Kerrie Lester’s third painting retreat at Daku was her busiest to date.  There was a difference this year in that much of the painting took place on the deck of the villa where Kerrie was staying, and it became a great meeting point for everyone and a useful storage for their work during the week. Something we’ll do our best to replicate next year.

Kerrie’s teaching style reflects her own exuberant, flamboyant embrace of painting – she has an overwhelmingly physical approach, almost wrestling the paint onto the canvas and mentally running alongside her ever-developing idea of what the picture will be. Christine Oxley, one of her students, described her as “quite out of the box in her teaching techniques. I woke up this morning already thinking about what she said -  it was a challenge for me not to use water as a medium and explore other types.”

Her main objective is to get her students to choose a subject then re interpret it with their individual slant: “Each student paints in a totally different way and I guide them individually to achieve the results that they desire and teach them ways to do that.”  To reproduce the scene to look like a photo is not encouraged! Christine Leaming talks of her constant push to excel: “Throughout the class she works with her students encouraging them to improve and push the boundaries, not paint the bathroom wall….which means don’t fill in, make every brush stroke count. She encourages us to use the paint with medium ( a liquid matt or gloss, thick or thin) which gives the paint more volume, keeps the lustre in acrylic paints whereas using water as a thinner results in a flat painting without any richness. So water is for washing brushes only!!”

The use of medium is a fundamental part of her teaching. She shows students how to use them to enhance the paint instead of using water. Mediums can help to give the painting the same effects as using oil paint: “so if you want to paint with very thick paint a la Ben Quilty, you use a medium to achieve that result;  if you want a to paint with glazing techniques another medium is used, and so on”.

Workshops took place on her deck at Daku Resort, and also out on location. She led trips into town to paint by the harbor and to capture images of the small, colorful market, a captivating sight, described by one student as “an experience in every way – there was so much happening – the people especially the children were so curious with their big brown eyes. It is an atmosphere unique to Fiji.” Choice of subject in the market varied enormously from close ups of the fruit vendors to paintings of the vegetables on display.

And then there were also portrait sessions using the Daku staff as models – something they undertook with many giggles at first, but great decorum and solemnity during the session.

Throughout the week there were a variety of trips to see the surrounding area and participate in Fijian life, from the simplicity of a rural village trip to seeing the operations of the local black pearl farm, the picture-postcard beauty of a swim in the lagoon on a beautiful Fijian beach and  a drink in the luxury Jean-Michel Cousteau resort down the road -  a complete snapshot of Fiji.

Several of the group mentioned the value they placed on having the chance to be surrounded by other creative artists and the inspiration they drew from their company. And as any good retreat should, they said “it gave me the opportunity to immerse myself  in what I really love and truly relax.”

Kerrie’s 2013 retreat takes place at the same time next year: 7- 14  September 2013

The delicacy and detail of botanical paintings is astonishing. With six days at their disposal, the artists still claimed they were pressed to finish by the end of the week – but their artwork was of a very high standard. Delicate heliconia, robust ginger, and the intricate lacy petals of a hibiscus were all on display as the painters bent over their boards in the classroom set up for them in the yoga shala. It is a beautiful spot to spend your time: a lovely view, a tranquil space and the companionship of all the others, chatting quietly, offering tips and giving support. Plus tea and coffee and cakes brought up during the morning! And of course the excellent teaching of Leonie Norton, who manages to squeeze unsuspected genius out of everyone.

The artists move into the yoga shala

It is unfair to single anyone out but……a special mention of Jeannette who has never done any painting before but produced a really stunning picture of a flowering ginger (Alpinia purpurata). She was there with her daughter Helen who had come to us as prizewinners of a competition run with Eckersley’s art shops: Helen painted a hibiscus (Hibiscus schizopetalus), with immensely delicate petals. Leonie taught her the value of painting in the petals in the foreground, but leaving those in the background half- coloured so as not to overwhelm the eye with detail.

Jeanette and Helen hard at work

Alva back for her third retreat at Daku

And another special mention: this one of Alva, who was back for her second week at Daku. She commanded a table to herself as she painted her heliconia and the tiny lines on the curled leaf beside it. On the next table Helen and Jean (yes, another Helen, with a Jean not Jeannette) concentrated on another variety of heliconia (Jean) and a red hybrid hibiscus Hibiscusrosa-sinensis (Helen) which she examined minutely through a large magnifying glass so as to capture every fold of its petals.
At the front table sat Mary and Kathryn, both of them tackling large plants – Mary a Heliconia rostrata, commonly known as the Lobster Claw, which you grows prolifically at Daku, and Kathryn a Heliconia caribaeaux x bihai. This was Kathryn’s first attempt and despite being anxious, she was thrilled with her beautiful final painting, which will be the first of many, I am sure. They patiently laid down their washes, sat back to let the paint dry, then bent over again to apply the next layer.

