Be the first to know the details of our upcoming Kimberley Art Adventure. If you’ve submitted an Expression of Interest, you ‘ll be sent the full details of the tour prior to release on the website. There are only 8 places on the tour!

Tour Overview:

Art adventure of a lifetime! Join artist, Louise Collier on an amazing journey around some of the highlights of the East Kimberley. Feel the spirituality and connection to this extraordinary area and you will have the opportunity to interpret what you see and capture the amazing scenery and raw beauty in your art pieces. Louise has lived and worked in the Kimberley and has excellent local knowledge to ensure you get the most from the tour. She has many years teaching experience and will guide you to achieve your best results using oil paints - all art materials supplied.

The East Kimberley is magnificent; rugged escarpments, spectacular gorges, thermal springs, rainforest, majestic ranges, cascading waterfalls and more… diverse, beautiful and unforgettable; it will take your breath away and provide plenty of artistic inspiration - beautiful Kimberley landscapes all around.

The 7 night tour (8 days) begins with two magic nights in Kununurra with a special evening planned on the first night - dine with a difference, the Gourmet Camp Oven Experience (highly rated on Trip Advisor). and enjoy comfortable accommodation in the newly refurbished, centrally located, Cambridge Hotel. On Sunday the setting for our first ‘en plein air’ oil painting workshop is in the Mirimar National Park located at Hidden Valley on the outskirts of Kununurra - locals call this a mini Purnululu (Bungle Bungles). Mirimar will delight with it’s unique rock formations and striking colours. Other highlights include a visit to the Hoochery, various Kununurra art galleries and the Pumphouse Restaurant.

On Monday, after a visit to some of Kununurra’s art galleries, you will travel up to Lake Argyle Resort by road through some amazing scenery where we will spend the next 2 nights staying in the cabins. On arrival day you will head out to explore the lake on a fabulous sunset cruise on the expansive waters of Lake Argyle. The following day, you will enjoy our second ‘en plein air’ oil painting workshop, overlooking the magnificent orange cliffs and azure waters of the lake, plus some free time to soak up the essence of the area - your choice - relax at the iconic infinity pool, take a scenic bush walk or visit the historic Durack Homestead (don’t forget your sketch book!). On the last morning (Wednesday), you will travel by bus across the dam wall down to the bottom where you will hop aboard a Triple J tour boat for a private charter 55km down the magnificent Ord River to Kununurra. Enjoy stops along the way to soak up the beauty, abundant nature and delicious morning tea. Again, be sure to have your camera and sketchbook handy to gather artistic reference material for later use.

Wednesday is a busy day and the adventure continues! You will transfer from the Triple J boat to a bus transfer to the Emma Gorge Restaurant via the start of the Gibb River Road for lunch and optional Emma Gorge walk with camera and sketch book in hand, then off to the El Questro Station for the next 3 nights. Here you will enjoy accommodation at the air conditioned station tents. On Thursday we will kick off with a painting workshop by the river, followed by a sunset tour in one of El Questro’s open safari vehicles to Explosion Gorge and Branko’s Lookout for sundowner drinks and nibbles. The next day you will have some free time (or extra painting time) in the morning before heading off on a half day tour including a visit to thermal Zebedee Springs (fabulous), nestled in an oasis where you can enjoy a restorative and relaxing soak, followed by a Beef & Barra lunch at the station and a cruise along the Chamberlain River.

Saturday 1 July is sadly time for the tour to conclude. After breakfast at El Questro, 4WD transfers from El Questro Station to the Airport/Kununurra is included.

Suitable for the everyone, from the complete beginner to the accomplished artist. We will primarily be using oil paints and included in the price of the tour is your own set of artist quality oil paints (x10 tubes), boards to paint on and brushes (all of which are yours to keep and take home) plus sketching equipment (valued around $600 - more details in the next section). Along the way, you will receive both group and individual tuition and advice on composition, colour mixing and techniques (oils).

FULL TOUR ITINERARY & COSTING TO BE RELEASED SOON!

About the art…

Magnificent scenery and stunning landscape aside, it is actually all about the art! The tour includes the following:

• Approximately $600 worth of art materials - yours to keep (10 tubes of artist quality oil paints - Langridge if stocks are available), a selection of surfaces including Ampersand Gessobord for your paintings, Various brushes, palette, apron, sketch book and pencils, watercolour (will either be watercolour pencils or something like Koh-I-Noor water colour discs) and pen.

• Other equipment available for your use includes en plein air french box style easel, Windsor & Newton Liquin (medium for oil paint) and Gamblin Gamsol (odourless Mineral Spirit used with paint and for cleaning), rags etc. Note that you can carry oil paints in your checked in luggage, but you cannot carry Gamsol and Liquin so it will be supplied for your use in situ but not to take home).

• You will be encouraged to take your sketchbook, pencils and watercolour (all supplied) with you everywhere you go to do lots of reference sketches as you go. Louise with give you some tuition and tips on how best to do this.

• Skills session - Day 1 - welcome with Louise, overview of your materials and equipment, uses and techniques.

• en plein air Workshops - Day 2 (Miramar National Park, Kununurra), Day 4 (Lake Argyle), Day 6 or 7 (El Questro, depending on tour availability).

• other skills/art session - Day 6 or 7 at El Questro (depending on ELQ tour availability), there will be a window after breakfast and before the Zebedee Springs/Chamberlain Gorge tour) to optionally work on your art pieces and Louise will be on hand to provide tuition, advice and guidance. Throughout the tour, Louise will provide help and advice with your sketch books and your art pieces as you work on them.

About the Artist…

Louise Collier is a visual artist with many years of teaching experience. Please see Louise Collier website. Louise has lived and worked in the Kununurra and Lake Argyle periodically (her husband Steve is a local) and has recently moved to Kununurra for a while. Louise has excellent local knowledge and is taking you to some of her favourite East Kimberley spots.