About the Course
Unleash your expressive voice while learning traditional oil or acrylic painting methods. This course is suitable for artists who want to learn to paint stylised representational subjects, through to more realistic work. Therefore, basic drawing skills are useful, but not necessary.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
: How to use oil or acrylic paint (or both together)
: How to structure a painting – blocking in and composition
: Expressive brushwork
: Basic form, tone and colour theory and how to use these to interpret objective reality and express your unique artistic “voice”.
MATERIALS:
: Oil or acrylic paints – Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium or Vermillion red, Yellow Ochre, Lemon Yellow, Titanium White, Burnt or raw umber. I prefer water mixable oil paints.
: Canvas board approximately 12 X 16 inches or a bit larger if desired
: Brushes of different sizes (large and small, flat and round). If you have brushes with damaged bristles, bring those along too. Long-handled brushes are most suitable for expressive work.
: Painting palette (oil painting) OR recycled plastic containers, lids, etc. (acrylic)
: Odorless solvent and linseed oil (oil painting)
: Containers with lids to hold linseed oil and odorless solvent (oils) or a water jar (acrylics or water-mixable oils)
: Paper towels
Your Instructor
Teri White
Teresina’s story began in the 1970s, at a time when the world was changing rapidly, and so too were the creative boundaries in art. She enrolled at TAFE Meadowbank, eager to learn but finding herself torn between the technical demands of fine art and the freedom of expression that fueled her passion. Though her Certificate of Fine Art remained incomplete, it was a starting point, a foundation upon which the rest of her artistic journey would unfold.
Throughout the years, Teresina’s pursuit of mastery never wavered. By the 1980s , she found herself under the tutelage of John Ogburn, where she honed her skills further, absorbing not just the technique, but the soul of visual art itself. It was during this period that she truly understood the power of art to communicate beyond words, to capture the essence of a subject, a moment in time, or even the intangible emotions that so often elude description.
The 1990s brought new challenges.Teresina competed and thrived, becoming a finalist in the Mosman Art Prize, and taking top honors in TAFE Meadowbank’s drawing, color, and design categories. She realized that while awards were gratifying, they were but fleeting moments in the grand arc of her career. Her real joy came from the process—the slow building of layers, both in her artwork and in her understanding of herself as an artist.
In 2009, after years of cultivating her skills and exploring different mediums, Teresina took on the role of an arts advisor with the Holroyd City Council. She became a judge for various art events, including the short film festival and a local photography competition. But she never lost touch with her own art; the exhibitions she took part in, such as the 2021 “We’re All Going on a Summer Holiday” at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, were a testament to her dedication to her craft. Her art began to capture a broad spectrum of human experience, each piece an invitation to the viewer to reflect, to pause, and to feel.
The journey wasn’t easy, and as the years went by, Teresina found herself increasingly drawn to portraiture. The Blue Mountains Portraits competition in 2024 marked a significant turning point in her career, when her work was selected as a finalist, further cementing her place in the art community.
Today, Teresina is not just an artist; she is a mentor, an advocate for the arts, and a testament to the power of perseverance. Her work, ranging from intricate portraits to large-scale abstracts, explores the relationship between form, color, and emotion. She has taught countless students, many of whom now create their own masterpieces. And as she prepares for her next group exhibition at Braemar Gallery, Eresina reflects not only on the recognition she’s garnered but on the path that continues to unfold.
From the incomplete certificate in 1976 to the finalist awards and group exhibitions of 2024, Teresina White's art continues to speak volumes about the beauty of growth, the resilience of the creative spirit, and the timeless nature of art itself. It was never just about the destination; it was always about the journey—and Eresina’s journey is far from over.