Joan Denison – Acquiring Art Skills

Written in June 2023.

Nillumbik U3A membership

Joan joined Nillumbik U3A in 2015.

In my own words

I have been involved in creative arts since I was a teenager, having studied fashion design at RMIT and visual arts and marketing at TAFE. After a career as a marketing manager in the hotel industry, I retired and then focused on art. My primary works have been still life and landscapes and, in the past few years, I have developed a passion for abstract art. My work has been displayed at Montsalvat, the Rotary Eltham Art show and in local Nillumbik cafes. During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-2021 I created the ‘Eltham Iso Chooks‘ and they became very popular, so I’m probably best known for them and the community support work which continues to develop through them.

What my students will learn

Each class focusses on varying but connected topics and each topic aims to develop participants’ technical and artistic abilities. The mediums include acrylic and watercolour paints.

Class structure

Hands-on artwork, demonstrations and a little theory.

Why did you volunteer to run this class?

I enjoy passing on skills to others and encouraging them to try new things, always with a smile.