Behind them Dawn plugged herself into her iPod and was in another world of her own as she built up her picture. She completed a strong confident painting of a Heliconia psittacorum ‘Andromeda’, the Parrot Heliconia. Robyn was one of the only ones not using the colour red as she painted the delicate contrasting violet flowers and long dark green leaves of a plant growing profusely on the resort.

Marlene and another Dawn sat at the table at the back; more large, sturdy heliconia – one in dramatic reds and the other in pinks and greens. Marlene’s pendant Heliconia collinsiana ranged in colour from vivid orange-reds to deep maroons, with a light blush covering the bracts and huge leaves, which she also painted. Dawn’s painting was of the quite rare Heliconia wagneriana. The bracts are a delicate salmon-pink with soft lemon edges lined with vibrant green.

Marlene and her pendant Heliconia collinsiana

And so there’s everyone accounted for and special mentions all round. At the end of the week we pinned all the pictures up in the big bure and enjoyed the beauty and professionalism of all the work on display before our final dinner and reluctant goodbyes to a week of flowering talent.

Leonie Norton returns to Daku for her next course in March 2012.

Elena Parashko, who comes to Daku to teach a week of Seascape painting in August, is a regular contributor to a number of art magazines. In this article she reflects on the need to sometimes step back and give yourself a break.

Being Kind to Yourself

In every artist’s life there are times when it is difficult to focus and actually create art. When this happens, take time out to reflect on your experiences, thoughts and feelings. Be honest with yourself. Recognize if you are just procrastinating, whether life’s everyday problems are getting in the way of creating or if you have a real crisis to deal with. Then you will know if you need to hold yourself accountable to your goals and just get on with the work or if you need to be kind to yourself and resolve major issues first.

There are 3 main reasons why you may find it difficult to concentrate on being creative:

1. Procrastination
Even if we have very clear goals and know what must be done to achieve them, sometimes we will do almost anything else to avoid starting. This self defeating behaviour may be caused by a fear of the blank canvas – for 10 strategies to deal with this see my online article “Overcoming the Fear of the Blank Canvas.” Maybe you are procrastinating because you have not yet established a disciplined work ethic. Then devise a routine that fits the demands of your life. Perhaps you are not inspired by the work. Then look at the piece in a new way and find a challenge in it that will motivate you. If you have a fear of rejection, then accept that “No” is not personal and comes with the territory in the arts. If you are being distracted by other people or obligations, then give your artwork the priority it deserves by placing it above other demands and not just fitting it in if there is time left over. If you are not sure how to proceed with a project; then ask questions, do some research and find out where to begin. If you realize you cannot meet a goal, don’t beat yourself up about it and not even start. Just change the parameters of the goal to make it achievable. The best cure for procrastination is to get started in whatever way you can. Once immersed in the creative process, the rest will take care of itself.

2. Life’s problems
Everyone has problems to deal with. These may range from annoying distractions to more complicated issues that require your time and attention. While resolving problems, keep them in perspective and don’t use them as an excuse not to work. Art doesn’t just have a therapeutic effect on the viewer; it can be the best medicine for the artist as well. Creating can act as a release valve to externalise internal conflict and stress. Initially you may have to go with the creative flow and let what ever is inside express itself rather than trying to create what was planned. Experiencing and dealing with problems is a normal part of life. As such they can actually inspire artwork with universal themes.

3. Crisis
When a real crisis hits you, then be kind to yourself and give yourself permission to temporarily put your artwork on hold if you need to. You may feel physically exhausted, emotionally drained or so depleted of resources that you have nothing left to give to an artwork. Forcing yourself to paint under these circumstances can be counter productive. You will not produce your best work and may even be using it as an escape to avoid dealing with serious issues in your life that need to be addressed. Self imposed work pressures may be enough to push you over the edge from a state of coping to feeling completely overwhelmed. If you have a physical or mental health crisis, your first priority is to get yourself well and give your body and mind time to rest and recover. If you have an emotional crisis, then allow yourself time to go through the grieving process. If you are facing a social crisis, then deal with that personal relationship or be there to support a loved one. If you are struggling through a financial crisis, then make it a priority to do what is required to support yourself.

