En plein air painting weekend | Toowoomba Region
Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st May 2026
WHEN
Saturday 30 & Sunday 31 May, 2026. 10am – 4pm
WHERE
Private working cattle property 40 minutes south of Toowoomba, Qld. See below for images.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
A dose of en plein air work is as enriching for the experienced painter as the beginner so this weekend will be suitable for anyone who has a love of landscape. With a small group, I will work with you individually on your specific goals.
PRICE & INCLUSIONS
$548 per person.
Includes morning tea, afternoon tea & lunch both days
WEEKEND OVERVIEW
Saturday
10:00am start
Quick intro to the weekend and then an intro to the place
CONNECTING & LOOSENING UP: demo, exercises & practice
11:00am – 11:30am – Morning tea provided
OBSERVATION: demo, exercises & practice
1:00pm – Lunch provided
COMPOSITION: demo, exercises & practice
2:30pm – 3:00pm – Afternoon tea provided
COMPOSITION cont: practice
3:45pm – discussion
4:00pm end
Sunday
10:00am start
CONTENT: demo, exercises & practice
11:00am – 11:30am – Morning tea provided
APPROACHES: tips and exercises
1:00pm – Lunch provided
PRACTICE: continue with exercises or work on a painting
2:30pm – 3:00pm – Afternoon tea provided
PRACTICE: continue with exercises or work on a painting
3:30pm – discussion
4:00pm wrap up
MATERIALS LIST
You can choose to work in any medium over this weekend, however there is a large component on colour so please bring some coloured paint or gouache to work with.
Drawing – bring any drawing tools you like such as charcoal, pencil, pen, markers, pastel
Painting – bring watercolour, gouache, acrylic or oil paints in a basic range of colours. If you buy a starter kit somewhere this should have a broad enough range of colours to work with. If you are bringing single paints from your studio, please include warm and cool primaries, mixing / zinc white and titanium white at a minimum (and bring anything else you like as well).
I work with this basic palette a lot: Raw Umber, Paynes grey, Sap Green, Prussian blue (sparingly), Ultramarine blue, Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow, Pthalo green (sparingly), Cadmium red or Indian red (sparingly).
A selection of brushes with at least 1 that is 2cm or more wide. A mixture of filbert, flat and round is ideal but filbert if you can only have one type.
Plenty of paper (either a sketch pad designed for your medium or individual sheets). Don’t spend too much on this, these are for the exercises and you shouldn’t be worried about using them because of the cost. You could also just use cardboard cut from boxes, canvas offcuts or whatever you can put your hands on.
A few canvases, boards or decent pieces of paper for one or two finished pieces. More if you know you will make more work than that.
Rags
Solvents (or water) in resealable containers (we will be taking these home for disposal)
Palette
Easel / table / tarp (depending on how you like to work). If you’re not sure yet, just message me and we can work something out.
RECOMMENDED CLOTHING:
- Long sleeve shirt
- Hat (sunglasses aren’t ideal as they affect colour but a hat will usually give you enough shade. Of course wear sunnies if you need to).
- Jacket / jumper (it could be quite cold)
- Boots or covered footwear
PLUS:
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Water for drinking
Our beautiful location
Perched on the southern edge of the range, this private property offers an incredible amount of diversity so there really is something for everyone. Whether you’re inspired by breathtaking big vistas, the colour, line, texture and detail found in the scrub and bush, undulating grazing land or big skies, you can always find it here.
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
There are plenty of accommodation choices in Toowoomba. Here are a few I can suggest:
Oaks Toowoomba Hotel
25 Annand Street, Toowoomba
This hotel is well-positioned within easy walking distance to a good selection of restaurants including Zev’s Bistro (hatted chef), Kuro Beko (Japanese), Piccolo Papa (Italian / pizza) and Bergen, to mention a few.
Quest Toowoomba
133 Margaret Street, Toowoomba
Another good hotel-style option. Within walking distance to restaurants such as Sofra (Turkish) and Fitzy’s (pub / bistro). Close to Queens Park, this is a good option if you like a morning walk.
Arbour Apartments
27 Scott Street, Toowoomba
Set in the eastern end of Toowoomba, these beautifully appointed apartments are a good option if you’d like to share accommodation and self cater. You’re still a stones throw from restaurants down town but you’ll need to drive from here.
Norwood Roses
Newtown, Toowoomba
If you love a garden and a pretty cottage, this could be the place for you. This delightful airbnb stay is on the western edge of town. Ideal if you plan to self-cater or it’s a short drive to restaurants in town.