Introducing our March 2025 Demonstrator - Marlene Palagyi - Watercolour Artist Marlene Palagyi is a recognised talent on the Central Coast art scene, having taken up her life-long interest in painting at age 58 when she made the decision to seriously pursue her passion. Her art has evolved through acrylics and pastels to the soft translucency of watercolours, under the influence of many artists. She is an enthusiastic member of the Central Coast Art Society , the Central Coast Watercolour Society and Toukley And District Art Society and contributes to their many workshop and tutorial programmes.
Marlene has developed a style which reflects her passion for the light, colour and textures of nature, and has found acceptance and praise for her work in exhibitions on the Central Coast. She won the watercolour section in The Royal Oaks Art Prize at Cessnock Springtime Art Fair 2017 for "Valley View Morpeth", the William Dobell Watercolour Prize for "Winter Morning" at Wangi 2018, the People's Choice for "Snow Owl" at The CCAS Winter Exhibition in Gosford 2018 and "Snow Owl " also won 1st prize at the Women in Art Exhibition at The Entrance 2019 and she won 1st place in 2021 TADAS Exhibition with " Country Shack " and 1st place in 2023 TADAS Exhibition with " Afternoon Shadows". To view Marlene's amazing works please click here: www.marlenepalagyi.com/gallery.php?cat=3#palagyiGallery[3]/0/e.
Demonstration: Marlene will be demonstrating techniques for producing interesting skies with her favourite wet-on-wet style. Changes in colours used and intensity of colour can produce soft skies to really dramatic ones. Using the same technique, we will be painting a moonlit sky with light reflected over water. Materials List:
A4 sheet of 300gsm medium or rough watercolour paper
Watercolour brushes - variety of sizes including a large mop brush & a small rigger brush
Waterproof backing board
Small Towel
Tissues / paper towels • Water container and spray bottle • Watercolour paints and mixing palette: Include a variety of blues, alizarin crimson, raw sienna, burnt sienna, white gouache; or any colours you have and we’ll work it out. • Drop cloth, apron, and PACKED LUNCH. PLEASE BRING A SENSE OF ADVENTURE TO TRY SOMETHING NEW!
Introducing our April 2025 Demonstrator - Marijke Greenway - Oils, Palette Knife & Pastels Marijke is an artist with three nationalities that have made up her life experiences – born in Holland, then emigrating with her parents to South Africa and eventually choosing to live in Australia with her husband and three children during l988. Her early studies took place in South Africa, but it was in Australia, with its very active art world, that she became most prolific in her output and variety of subject matter. Marijke is equally at home with oils, watercolours and acrylics. Acknowledged as a popular watercolour and mixed media teacher she has tutored regular classes for 25 years. Marijke has accumulated an impressive list of awards and commendations for her work that has been widely exhibited, both in group exhibitions and solo shows. During 2006 she exhibited internationally with a solo exhibition on the Greek island of Leros. She has been published with major contributions to art magazines and was a member of several art societies, including the Royal Art Society and the Australian Society of Marine Artists, Castle Hill Art Society and Central Coast Art Society. Marijek lives in Pearl Beach on the Central Coast amidst stunning scenery – her main inspiration.
Introducing our July 2025 Demonstrator - Tony White - Watercolour Tony's approach to art becomes apparent when you read this quote from his website: "Too often we become paralysed with some kind of strange fear when it comes to painting with watercolour. We feel that, because we "can't fix it" if we mess up, we paint with trepidation and it quickly shows. Our work becomes clumsy and weak and we become frustrated. It is only paper! It is only paint! They are only brushes! Splash it on with confidence. Life is too short!"
Introducing our August 2025 Demonstrator - Elizabeth Fox - Botanicals
Liz is a multimedia artist living in the Coastal city of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. She paints with a strong focus on Nature, Flora and Fauna. Her work is innately intuitive and her inspiration comes in waves, an ebb and flow, until something floats distinctly to the surface and she can no longer ignore it. Liz also dreams of painting and commonly wakes with a clear image, composition or simply the solution she has been searching for whilst working on a current art piece. "Walking in nature and taking a deep long hard look at my surrounds, the light, the sculptural and textual elements, the tonal palettes of it all, gives me an abundant source of inspiration.' Liz’s works are a combination of charcoal, inks, acrylics, watercolour and pastels. The ‘Bark’ series of her works was very much a creative outpouring of emotion and discovery. Whereas the ‘Botanical’ series is a manipulation of media until she discovered a new way to interpret Mother Nature.
Liz has worked in a diverse range of roles all enabling her to have a creative input including Interior Design, Property Staging and assisting with the development of a local fashion label. Besides being a keen Folk Artist way back in 90’s she also produced a full market stall of products to sell every month and taught weekly classes. She completed an Associate Diploma in Graphic Design n 1997 through Northern Sydney Institute. It is here she obtaining a strong cross section of skills which become the building blocks of her work today.
Introducing our September 2025 Demonstrator - Jess Murphy - Mixed Media
Playful palette knife artworks to feel good about! Jess is an emerging artist in Melbourne. With over 20 years of private artistic exploration, Jesslyn has sought to understand a diverse range of painting, printmaking and drawing techniques. Ready to show her work to the community, she took up a studio at an artist collective in 2023 to begin work on a cohesive collection featuring thickened layers of acrylic paint, applied with palette knives to tell a colour-filled impasto story. Jesslyn’s work transforms special visited places and often-overlooked local treasures into pop-art landscapes. Each piece reflects meticulous planning of colour combinations, favouring split complementary colour palettes and fluorescent underpainting. Modern illustration and printmaking artists have been a source of inspiration and influence on Jesslyn’s emerging work.
As a professional Medical Sonographer in a Melbourne hospital, her daily experience provides opportunities for detailed images and thought. As an artist however, she seeks to shed those details and finds beauty in simplifying the colours, shapes and shadows of the natural world. Her lively, vibrant and bold style has garnered recognition, including winning the 2D category at Artz Blitz 2016 and People’s Choice in 2017. Her paintings have found homes in private collections across Australia. With group and solo exhibitions in 2024, Jesslyn is on a mission to explore ever crisper and more joyful colour combinations, while celebrating the beauty of her neighbourhood.
Introducing our October 2025 Demonstrator - Donna Gilbertson - Acrylics
Never say 'can’t' was the maxim which most influenced Donna Gilbertson in her early years. Born into a theatrical family, she studied ballet and stage production from the age of five. After becoming a mother, Donna’s artistic tendencies began by meticulously painting war-game figures for collectors. Encouragement from her family and artist friends led her through a progression of various painting mediums including oils, pencils and watercolour, however, it was her determination to work with pastels that led to her distinctive style of painting. With no formal training in art, her vivid imagination, combined with a curiosity for something new, has produced appealing subjects ranging from cuddly teddies and colourful clowns to theatrical fantasy. Her first major exhibition held in November 1990 was a sellout success, and she has since exhibited and sold in private shows all over Australia.
Introducing our November 2025 Demonstrator - Kathryn deBoer - Christmas Kathryn has been painting and teaching Acrylic Art for over 25 years. Always finding new inspiration every day, from our beautiful Lake Macquarie with never ending sunsets, boats and birds, to the amazing array of flowers that we grow in Australia. She has travelled to teach around Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, recently living in the USA where she had the pleasure of teaching and had a studio in down town Wilmington North Carolina for 12 months. Kathryn mainly paints scenery and florals on canvas, wooden doors, fabric and furniture. She is now living at Bolton Point near the water once again, so will never run out of inspiration to paint.