When you have a passion for art, it can never be lost. The creative spirit will find a way to express itself in one form or another as you are able. All these challenges will require you to draw upon strength and resources you never imagined you had. And when the crisis is over, returning to your art may be a very important part of the healing process.

“Being Kind to Yourself” by Elena Parashko as published in Professional Artist Magazine
www.ProfessionalArtistMag.com

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View details of Elena’s upcoming Seascapes and Landscapes Painting Retreat at Daku Resort in August this year.
Elena Parashko is an artist, teacher and writer based in Sydney, Australia. Her artwork can be viewed at www.elenaparashko.com and she can be reached at info@elenaparashko.com

Daku’s own resident artist, Mereoni Tadulala, featured this week in the Fiji Times.

Mereoni, who has been creating and selling her tapa artworks for 10 years, learnt the traditional art from her mother. In the article in the Fiji Times Mereoni talks about the importance of keeping this cultural skill alive and passing it down to younger generations.

Mereoni’s tapa demonstrations are a very popular part of any Daku holiday – not only is she a wealth of information about the cultural significance of the artform, but she also allows guests to have a go at the painting themselves.

Daku guests who purchase a tapa painting from Mereoni take home a real piece of Fiji – a traditional work handmade by a true artist. It’s curious to think just how many pieces of Mereoni’s art are now gracing walls in houses around the world.

You can read the full article in the Fiji Times here.

Last week artist Leonie Norton led a group of artists in a botanical art and holiday sketching retreat. The week was spent at a slow and leisurely pace, painting, sketching and drawing in various locations around Daku Resort and Savusavu in general. The yoga shala again proved its impressive versatility providing a fabulously cool and shaded place to paint, with some wonderfully inspiring views – and with lush plant life all around.

The group visited a few beaches around Savusavu in order just to sit and take sketches of the scenery – and here are just a few pictures of the group at work…

Last week Elena Parashko lead a group of artists at Daku Resort. Karen (attending her second art and painting retreat at Daku) writes below:

“This is my second time to Daku Resort to combine some learning with pleasure. I left with some concern as to whether the memories I had retained so vividly from last visit in September 2009 would actually set me up for a disappointment as my benchmark was already set so high.

Painting on the beach

Keni and Raj greeted me back to the ‘family’ as if I had returned home. And part of the Tadulala family we were, from the minute we arrived until it was time to leave. Mereoni made sure that we were well fed and combined Western, Asian and traditional Fijian food to ensure that we did not go hungry. It was delicious and healthy. Who’d of thought that seaweed could taste so good – really! The entertainment provided by the Tadulala children was presented with genuine warmth and an eagerness to please. The accommodation was very clean with bucketfuls of charm.

Despite my initial concerns, I was all the more pleasantly surprised when this trip was even better than the last.

Another day hard at work

Elena Parashko was our art teacher for this course and her teaching skills and ability transformed us all (she had 10 eager students of differing abilities) into artists with greater skills and far more confidence than when we arrived. It surely helped that the pick of locations would be the envy of anyone – paintbrush in hand or not. If the weather chose to spring a tropical storm upon us we also had the new purpose built Yoga Shala to set up our easels and paint away.

In the beautiful Yoga Shala

While there we had the pleasure of meeting another group who were there to appreciate classical music under the guidance of Mike Smith. Mike so very clearly loved his subject matter that he has inspired me to explore this music genre further.

So now it seems that I have presented myself with a real problem now that I have set my benchmark even higher. A challenge I shall gladly rise up to and return again in 2011.

Thank you Daku for being a little piece of paradise.

Karen McAllister

Tony and Demo with my painting

Paradise Courses 2009

We’re more than half way through the schedule for this year – but there are some wonderful courses still to come.

Art:

Kerrie Lester teaches Figures in the Landscape from September 12 – 19; as a 16 times Archibald finalist, her exuberant paintings are very well known.

The following week – September 19 – 26 – Leonie Norton teaches Botanical Art and Holiday Sketching – always a popular week.

Singing and Music:

Rachel Hore leads her sixth week from September 26 – October 4 – a choral workshop drawing on her world music songs.

