GARDEN FOR GOOD
SHARING THE JOY OF PAINTING FROM TOOWOOMBA TO THE WORLD
The Chronicle Garden Competition has been part of the Toowoomba community since 1949 but this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will run under a “virtual” format that will showcase our city to the world.
OF COURSE YOU CAN DRAW! YOU JUST NEED TO LEARN HOW! Drawing and painting are skills that can be taught and the more you practise, the better you get. A great way to build your skills is to join a group and practise, practise, practise. In the days of COVID, the best way to do this is online.
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PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BATTLE
BY ALLY MARTELL
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ocal artist and art teacher, Anna Bartlett, says it’s her mission in life to share the joy of drawing and painting. “I believe the best way to learn painting is to paint, that the only wasted paint is the paint left in the tube, and that art should be all about encouragement, not pressure,” she said. With this joyous philosophy in mind, it’s easy to see why Anna’s “Shiny Happy” drawing and painting classes have been a huge hit in Toowoomba. Pre-COVID she was running live classes and retreats as well as offering over 20 online art classes alongside a growing membership of her “Paint Along of the Month Club”. “Once COVID hit I took everything online and haven’t stopped!” she said. “I began with free, weekly ‘Shiny Happy 08
Drink and Draw’ sessions, via Facebook Groups – basically to help cheer people up. Then I added more online sketching classes to my catalogue and hosted private and corporate events with people around the world via Zoom and Youtube. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with one woman telling me that she lived in a hotspot in the US, and only really stopped crying to do my online classes. I had people joining me from Ireland, Spain, Canada, India and South Africa, as well as the US, UK, New Zealand and locally. “It’s a fantastic way to learn a new skill that helps you notice things you’re grateful for, and also productively takes your mind off the stresses of daily life. Anna films from her home studio with a
TOOWOOMBA STYLE, Friday, August 7, 2020
lighting and camera set-up to ensure professional quality. “I want to make students feel like they’re right here with me – able to see every pencil line and brush stroke. It’s like having me in their home with the benefit of a pause button!” From flowers, cakes and shoes to landscapes, you’ll find a class to suit you. They cost from $11 (‘Draw a Blue Wren’) to $44 for a single Paint Along, to $264 for an annual membership of the Paint Along of the Month Club (12+ paintings per year plus a private Facebook group and bonuses). www.shinyhappyartonline.com
nown as The Chronicle Garden for Good, the event will turn a spotlight on the region’s best gardens of all types while driving a culture of giving and support across the community. Ahead of the 2020 Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, residents will be invited to apply to participate in Garden for Good via thechronicle.com.au. Gardeners will be asked to submit photos of their garden and tell us what is unique and special about it. They will also be asked to name a charity they would like to support and why. From these applications, ten gardens will be selected and featured in a COVID-19 safe virtual showcase. The interactive website will feature the top ten gardener profiles through immersive video content, beautiful photography and engaging stories to entertain and captivate site visitors. The program concept, which includes cultivating goodwill and kindness in the community, also allows the public to participate by donating funds to the featured gardeners’ charity of choice. This component of Garden for Good brings the community together to raise much needed funds for charitable organisations in our region in these uncertain times. The Chronicle general manager Erika Brayshaw said the new The Chronicle Garden for Good format would celebrate why we’re the Garden City while keeping green thumbs safe. “The safety of our gardeners and visitors to our region is paramount” she said. “We are excited to have the opportunity to recognise the beautiful gardens of “The safety of our gardeners and visitors to our region is paramount”
Toowoomba – and take them to the world - in a new and safe way, especially during COVID-19.”
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