-in-tropical-australia.com, please fill in your details to the left of this page.

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