Mike Smith of Radio 2MBS leads a week of Classical Music Appreciation from October 11 – 18.

Tony Backhouse is coming back for a week of Gospel Singing from November 22 – 29.

You can find full details of all the courses at www.paradisecourses.com. If you have any specific questions or are not clear about anything, please get in touch, either by email to paradisecourses@iinet.net.au or by calling us on +61 (02) 9969-4753. We look forward to welcoming you to Daku Resort.

Yoga

This has been a new and very successful introduction this year, and we still have 4 weeks on offer – have a look at www.yogainfiji.com for more details.

Aug 23 – 30   –   Pam Badman:  Yoga with awareness – Hatha and Kundalini

Nov 6 – 13   -   Amanda Ahern:  Yoga and creativity: Svaroopa Yoga

Nov 14 – 21 –   Tara Er:  Iyengar Yoga

Dec 7 – 13   –   Mark Whitwell:  Heart of Yoga

Leonie painting a heliconia

In April we welcomed Leonie Norton and a group of painters to Daku for a very busy week of botanical art AND holiday sketching. The difficult economic times have affected everyone, and we didn’t have enough people for two separate weeks of painting – so we put the two courses together and had a very productive week of painting and sketching.

The weather was generally lovely, but we had regular afternoon thunderstorms for three days so we switched around our schedules and went on sketching expeditions in the morning, and sat down to the detailed work of botanical art in the afternoon. The expeditions were great fun – we spent a very happy morning on Matuku beach across the bay, capturing the

Sketching at Matuku Beach

classic palm-tree edged sandy beach. Watching the artists sketch in the outlines and then fill in colours, I became aware of just how many shades of blue there are in the sea in the tropics –the turquoise of the sandy shallows, the aquamarine of the sea over the reef, the deep blue of the middle of the bay which turned to cobalt as the afternoon clouds started to build. And then there were the greens of the trees – palms, figs, creepers, and many local trees whose names I don’t know.

Yaukolo gardens

Another morning we went to Yaukolo gardens and enjoyed a fabulous morning tea made by the owner Louise. She has cultivated a beautiful garden over the nine years she and Jim have lived there, with fantastic palms, orchids, aloes and 26 varieties of ginger. We sat and
sketched the views from the gardens out to the reef in the ocean.

Everyone did both types of art – except for Joan, who was determined to just sit and paint a beautiful arrangement of croton leaves. This was Joan’s third visit to Daku so clearly she knew exactly what she wanted to do and was not to be deflected!

Last Saturday morning I went to talk to Kerrie Lester about the course she’ll be running at Daku in September. We are very excited that one of Australia’s top contemporary artists is coming to Daku – it really is quite a coup for us.

Kerrie Lester in her studio

What an amazing place she has, full of her artworks and the marvellous bits and pieces she’s collected over the years. She describes herself as a ‘bower bird’, picking things up from all over the place. The objects then appear in her paintings, forming the landscape in which her figures appear.

Mantelpiece inside Kerrie's studio

Landscape to Kerrie doesn’t necessarily mean a realistic depiction of trees or streets. Rather, it’s a series of suggestions about that particular figure’s setting. A seesaw and a jumping dog make the landscape in “Playground”; a beach and a few boats are the landscape for “In a hurry.” So how will this work when she comes to Fiji? She explained it like this:

“Oh, we’ll go out and see what there is. It’s all about getting an impression –I don’t paint from what I see, I re-arrange it.”

So, I wonder, will everyone need a lot of green paint for all the tropical backgrounds?

“No, not necessarily. They might paint the air, and that might be red. Painting landscape is about reacting to the surroundings, and everyone has a different approach. You can’t set up one standard. And green is a very difficult colour to use – a lot of painters say that. I went to PLC and we wore green blazers so maybe that has something to do with it too!”

"In a Hurry"

I’m catching the excitement and the laughter she brings to her painting as we talk. She relishes humour; she loves the larrikin side of Australia and seeks out the funny aspects of everyday situations. Her figures reflect this – whimsical little people going about their daily lives bathed in a light-hearted spirit. She makes it look simple, but she’s been painting for 36 years. “It takes 20 years to be a painter – it’s a learning experience, you don’t go to an art course and come out a painter. I’m still learning now.” So what can she teach them in a week? “I can give them the joy of discovering they can do it. I can show them how to see things, and to believe that their mark on the canvas means something.”

It’s shaping up to be a fabulous week.